Match-fixing claim stuns snooker boss

 MICHAEL HOWIE

sport.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=508132005

SCOTS snooker boss Ian Doyle said last night that Quinten Hann should be kicked out of the game if the Australian is found guilty of being involved in an illegal betting coup.

Doyle, the chairman of the 110sport stable which includes the seven-times world champion Stephen Hendry, Mark Williams, Stephen Maguire and Ken Doherty, was shocked to read reports that Hann accepted £50,000 to throw a match at the China Open in March.

Hann went on to lose 5-2 to Doherty in their first-round encounter.

Snooker’s governing body has announced it is to investigate after The Sun newspaper claimed Hann had made the deal with one of its undercover reporters, who was posing as a frontman for an illegal betting syndicate.

The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), which is also known as World Snooker, said it had procedures in place to address the claims.

The newspaper also alleged that Hann had offered to fix the result of a match at last month’s World Championships, held at Sheffield’s Crucible arena.

Doyle said: "To be honest, I would have always expected Ken [Doherty] to beat him in any case. However, if Hann is found guilty by World Snooker, it will be goodbye Mr Hann for ever.

"I would expect a top-level investigation to be made immediately, because we cannot have this kind of thing tarnishing the good name of our sport.

"If the evidence against Quinten Hann is absolutely clear-cut, then he should never be allowed to pick up a cue in earnest again.

"But with his ability you would have thought he would have been above throwing matches. Personally, though, I have always found him a nice enough guy and he has never done me any wrong.

"Having said that, if he has been caught bang to rights, then I would expect a goodbye letter to be on its way to him."

A spokesman for the WPBSA said: "The WPBSA is aware of an allegation of match-fixing made by The Sun newspaper against one of its members.

"The WPBSA treats any such allegations seriously. Like any other sport, the WPBSA has procedures in place to address these allegations. Until these procedures have been completed, the WPBSA will not be commenting further."

The WPBSA chairman, Sir Rodney Walker, said the body would write to Hann inviting him to comment on the claims.

"Then in due course he will be invited to attend a meeting of World Snooker’s disciplinary committee," Sir Rodney added. "We work on the principle of English justice - a man is innocent until proven otherwise."

Sky Sports News reported earlier that Hann had issued a statement denying the allegations.

But the Australian’s lawyer, Adam Mir, said last night that his client had not yet made any comment.

Hann was found not guilty at Isleworth Crown Court, London, on Monday of groping and attacking a singer and an actress at his home.

On August 29 last year, he was cleared of two counts of sexual assault, one of causing actual bodily harm and one of common assault.

Hann, the current world No18, lost 10-2 in the first round of last month’s World Championships.

sport.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=508132005