Snooker star cleared of match-fixing, fined $160,500

Getty Images

SUNK: Snooker star John Higgins who has been heavily fined and banned for six months but cleared of match-fixing.

Relevant offers

Other sports

Wakefield retires after 19-year MLB career Radford seeks to address his failure Mixed results for NZ pursuiters Waikato pair close to rowing upset Willis dons shoes for a Silverstream track Miller and Lamb chase Olympic spots in Sydney Bond edges out Murray in national pairs final Thorpe now just an 'outside chance for relay' Henry to mentor coaches ahead of Olympics Men's pursuit team ride for bronze in London

World number one John Higgins has been banned for six months and fined £75,000 (NZ$160,500) but cleared of accepting a bribe to fix snooker matches.

At a disciplinary hearing of world snooker's governing body the Briton's claim that he felt intimidated during a meeting in Kiev with an undercover journalist from the News of the World offering money for him to throw a match was accepted.

The two most serious charges levelled at Higgins were dropped although he admitted "intentionally giving the impression to others that they were agreeing to act in breach of the betting rules" and failing to report the matter to World Snooker.

Higgins, who strenuously denied match-fixing throughout the episode that overshadowed the world championships, was provisionally banned by World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn in May pending the hearing. The Scot's six-month ban has been back-dated meaning he can continue his career in November.

Higgins' manager Pat Mooney has been banned from further involvement in snooker for life.

- Reuters