Snooker: Suspended snooker champion John Higgins today denied ever being involved in match-fixing and said he "would never do anything to damage the sport that I love". The world number one was suspended by the sport's governing body today after a newspaper reported he had agreed to take a bribe to lose frames.
Higgins released a statement saying: “Can I say that I have never been involved in any form of snooker match-fixing. In my 18 years playing professional snooker I have never deliberately missed a shot, never mind intentionally lost a frame or a match.
“In all honestly I became very worried at the way the conversation developed in Kiev. When it was suggested that I throw frames in return for large sums of money, I was really spooked. I just wanted to get out of the hotel and onto the plane home.
“I didn’t know if this was the Russian Mafia or who we were dealing with. At that stage I felt the best course of action was just to play along with these guys and get out of Russia (sic).
“Those who know me are aware of my love for snooker and that I would never do anything to damage the integrity of the sport I love. My conscience is 100 per cent clear.”
Just hours before the sport's showpiece world championship final starts in Sheffield, the games governing body WPBSA suspended the Scot from playing until an investigation into the claims in the News of the World newspaper.
"John Higgins has been suspended from future... tournaments, pending an immediate enquiry," World Snooker's chairman Barry Hearn said in a statement.
The newspaper described a meeting between Higgins, his agent Pat Mooney and reporters purporting to be businessmen in Kiev, which took place days after he was unexpectedly beaten in Sheffield by Steve Davis, where the subject of throwing frames was discussed.
"Pat Mooney has resigned from the WPBSA (World Snooker) board and his resignation has been accepted, with immediate effect," Hearn added.
"This matter has brought the very fabric of the game into question and the strongest possible message needs to be sent out that this behaviour has no part to play in our game and will not be tolerated. Any wrong doing will be severely dealt with."
There is no suggestion Higgins (34) has ever thrown a frame or fixed a match.
The paper said it had a video of Higgins, who won the last of his three world titles at Sheffield last year, and Mooney making the deal.
"It's come as a huge shock and obviously an enormous blow to the integrity of the sport which is vital for the expansion plans we have.
"It's really been a shattering experience and one which will be immediately looked into by our disciplinary people under the WPBSA rules."