[ad_1]
Thailand’s Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon has been banned from snooker until 2025 for match fixing.
The 28-year-old admitted fixing the outcome of six matches he lost between 2013 and 2015.
He was given a six-year ban, with three years and three months suspended provided he works with the governing body’s anti-corruption department.
In 2010, he became the youngest player to make a competitive maximum 147 break at 16 years and 312 days.
He reached a ranking high of 67 in the world, but dropped off the professional tour in 2016.
After being refused membership of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) earlier this year, he agreed to cooperate with a new match-fixing inquiry.
“This case shows that if a player chooses to fix a match they will be caught, no matter how long after the event,” said WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson.
“Thanawat has shown true remorse and wants to help ensure that other players do not make the mistakes that he did as a young player by assisting the WPBSA in its player education programme. This has been reflected in the sanction.”
His suspension runs from 15 June 2022, until 14 March 2025. He was ordered to pay £1,925 in costs.
The fixed matches
(There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by his opponents)
- 1 June 2013 v Noppon Saengkham, Australian Open qualifier in Gloucester
- 7 August 2013 v Ross Muir, Shanghai Masters qualifier in Doncaster
- 16 February 2014 v Ding Junhui, China Open qualifier in Gloucester
- 19 February 2014 v Martin Gould, Welsh Open
- 25 November 2014 v Stuart Bingham, UK Championship
- 28 August 2015 v Martin O’Donnell, at PTC European Tour 2 in Furth, Germany
Sign up to My Sport to follow snooker news on the BBC app.
