Liang Wenbo suspended from snooker tour after assault conviction

The world number 33 Liang Wenbo has been suspended from the World Snooker Tour, following a conviction for assaulting a woman. The status of the 2016 English Open champion is now under review, according to statements by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), the sport’s governing body, and his World Championship qualifying spot is almost certainly the first casualty of this investigation.

In the early hours of 20 July 2021, Wenbo was seen on CCTV assaulting a woman during an argument in Sheffield. The footage showed him hitting and kicking her, as well as dragging her to the floor and pushing her up against a wall. The assault continued despite the efforts of another man to intervene, and the woman making a 999 call. Jonathan Wettreich, deputy chief crown prosecutor for CPS Yorkshire and Humberside, said: “Wenbo perpetrated a sustained and deliberate assault on the female victim, late at night, leaving her in great distress. We will always pursue domestic abuse cases where our legal tests are met; this type of behaviour will not be tolerated, and the CPS treats such cases with the utmost seriousness.”

Wenbo pleaded guilty to domestic-related assault by beating on 9 February at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court, where he was given a 12-month community order and fined £1,380. Sheffield Heeley MP Louise Haigh described the sentence as “shockingly pathetic for such a violent and appalling assault”, adding: “Liang Wenbo must be barred from participating in the Snooker Championships in Sheffield and all such tournaments for the foreseeable future.” The details of the case emerged on Friday 1 April, and snooker’s governing body immediately announced plans to investigate whether the player had fallen foul of the sport’s disciplinary process.

It’s possible there may never be a road back for him

WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson said the organisation would look into the incident, and that it was fast to suspend the world no. 33. He said: “The decision to suspend a player with immediate effect is not one taken lightly. However, due to the violent and criminal nature of this offence, I have reached the decision that this is the only appropriate action to be taken pending the outcome of the formal disciplinary process.” The WPBSA statement said Liang had the right to appeal, and that his suspension would “remain in place until the conclusion of the hearing or hearings and the determination of this matter”.

What does this mean for Wenbo in terms of snooker? Although he can appeal the suspension, it is almost certain that there will not be enough time before this year’s World Championship – he was due to enter qualifying at the third-round stage, but has now been removed from the draw. His removal would be unlikely to upset the draws too much, although he has been a strong force this year, reaching the semi-final stage in the Shoot-Out, European Masters and the Championship League.

In the longer term, Wenbo’s place on the main tour is in significant doubt – many snooker fans had called for his suspension the moment the news was revealed, and it’s unlikely he’d be welcomed back in the foreseeable future with an assault conviction hanging over his head. There is an expectation that players are ambassadors for their sport, and Wenbo’s conduct means he cannot fulfil that role – indeed, if the WPBSA’s disciplinary committee finds that his behaviour was unbecoming of a sportsperson and brought the sport into disrepute, it’s possible there may never be a road back for him.