Every snooker star suspended with Zhao Xintong including duo who are banned for life

became the first player caught up in biggest match-fixing scandal to return to the sport following his 20-month suspension. The new world champion made quite the statement on his comeback, taking snooker's biggest honour after coming through four rounds of qualifying just to book a spot at the .

Some , however, when his role was revealed following a large-scale investigation into corruption. The previous winner did not directly throw a match, but accepted charges of being party to another player fixing two matches and betting on matches himself. He was handed a 20-month ban for those offences.

Of the 10 Chinese players, Zhao received the shortest suspension, while Yan Bingtao and three others saw their punishments increased by the Chinese governing body. .

Chang Bingyu, a world No. 88 at the time, received the second-shortest sentence and . His ban of two years and eight months was reduced from three-and-a-half years due to early admissions and a guilty plea. He accepted charges of fixing a snooker match he played in.

Bai Langning similarly saw his suspension reduced to two years and four months after accepting charges of fixing a match he was involved with.

Zhao Jianbo, the youngest (19) and only amateur player involved in the scandal, received a ban of two years and eight months after he also accepted charges of fixing a match - and also betting on that match.

Zhang Jiankang accepted charges of fixing a snooker match he played in, betting on matches, and not giving the WPBSA information, which resulted in a two-year and eleven-month ban for the world No. 93.

Chen Zifan saw his seven-and-a-half-year ban reduced to five years after accepted charges of fixing or contrived, or being a party to an effort to fix or contrive the result or score of three snooker matches that he played in.

He received the same punishment as Yan Bingtao, a 2021 champion. He accepted charges of fixing four snooker matches he played in and betting on matches.

The more recognisable names involved were slapped with harsher penalties due to the more serious nature of their offences.

Lu Ning, a semi-finalist at the 2020 UK Championship, was banned for five years and four months. He was not found guilty of inducing others to fix matches, but charges of fixing four snooker matches he played in, betting on matches and deleting messages.

Liang Wenbo and Li Hand were both given lifetime bans and ordered to pay £43,000 each in costs for their involvement.

Liang was runner-up at the 2015 UK Championship and was found guilty of fixing or being a party to fixing five matches, trying to get other players to fix nine matches, betting on snooker matches, threatening another player, deleting messages and asking other players to, failing to cooperate with the enquiry.

Li, the world No. 71 at the time, was found guilty of fixing or being a party to fixing five matches, trying to get other players to fix seven matches, betting on snooker matches, deleting messages and asking other players to.