Second of snooker players banned in match-fixing scandal returns to professional tour

Chang Bingyu is back on the World Snooker Tour after a match-fixing ban, returning to the professional ranks thanks to winning the Asia-Pacific Snooker Championship.

Still just 22 years old, Chang beat Ryan Thomerson 6-1 in the final in Albury, Australia to win a two-year tour card.

The Chinese youngster was comfortably the standout performer of the event, winning his semi-final 5-0 against Hong Kong’s Chau Hon Man.

Chang returns to the professional circuit after a two-year match-fixing ban ended on December 7, 2024.

10 players received bans in June 2023 as part of a huge match-fixing scandal, ranging from 1 year and 8 months, all the way up to lifetime bans for Liang Wenbo and Li Hang.

Chang was initially suspended in December 2022 and then given a three-year ban, reduced following early admissions and his plea of guilty, to two years.

The Disciplinary Commission’s findings read that Chang ‘accepted that he on 28th September 2022 had fixed a snooker match that he was playing in.’

That match was a 4-1 defeat to Jamie Jones in the 2022 British Open in Milton Keynes.

He gave evidence to the commission that he was called by Liang Wenbo on the morning of the match ‘with a threatening tone’ and told that Liang ‘had placed a lot of money on his bet without my knowledge, for my match with Jamie Jones that evening.’

Chang ‘reluctantly agreed’ but said he never received the money he was told he would be given for the fix.

It also emerged in the disciplinary process that at the time of his investigation interview with the WPBSA, Chang had less than £100 in his bank account.

Chang had been on tour since 2019, with his best run a last 32 appearance at the UK Championship in 2020.

The first of the banned players to return to action on the table was Zhao Xintong, who received the shortest ban having having not fixed a match himself but been party to another player fixing two matches and betting on matches in breach of the rules.

Zhao has already looked very good on his return, dominating the amateur Q Tour to win a place back on the professional circuit next season.

He also came through UK Championship qualifying in style and narrowly lost to Shaun Murphy in the opening round at the Barbican.

The former UK Championship winner is in World Championship qualifying this month and is considered a genuine threat for the title if he can make it to the Crucible.

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