Newly crowned world snooker champion Zhao Xintong was swamped by fans as he returned home to China on Thursday. Three days after his dominant final over Mark Williams in Sheffield, the 28-year-old landed at Shenzhen Bao’an Airport to be greeted by huge cheers and celebratory signs.
Hundreds jostled to get a glimpse or take a picture of the star. The euphoric scenes followed Zhao becoming the first amateur to be named world champion and the only Asian player ever to triumph at the Crucible. However, despite his new hero status, playing in front of home supporters remains forbidden by the Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association (CBSA).
In January 2023, the ‘Cyclone’ was issued a ban for his role in a match-fixing scandal involving nine other Chinese players. An investigation found he had not personally fixed matches, but Zhao accepted charges of being party to a fellow player fixing two matches and also betting on matches.
The World Snooker Tour initially issued a 30-month ban, later reduced to 20. However, the CBSA, which issued its own 30-month domestic suspension, upheld that decision, meaning that Zhao remains banned from competing in his homeland.
“The Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association has now confirmed that their sanction only applies to mainland China and that Zhao Xintong is permitted to play in events outside of China from the end of his WPBSA suspension,” their statement said.
Zhao will be eligible to play home tournaments from July 1, 2025. He missed this year’s World Open event at the Yushan Sport Centre, which John Higgins won.
Since his Crucible win, the 2021 UK Championship winner admitted he found his exile “hard” to deal with, despite being able to spend more time on the practice table. Despite the stance of the Chinese authorities, upon arriving at the airport, he declared his love for his homeland.
After declaring his ambition to become a Triple Crown champion, he said, “I’m home,” while being mobbed by fans. “This will always be my home.”