Jason Ferguson leads the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) as chairman (Picture: Getty Images)
As the snooker season starts to gather pace next week at the Xi’an Grand Prix, WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson provides updates on a number of off-table issues.
From suspended players to snooker hoping to make it into the 2032 Olympics, the former player and now head of the governing body gives the latest.
Mark King
Former top 16 player and ranking event winner King has been suspended since March 2023 after ‘an initial investigation of irregular betting patterns reported to the WPBSA on the match between Mark King and Joe Perry at the Welsh Open on 13th February 2023.’
King himself revealed on social media that his hearing in front of an independent tribunal took place in May this year, but we are still waiting on a verdict.
Ferguson explained: ‘The case has been going on, everything has taken place and finished, which I think actually Mark King announced on social media. We can’t say anything until we’ve got the final outcome from that. We’re in the hands of an independent sports tribunal and the chair of that to make those announcements as and when that’s complete. Unfortunately I can’t make any comment on it because the process is ongoing.
‘I think we can all accept that it has gone on for a long time, but sometimes these things are very complex. Legal process generally can go on for a long time, but I can’t comment on it because I’m sworn to the process, the same as everybody else involved.’
Mark King has been out of action for well over a year (Picture: Getty Images)
Zhao Xintong
Former UK champion Zhao Xintong is currently banned from the sport for his part in the match-fixing scandal which rocked the sport two seasons ago, last playing in December 2022, but his ban is due to end in September this year.
That means he will be off the professional tour for the rest of this season, but Ferguson expects him to try and reclaim his pro status for the 2025-26 campaign.
‘We expect that he will make a comeback,’ he said of the 27-year-old. ‘He’s obviously served a ban, which is coming up soon. He’ll get to the end of that ban and I’ve no doubt that there’ll be an approach made because he wants to come back and play. That will be down to him.
‘We have a judicial process put in place for all the right reasons. All parties recognise that process but when that process comes to an end we have to recognise that rehabilitation has taken place and there is an opportunity to come back. That depends on qualification, all costs being paid, any outstanding fines being paid. He is young enough and talented enough to make a comeback in the sport. We also recognise that he got caught up in something in which he was perhaps not one of the main perpetrators.
‘There is Q Tour, the CBSA Tour, Q Schools, World Amateur Championships, there are a lot of routes back to the tour. I do believe he has been practicing.’
Zhao Xintong could be back in amateur action in the near future (Picture: Getty Images)
The Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association handed out a longer ban to Zhao and Ferguson says they are sticking to their decision for him to be out until July 2025.
‘We’ve clarified that situation with China,’ he said. ‘Those bans stand in China, but what we do here at the WPBSA is recognise the ban of the independent sports tribunal. China does have the ability to put in its own process in its own country.
‘However, in terms of the things we do, we’re recognising the ban put in place by the independent tribunal. Our view is that he would have the opportunity to attempt to qualify back to the tour at the end of our ban.’
Michael White
Former world number 15 Michael White was jailed in July for three years for assaulting his partner. The Welshman was playing in the Championship League a matter of days before his sentencing.
On the WPBSA’s understanding of the case, Ferguson said: ‘Obviously there was a criminal investigation going on and we were not aware of all of the facts for that reason. Neither should we judge something that we don’t know enough about.
‘Michael White had informed us that there was an ongoing issue, but we didn’t know the details of that issue until that case had been completed. We took our own view the minute that case was completed and the information became available to take swift and immediate action and remove him from the tour.
Michael White was jailed for three years last month (Picture: Getty Images)
‘All this came out very, very late. We reserve the right to suspend players when there’s a situation ongoing, but we also have to make sure we’ve got all the facts before we do that. The fact that this was a criminal situation and it was being dealt with by the courts, we could not intervene or take action until we were presented with the full facts. It was a matter of hours, actually, we had dealt with that issue within hours of receiving that information and I think that’s credit to the team.’
On whether White could ever make a return to the tour, he added: ‘At this stage he’s been completely removed. In the criminal justice system, the system would say there’s a right to rehabilitate but we as a sport will take our own view at the time.’
The future of the Crucible
With the current contract for the Crucible to host the World Championship only running until 2027, talk of the tournament’s future is as loud as ever.
‘Discussions continue over the World Championships and all I can say is those discussions are extremely healthy and there’s a great deal of good will on all sides,’ said Ferguson of talks with decision-makers in Sheffield.
Asked if there have been offers from elsewhere, he said: ‘Of course! We’ve had offers to move the World Championships many times. But Sheffield is a great city, great atmosphere, great history, that’s what we export all over the world. I’m a big fan of Sheffield and the Crucible. Talks are ongoing and when things are to be announced we’ll be the first to say it. For now, we’re happy with discussions.’
The Crucible has been the home of the World Championship since 1977 (Picture: Getty Images)
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‘We need to make some moves over the next year, because we’re encroaching on the 2032 bid time now,’ said Ferguson. ‘The bid process takes a very long time.
‘There’s only one thing holding an Olympic bid back for snooker and that is that the internationally recognised federation is full of politics. We walked away from it in fear of reputational damage. We were involved in the body that is responsible for Olympic bids for many years, on and off, but not now. We would welcome the opportunity to run a bid process for 2032 Olympics. The size and scale of snooker now, we could definitely lead a very strong bid.
‘It would be up to the IOC but we could make a bid for snooker alone or multi cuesports. That’s the problem with the current World Confederation of Billiard Sports. The issue is there are too many factions within cue sports. Look at pool, I can’t even remember how many formats of pool there are and everybody wants their sport in the Olympic Games. Then you’ve three cushion billiards as well and various parties involved in that.
‘It’s the politics that’s holding us back from making a bid. But I am hopeful that will change within the next year and we can move forward. We would support a bid for snooker alone or a multi cuesports bid. It can work.’
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Source link : https://metro.co.uk/2024/08/16/jason-ferguson-gives-latest-crucible-snookers-olympic-hopes-zhao-xintong-21437717/
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Publish date : 2024-08-16 15:17:17
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