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Zhao Xintong speaks out on qualifying for World Championship after 20-month snooker ban
Zhao Xintong has qualified for the World Snooker Championship months after his 20-month ban from the sport came to an end, following an investigation into match-fixing. The 2021 UK Championship winner defeated Elliot Slessor in the final qualifying match to book his place at the Crucible.
He will now compete at the iconic Sheffield venue, having returned to snooker in September of last year after his ban for breaching betting regulations came to an end. Zhao was one of 10 Chinese players suspended from the sport in the summer of 2023, though he received the shortest sentence because he did not fix any matches himself. He was charged with being concerned with fixing matches and betting on games.
