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Snooker stars are “up in arms” over a controversy around Zhao Xintong’s World Snooker Championship prize money.
Xintong will be China’s first world champion, Leading Mark Williams 17-8 in the decisive session of the final.
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The The upcoming victory of the 28-year-old However, is steeped in controversy.
He was 20 months prohibited because of his involvement in a Snooker -corruption -Sound – Although he did not resolve a competition immediately.
The suspension meant that Xintong was stripped of his place on the professional circuit and exiled to the amateur status.
He regained his place through the Q -Tour and came through Four Competitions in qualifying for the melting pot.
But now it has emerged that Xintong returns to the professional circuit with the victory over Williams, in the top 16 in the world ranking – up to 11th – and will Collect £ 500,000 despite his amateur status.
He will also be sown in second place for every tournament next season – except for the defense of the world, where he will be the NO1.
And colleague snooker Pros are apparently frustrated that some of his potential amateur profits will count for his professional ranking.
BBC Snooker Pundit Ken Doherty said: “The big question at the moment is about the prize money.
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“Many players are a bit in the arms.
“The rules may have changed, if he wins the championship, he keeps the prize money when it should scratch when he picks up his tour card.”
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Mark Allen replied to a tweet from the BBC Television clip with part of the World Snooker Tour [WST] Rules regarding qualification for the 2025-26 season.
He wrote: “makes this part of our entry packages a little harder to understand. I am sure @thecaptain147 [Ali Carter] Zooms to hear this. “
Carter – which will stop from the most important top 16 as a result of the rise of Xintong – has retweeted the post.
All added: “My problem is not at Zhao at all. My problem is that there is a rule in the access package for our events that they are clearly contradictory.
“Change the rule for next season if you want, but everyone came in to know what the rules were and the goal posts moved.
“What is the point of having rules/criteria if you change it after the fact when you fit? I am stunned how people cannot see how poor this is.
“It is amazing how people who think it’s OK. This is also something that doesn’t affect me in the least.”
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But responding to Dohertty Live’s comments on BBC, World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) Chairman Jason Ferguson confirmed that Xintong would keep his ranking points earned to get back to the WST and tried to bring clarification.
He said: “It is important to talk about and he served his time and he paid his fine and he actually followed a route to work back.
“I think people will always refer to it, but if you are young, you can be pulled into things.
“But there is a route back and there is a route to return.
“From our point of view, he has done the right one from the first day and will be welcomed again in sport and will again be a professional player at the end of this world championship.”
And a WST spokesperson added: “The principle that was clearly established in Snooker is that amateurs can earn prices and ranking points in the same way as professionals, and there are many precedents for this.
“Zhao has earned his top 64 on merit, he will hold the ranking points he has earned and if he wins the world championship, he will be sown second for most events next season, which is again a long -term principle.
“Our access package has been agreed with the player board before the start of this season.
“We accept that the formulation in this specific paragraph could have been clearer, but the principles are unchanged and well established.”
World Snooker Championship 2025
We are now in the last days of what an exciting World Snooker Championship has been!
A new world champion will be crowned this year Kyren Wilson crashed in the first round.
Ronnie O’Sullivan I looked at a record eighth world title but crashed into the hands of the brilliant Zhao Xintong – who after his ban reached the final qualification as an amateur.
The Chinese Cueist takes on veteran Mark Williams in a blockbuster Crucible final after the Welshman World No1 Judd Trump had eliminated.
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