Zhao Xintong's £500,000 prize for winning the has been blown out of the water by a former pro. The Chinese sensation made history earlier this month by becoming the first Asian to win the major title by defeating at the Crucible.

However, the lucrative half-a-million-pound prize that accompanies the feat pales the £518,000 that Niu Zhuang recently pocketed for winning the JOY World Heyball Masters. Niu, who held a pro card between 2017 and 2019 thanks to his performances on the Chinese tour, came out on top of over 600 competitors from around the world at the event over the course of 22 days in Chengu. And a 23-11 win over fellow countryman Zhang Taiyi in the final saw the 30-year-old rewarded incredibly in terms of finances.

A hybrid cuesport which is played in eight-ball format on a smaller sized snooker table, Heyball has grown in popularity in recent years, with a number of well-known snooker stars playing at JOY events - while and have been pictured with some of the sport's top stars as of late.

And while Niu found himself better off for success in the Heyball Masters than Zhao did for his World Championship win, the same can't be said for runner up, Zhang. The Chinese star was reportedly awarded a £151,000 runners' up prize at the JOY tournament, while Williams - who finished second at the Worlds - saw a cool £200,000 for his efforts in Sheffield.

It comes in the aftermath of Zhao defying all expectations by winning his first World Snooker Championship in May as an amateur. The 28-year-old won a whopping 111 frames across nine matches over a relentless span of 29 days to lift the title, besting veterans of the game like Chris Wakelin and O'Sullivan on the way to his 18-12 win over Williams.

However, his win wasn't without its controversy among snooker enthusiasts. Zhao is set to ascend to 11th in the world rankings when the professional tour returns later this year, despite only finishing a suspension from the sport last September.

Zhao was one of numerous players who found himself suspended in January 2023 following an investigation into match fixing. And while he didn't rig any matches himself, he admitted to betting on games which led to a 20-month ban.

Meanwhile, Niu failed to live up to expectations during his two-year professional stint in the sport, finding himself relegated from the tour in 2019. A final 32 place at the German Masters in 2018 came as his best result as a professional.