Scottish snooker players have been barred from competing in the world snooker championships for the next five years.

Scottish snooker players have been barred from competing in the world snooker championships for the next five years.

Chinese authorities have increased the bans on five players for their involvement in snooker match-fixing.

The Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association has handed down harsher punishments to former Masters champion Yan Bingtao, 23, and ex-UK Championship winner Zhao Xintong, 26.

Despite receiving a five-year ban, Bingtao will be barred from returning to the World Snooker Tour for the next seven and a half years.

Xintong is on hold until July 2025.

The ban on Lu Ning has been extended to eight years, the ban on Bai Langning to four years, and the ban on Zhang Jiankang to four years and five months.

The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) has also imposed lifetime bans on Liang Wenbo and Li Hang.

This month, ten Chinese players were suspended for their roles in match-fixing.

Allegations against them include game manipulation, approaching players to cheat, snooker betting, and match fixing.

The deadline for all ten players to file an appeal was June 20.

WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson said this month it had been a “very complex case”.

“It has been heartbreaking to see some young talented players fall foul of the WPBSA conduct regulations through pressure exerted by two senior players,” he said.

“This behaviour has been recognised as wholly unacceptable by the imposition of two lifetime bans from participating in recognised snooker in any way.

“I am pleased that the commission found that they did not see from the present case any evidence of a wider culture of wrongdoing in snooker.

“The WPBSA will continue its strong stance against those who try to manipulate sport and today’s outcome sends out a clear message that match-fixing will not be tolerated in snooker.”