• Zhao Xintong becomes first Chinese snooker world champion, defeating Mark Williams.
• The 28-year-old's victory comes after a controversial 20-month ban due to match-fixing.
• His win could significantly boost snooker’s popularity and Olympic aspirations in China.
• Chinese snooker pioneer Ding Junhui praises Zhao's achievement as a shared national dream.
• Zhao remains banned from playing in China until 2025 despite his global championship victory.

China’s Zhao Xintong made history by winning the World Snooker Championship, becoming the first player from his country to achieve this feat by defeating Welshman Mark Williams 18-12 at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre. Zhao, 28, has been hailed as snooker's "new superstar" after his stunning performance, which was watched by an estimated 150 million fans in mainland China. This victory marks a significant moment in snooker history, as it showcases the rise of Chinese talent in a sport long dominated by Western players, according to South China Morning Post and Channel News Asia.

Zhao's journey to the championship was particularly remarkable as it followed a 20-month ban imposed after an investigation into a match-fixing scandal, where he was one of ten players involved. He did not fix matches himself but admitted to complicity in another player's misconduct. Reflecting on his past mistakes, Zhao stated, "I feel ashamed as I disappointed everybody by making a mistake," which underscores the severity of his rehabilitation process. His ability to rebound from such a setback adds to the narrative of his triumph, as noted in reports by South China Morning Post and BBC.