Zhao Xintong decides what he'll blow his £500K prize money on after his manager's threat

Newly crowned World Snooker Champion Zhao Xintong could splurge his eye-watering prize money on watches despite his manager warning him not to spend "too much". Zhao made history on Monday by becoming the first Asian and Chinese player to win a final at the Crucible Theatre.

The 28-year-old beat three-time champion Mark Williams 18-12 in Sheffield, having comfortably dispatched seven-time winner Ronnie O'Sullivan in the semis. His triumph was watched by an estimated 150million people in China as he raked in £500,000 in prize money. Having been caught up in the whirlwind of media requests and countless messages on his phone, The Cyclone admitted he hadn't yet thought about how he'd spend his prize money. But he did mention one potential way to splash out, saying: "I do like watches, different brands, too."

Despite earning £1,306,712 throughout his career, Zhao's manager, Victoria Shi, insists she will be keeping a watchful eye on the new world champion by not letting him get carried away with his spending. "Let him enjoy [the prize money]," she said. "But if he enjoys it too much, I will tell him off. He is the first Asian world champion and that is huge. But it is my job to make sure he stays grounded."

Zhao is yet to fully come to terms with his achievement, though he said on Tuesday that he was "slowly beginning to realise" the scale. "I've had lots of media attention, and lots of celebrities have congratulated me," he said.

Among the first to congratulate Zhao was China's double Olympic champion table tennis star Wang Chuqin and badminton's two-time Asian Games gold medallist Li Shifeng. Zhao added: "I haven't had a chance to understand it all yet. I feel that everything right now is crazy… it's already a totally unimaginable feeling."

Zhao had to go through four arduous qualifying rounds before reaching the final. Zhao only returned to the tour in September, having been banned from the sport for 20 months – reduced from 30 – for his role in a match-fixing scandal.

He pleaded guilty to betting on matches and being aware that another player was throwing games for money, although he did not bet on them or throw them himself. Zhao had to work his way back through the Q Tour, and he officially entered this year's World Snooker Championship as an amateur.

Manager Shi claims the hardships he's faced have only strengthened his character. She said: "I told him, you didn't kill anyone, you didn't lose your arms and legs. You made the biggest mistake of your life, now learn from it and you will become a stronger person. I think he is stronger because of it."

While Zhao's global suspension was lifted in September, he is still banned from playing in his home country. That's due to the Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association upholding the original 30-month ban.

"I did something wrong and I learned from it, but I have never lost faith in myself. I kept practising as usual and I followed the pro tour closely," Zhao said.

"I'm really happy that I got the chance to come back, I really cherish the opportunity I've been given, and I will definitely do better than before."