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- Zhao Xintong was one of 10 Chinese players sanctioned in a probe last year
- The former UK Championship winner was ultimately hit with a 20 month ban
- Zhao will enter qualifying for the tournament, which has a £250,000 top prize
A Chinese snooker star sanctioned as part of a match-fixing probe last year will enter qualifying for the UK Championships later this month.
Zhao Xintong won the UK Championship title back in 2021, becoming the Chinese No 1 in the process.
The 27-year-old was one of 10 Chinese players charged with match fixing offences by an independent World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) disciplinary commission in June last year.
Zhao saw a 30-month suspension reduced to 20 months following his early admission to charges.
He admitted charges of being party to another player fixing two matches and betting on matches himself.
Zhao Xintong will compete in UK Championship qualifying after his sanction expired
Zhao will enter qualifying after winning the WPBSA Q Tour event in Stockholm in October
Zhao’s sanction began from January 2023, when he was initially suspended, and ran until September 2.
He made a winning return to the sport at the WPBSA Q Tour event in Stockholm in October, where he beat England’s Craig Steadman 4-3 in the final.
The result saw Zhao secure a spot in the qualifying rounds for the UK Championships, the second-biggest event on the professional snooker calendar.
The WPBSA confirmed on Tuesday that Zhao will be among the amateur players who will enter qualifying in a bid to feature in the professional tournament.
He will contest the qualifying rounds in Leicester from November 16 to 21.
Zhao would need to win four matches to advance to the tournament at York’s Barbican Theatre, which will also be shown on the BBC.
The tournament has a £250,000 top prize for the winner.
Zhao had received the lowest sanction of the players involved in the match-fixing case.
Zhao had won the UK Championship title in 2021, becoming Chinese No 1 in the process
Lifetime bans were given to Liang Wenbo and Li Hang, who were deemed to have been the ringleaders.
Zhao was one of the two highest profile players sanctioned, along with 2021 Masters champion Yan Bingtao, who is currently serving a five-year ban until December 2027.
While Zhao will participate in UK Championship qualifying, he remains suspended in China until July 2025.
Authorities in the country enforced a longer ban on Zhao for his involvement in the case.
