Snooker player Mark King banned for 5 years for fixing match and providing inside information

SHEFFIELD, England (AP) - English snooker player Mark King was handed a five-year ban on Friday after being found guilty of match-fixing and providing inside information in the latest corruption scandal to blight the sport.

The punishment for the 50-year-old King, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 11 in 2003, related to a match against Joe Perry at the Welsh Open played on Feb. 13 last year that was flagged following suspicious betting patterns.

King was suspended by snooker's world governing body a month later and an independent disciplinary commission has ruled that he fixed the result of the match, while giving information to others about that match for betting purposes. He had denied the charges.

His ban ends after March 17, 2028, and King was also 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 handed lifetime bans from snooker last year for their role in 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 enjoyed great success, and I am deeply saddened to read the finding in this case," said Jason Ferguson, a former player who is now chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. "However, the integrity of this sport will always be our No. 1 priority."

King had also been charged with fixing the outcome of a match against John Higgins played on Dec. 13, 2022, and for providing inside information on it. Those charges were dismissed.

The governing body said Perry and Higgins were not accused of any misconduct related to the case.