As the snooker season gets underway next week at the Xi'an Grand Prix, WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson provides updates on a number of non-negotiable topics.
From suspended players to snooker players hoping to make it to the 2032 competition Olympic Gamesthe former player and current chairman of the umbrella organization gives the latest news.
Mark King
Former top 16 player and ranking event winner King has been suspended since March 2023 following 'an initial investigation into irregular betting patterns reported to the WPBSA in relation to the match between Mark King and Joe Perry at the Welsh Open on 13 February 2023.'
King himself announced on social media that his hearing before an independent court took place in May of this year, but we are still waiting for a verdict.
Ferguson explained: 'The matter is ongoing, everything has taken place and has been concluded, which I believe Mark King also announced. social media. We can't say anything about it until we have the final outcome. We are in the hands of an independent sports tribunal and the chairman of that to make those announcements once that is finalized. Unfortunately, I can't comment on it because the process is still ongoing.
“I think we can all accept that it takes a long time, but sometimes these things are very complex. Legal procedures can generally take a long time, but I can't comment on that because I, like everyone else involved, am sworn to the process.”
Zhao Xintong
Former British Champion Zhao Xintong is currently suspended from the sport for his role in the match-fixing scandal that rocked the sport two seasons ago.last played in December 2022, but his suspension expires in September this year.
That means he will be out of the professional tour for the rest of this season, but Ferguson expects him to try to regain his professional status for the 2025-26 season.
“We expect him to make a comeback,” he said of the 27-year-old. “He's obviously served a suspension, which is coming up soon. He'll come to the end of that suspension and I have no doubt that an approach will be made because he wants to come back and play. That will be down to him.
“We have initiated a legal process for the right reasons. All parties acknowledge that process, but when that process comes to an end, we have to acknowledge that there has been rehabilitation and there is an opportunity to come back. That depends on the qualification, all the costs that have been paid, all the outstanding fines that have been paid. He is young enough and talented enough to make a comeback in the sport. We also acknowledge that he has been caught up in something in which he may not have been a primary culprit.
“There's the Q Tour, the CBSA Tour, Q Schools, World Amateur Championships, there's a lot of routes back to the tour. I think he's been practicing.”
The Chinese Billiards and Snooker Federation has handed Zhao an extended ban and Ferguson says they are sticking to their decision to keep him out of action until July 2025.
“We have clarified that situation with China,” he said. “Those bans are in place in China, but what we are doing here at the WPBSA is recognizing the ban from the independent sports tribunal. China does have the ability to institute its own process in its own country.
“But in terms of the things we do, we recognise the ban that was put in place by the independent tribunal. We believe that he would have the opportunity to try and qualify for the tour at the end of our ban.”
Michael White
Former world number 15 Michael White was sentenced to three years in prison in July for attacking his partnerThe Welshman played in the Championship League just days before his conviction.
On the WPBSA's interpretation of the case, Ferguson said: 'There was clearly a criminal investigation going on and we were therefore not privy to all the facts. We should not be making a judgement on something we don't know enough about.
“Michael White had let us know that there was a problem, but we did not know the details of that problem until that case was concluded. We took our own position once that case was concluded and the information became available to take swift and immediate action to remove him from the tour.
“This all came out very, very late. We reserve the right to suspend players if there's a situation going on, but we also have to make sure we have all the facts before we do that. The fact that this was a criminal situation and it was being dealt with in court, we couldn't intervene or take any action until we got the full facts. It was a matter of hours, actually, we had that matter dealt with within a couple of hours of receiving that information and I think that's a compliment to the team.”
Asked if White could ever return to the tour, he added: 'At the moment he is completely removed. In the criminal justice system, the system would say there is a right to rehabilitation, but we as a sport will make our own judgment at that point.'
The Future of the Crucible
The current contract for the Crucible to host the World Cup only runs until 2027, with the future of the tournament now being discussed more than ever.
“The World Cup is still being discussed and I can only say that the discussions are very positive and there is a lot of goodwill on all sides,” Ferguson said of the talks with policymakers in Sheffield.
Asked if there had been offers from elsewhere, he said: 'Of course! We've had offers to move the World Cup many times. But Sheffield is a great city, great atmosphere, great history, that's what we export all over the world. I'm a big fan of Sheffield and the Crucible. There are discussions going on and when things are announced we'll be the first to say. For now we're happy to have discussions.'
Snooker at the Olympics?
Billiards will not be included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, but could snooker be included in Brisbane in 2032?
“We have to take some steps in the coming year because we are now approaching the 2032 bidding period,” Ferguson said. “The bidding process is very long.
'There is only one thing that is stopping snooker from being an Olympic candidate and that is that the internationally recognised federation is full of politics. We have stepped away from it for fear of reputational damage. We have been involved with the body responsible for Olympic bids on and off for many years, but not any more. We would welcome the opportunity to start a bid process for the 2032 Olympic Games. Given the size and scale of snooker now, we could absolutely lead a very strong bid.
“It would be up to the IOC, but we could bid for just snooker or multicuesports. That's the problem with the current World Confederation of Billiard Sports. The problem is that there are too many factions within cuesports. Look at pool, I can't even remember how many pool formats there are and everyone wants their sport in the Olympics. Then you have three-cushion billiards and different parties involved in that.
“It's the politics that's holding us back from making a bid. But I hope that changes within a year and we can move on. We would support a snooker-only bid or a multi-cuesports bid. It could work.”
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