London London. English snooker player Mark King was banned for five years on Friday after being found guilty of match-fixing and providing inside information in the latest corruption scandal to tarnish the sport. The 50-year-old King, who reached his career-highest ranking of No. 11 in 2003 The punishment was given in relation to the match he played against Joe Perry at the Welsh Open on 13 February last year, which was marked by suspicious betting patterns.
King was suspended by snooker's world governing body a month later and an independent disciplinary commission ruled that he had fixed the outcome of a match while providing information about that match to others for betting purposes. He denied the charges. His ban expires after March 17, 2028, and King has also been ordered to pay more than 68,000 pounds ($86,000) in costs.
King's suspension comes after Chinese players Liang Wenbo and Li Hang were given lifetime bans from snooker last year following a match-fixing scandal involving eight more of their countrymen. “I have known Mark King since he was very young “He is a very experienced player who has had a lot of success, and I am very saddened to read the findings in this case,” said Jason Ferguson, a former player who is now president of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. Said. “However, the integrity of this game will always be our No. 1 priority.”
King was also accused of fixing the result of the match played against John Higgins on December 13, 2022 and providing inside information. Those charges were dismissed. The governing body said that Perry and Higgins were not accused of any misconduct related to the case.
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