Chinese pair Yu Delu and Cao Yupeng have been banned from snooker after a major match-fixing inquiry.
Suspicious betting patterns in numerous matches were investigated over two years in one of the sport’s biggest corruption scandals and as reports will have it, the pair are the first Chinese players to be banned for cheating.
Yu Delu, who manipulated the outcome of five matches over a two-and-a-half-year period serves the longest ban for 10 years and nine months and his compatriot Cao Yupeng also pleaded guilty to fixing three matches and was banned for six years although three and a half years of his sentence are suspended.
Both players were investigated by the World Professional and Snooker Association (WPBSA) before an independent tribunal ruled on their cases.
Yu also admitted lying to the investigator, failing to cooperate with the inquiry and betting on snooker when prohibited from doing so.
The longest ban was an English player Stephen Lee who was given a 12-year ban in 2013.