2 Chinese snooker players handed lifetime bans for role in match-fixing scandal

SHEFFIELD, England (AP) — Chinese snooker players Liang Wenbo and Li Hang have been handed lifetime bans from the sport for their role in a match-fixing scandal involving eight more of their countrymen. Liang and Li were found by an independent disciplinary commission to have fixed five matches in July last year then encouraged or put pressure on others to fix matches between July and December of the same year. Liang is a former finalist in the UK Championship. A total of 10 Chinese players were sanctioned by the World Snooker Tour and they include Yan Bingtao and Zhao Xintong. They are two of the biggest names in the sport.