Latest news with #SnookerAcademy
Mint
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
The strange success of snooker
Snooker has been dying for decades. 'It just feels boring," said Ronnie O'Sullivan, the most talented man to play the game, in 2009—the equivalent of Roger Federer opening a press conference with 'Tennis sucks." The days of the 1980s, when one in three Britons would watch the final of its world championship, are gone. By the 2000s a cottage industry lamenting its demise had emerged. In 2010 the Guardian predicted snooker would be an amateur sport by 2020. Five years beyond that cut-off, on a sunny Friday afternoon in 2025, every seat is taken at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, which has hosted the Halo World Championships for almost five decades. Zhao Xintong, a Chinese hope for the title, strides out to soul music and takes a seat beside the 12ft-by-6ft table that will be his focus for the next eight hours. His opponent is a countryman, Lei Peifan. Forget the sport's inveterate declinism. Snooker is a strange, and very British, story of success. True, the audience in Sheffield is hardly a picture of youth. ('We've got a birthday," says the compere whipping up the spectators. 'Tony is eighty-four today.") But viewing figures are growing again, particularly when international audiences are included. Anywhere between 3m and 4m tune in for the final. If a Chinese player features, the numbers multiply. TikTok views for the sport have gone from tens to hundreds of millions this year. There is, after all, nothing else like it. As a spectacle, snooker is akin to being locked in a sensory deprivation tank. Each frame lasts about 30 minutes; come the final, up to 35 of them will be played. The world is reduced to two men in waistcoats circling a green table, while a referee-cum-butler replaces balls and keeps score. The only noise is the gentle collision of balls, applause, groans, the odd titter, and commentators whispering hyperbolic criticism ('It's early days, but he will be disgusted"). It offers asmr in a world of adhd. Each of the Chinese players on show honed his craft in Sheffield. There may be more snooker halls in Beijing than in all of England; yet the best China has to offer end up in the city. Mr Lei plays out of the Ding Junhui Snooker Academy in central Sheffield, just above a b&m, a chain of discount stores. Mr Ding, a Chinese former world number one, opened it in 2020. Victoria's Snooker Academy, where Mr Zhao trains alongside another stable of Chinese players, is a ten-minute walk away. Hidden in the knackered centre of a declining manufacturing city, an elite service economy thrives. Agglomeration is a strange thing. Alfred Marshall, a Victorian economist, focused on Sheffield's steel industry when writing about the topic. 'The mysteries of the trade become no mysteries, but are as it were in the air," he wrote. What was true for steel is true for snooker. 'Go on, Zhao," cheered one man, in thick south Yorkshire. A local hero is still a local hero, even if he is Chinese. And even if, like Mr Zhao, he is coming back from a 20-month suspension after a betting scandal. Ever since its invention by bored colonial soldiers in British India, snooker has been associated with gambling. After tobacco sponsorship was banned, it should be no surprise the sport turned to gambling companies and, now, crypto-hawkers for funding. In Britain, vice finds a way. The country's tobacco, booze and gambling companies are among the world's largest. Puritanism has a cost. It is one Britain as a whole can barely afford—and one snooker refuses to pay. Jacking up the prize money is the best way to keep the sport clean and its quality high. When snooker was in the doldrums, total prize money was £3.5m ($4.7m). This year professional players compete for £19m. The world championships alone dish out £2.4m, including £500,000 for the winner. Judd Trump, the world number one, drives a Lamborghini, notes Simon Brownell, the chief executive of the World Snooker Tour, which runs the tournaments. There has to be an upside. Otherwise why spend all day above a B&M? If snooker only follows the money, then the sport will slowly leave Britain's shores. Saudi Arabia pays a premium for any sport to visit the kingdom, whether boxing, golf, football or snooker. The players are happy to take it. Mr O'Sullivan is setting up an academy in the country. They are professional sportsmen and the first word comes before the second. If BAE Systems, a British arms manufacturer, can offer its services in Saudi Arabia, so can a few men in waistcoats. To compete, Britain must offer more than money. Tennis provides a blueprint for how a sport can thrive, even without infinite wealth. Wimbledon offers a fairytale of English life—of immaculate lawns and staff in neat uniforms. The Crucible offers humdrum reality. Hospitality may cost £400 a ticket, but no amount of champagne stops it from resembling a regional theatre. Because it is. Negotiations are going on with Sheffield City Council to keep the competition in the city beyond 2027, when the current contract ends. 'I'm too old for brinkmanship," says Barry Hearn, the sport's impresario, engaging in brinkmanship. A certain romance Only a strange, almost irrational romance can keep the sport in the city in the long term. Mr Zhao cruised into the semi-finals on April 30th, taking another step to becoming the first Chinese men's world champion. If Sheffield retains its place as the heart of snooker, it will be in part due to Chinese players who are Sheffield-based rather than Sheffield-bred. Another peculiar quirk of a peculiar sport. Most likely, though, Sheffield will have to share the title. Those who love the game face the same question that comes up repeatedly in British society: would they rather be a big part of something small, or a small part of something big? Subscribers to The Economist can sign up to our Opinion newsletter, which brings together the best of our leaders, columns, guest essays and reader correspondence.
RTÉ News
22-06-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Fergal Quinn excited to see how far he can go in snooker ahead of first professional match
At the start of this month, Fergal Quinn secured his card on the World Snooker Tour (WST) for the first time. He had first attempted to compete with the elite back in 2018 and, by getting through Q School, he ensured he would be the sixth player from Ireland to compete on the tour this season. And it'll be a fast start for the Dublin-born Tyrone man, with Wuhan Open and British Open qualifiers to come on Monday and Thursday against Thepchaiya Un-Noo and Gao Yang respectively. Those matches take place in Leicester. It's a crossroads in his career, but it was a point that even six months ago he thought he might never reach. "It's been a lot of life experience," he tells RTÉ Sport when asked what changed at Q School this year, after so many failed attempts. "The more pain you go through, it makes you stronger. If you can handle life's challenges, it makes a game of snooker a touch easier, the pressure side of it. "I handle myself a lot better now, I'm more self-confident. I've more believe in myself that I do deserve this. I earned this place to become a professional and I belong here. "All those sorts of things - when you're younger - you can self-sabotage a lot. I said to myself, 'I want this now, I'm going to go for it and nothing is going to stop me.'" Quinn grew up between Cookstown and Coalisland in county Tyrone, but he's recently relocated to Sheffield. The city hosts the World Championships every spring at the iconic Crucible Theatre but it's also home to some of the best snooker academies anywhere in the world. The 25-year-old is set up at the Victoria's Snooker Academy, barely a 10-minute walk from the game's Mecca on Tudor Square, and the practice base for recently crowned world champion Zhao Xintong. "No better place to be," as Quinn puts it himself. Speaking immediately after coming off the table when he beat Dean Young to secure his tour card, he admitted that his future may have lay away from the game had he come up short again. It was a run to the WSF World Amateur Championship semi-finals in Morocco in January that gave him the hope to keep going. "One afternoon I was going to walk away from it," he adds, taking up the story. "Then I got to the world semis, and that got me a wild card into the World Snooker Championship qualifiers in April. "I could then say to myself that for the next few months, I was simplifying my life and being a snooker player. I lost in the first Q School event, but I was able to shut out everything for the second one. "I was genuinely going to walk away from the game for a good period of time and I didn't know if I was going to come back. "There is so much pressure because you're playing for so much. The only way I found that I could deal with the pressure was to put myself in a state of mind where I wanted to win so badly, I was able to block everything out. I fought for every frame and it carried me through it. "I ended up winning the five matches 4-1 and it was because I was so determined. I didn't want to lose frames or let the matches go close. "If they go close it's more pressure and anything can happen. You don't want to rely on luck, you want to keep it in your own hands as much as possible. "So it's probably a testament to how well I was playing at the time that I didn't allow any of the top players to get close. "That moment of victory has got over 2.5 million views on WST's social channels, I just let out a big roar! It was pure relief; I've got close so many times and I've got so many scars. "There can be traumatic defeats in sport, psychologically speaking, so to finally get over the line was a massive relief." Quinn has taken the long road and it means he's certainly not getting ahead of himself. He has two years guaranteed on the tour but he's aware of just how tough the elite level of the tour can be. "I'd like to get my first win under my belt as soon as possible," he says of his immediate aims. "It settles you and relaxes you into it. Ideally if I could win a few of these early games and qualify for China, then I could get out there and experience all that. "The more tournaments I can qualify for, get to the latter stages of, playing in front of crowds and TV cameras, the better it's going to suit me in the long term. "For every first time professional, the goal at the end of the two years is to get into the top 64 and stay on the tour. "That's very hard and it's not really expected for me to do that, but that has to be the first goal. "If I could get a deep run in one of them, that'd be amazing, so I have to take it as it comes and keep everything off the table in a good routine and do all the right things. "Hopefully the results will then show on the table. It's very exciting to see what the next few years have to offer."
Wales Online
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Zhao Xintong advises snooker stars to do complete opposite of Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump
Zhao Xintong advises snooker stars to do complete opposite of Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump Zhao Xintong became the first Asian player to win the World Snooker Championship with his 18-12 victory over Mark Williams last week - and has now urged players to move to the UK Zhao Xintong is the current World Snooker champion (Image:) Zhao Xintong has encouraged young snooker talents in Hong Kong to consider relocating to the UK. The champion himself made a similar move from Shenzhen to Sheffield during his teenage years, and believes it could be beneficial for other rising stars. This viewpoint contrasts with that of former world champions Judd Trump and Ronnie O'Sullivan, both of whom have expressed interest in establishing their main residences outside the UK. Zhao recently made history as the first Asian player to win the World Snooker Championship. Following his 18-12 victory over Mark Williams, Zhao secured the third ranking title of his career. The 28-year-old also triumphed over snooker legend O'Sullivan in the semi-finals. However, Zhao's opinion on the ideal location for top players differs from that of the seven-time world champion, who was granted residency in Hong Kong last year. Speaking to the South China Morning Post, Zhao said: "I feel that in the UK, the level of training is better because the players here are more skilled and it helps to raise your standard. "On the mainland, for example, the level isn't that high, and the level of competition is also not that high, so your motivation won't be as strong. If you really want to play professionally, it's definitely better to train in the UK." Article continues below Zhao Xintong has urged snooker talents to live in the UK (Image:) When asked what advice he would give to aspiring snooker players, Zhao added: "Focus on your training and believe in yourself. If you have the opportunity, going to the UK is obviously the best." The Chinese snooker star sharpened his skills at Victoria's Snooker Academy, which wasn't far from the Crucible where he claimed his title. He is among several Chinese stars calling Sheffield home, unlike some fellow talented players. The Hong Kong Sports Institute serves as a hub for many of its talent, with 24 top-level players receiving a monthly stipend from £1,200 (HK$12,480) to £5,200 (HK$54,150), depending on how well they perform. O'Sullivan, on the other hand, is at the opposite end of his career to China and Hong Kong's fledgling stars and is taking the opposite approach to the advice dished out by Zhao. Last year saw the 49-year-old embrace Hong Kong residency, given his extensive business engagements across Asia. Ronnie O'Sullivan is splitting his time between two countries (Image:) "I probably do about 70 per cent of my work in China and Asia now, so I have to make a life here, I have to make a home," he told TNT Sports, recognising the need for comfort when staying abroad. He added: "Obviously snooker is very popular here as well. Obviously, like myself, someone travelling from another country, the tax is also a good thing. But your food, your culture, it's a great place to live, a great place to be. If you want to live a life, a good life, you should come to Hong Kong." O'Sullivan had indicated plans for a dual-residence setup during the world championship, revealing ambitions to establish his base in the Middle East in the near term. "I think I am going to be moving out of the UK this year," he said. "I'll be moving away to the Middle East. We'll see how it goes - I might be back in six months. A new life somewhere else. I don't know how that is going to pan out." Judd Trump is also relocating out of the UK (Image: Tai Chengzhe/VCG via Getty Images ) Like O'Sullivan, former world champion Trump has taken a similar stance on relocation, albeit with differing views from Zhao on the best place for snooker's elite. Trump is planning a split residence between Hong Kong and Dubai. In January 2025, it was announced that the snooker ace intended to settle down in Hong Kong with his partner Maisy Ma, who works as a TV presenter and is an ex-figure skater. Additionally, Trump spends the bulk of his time living in Dubai, where he has already established residency. Commenting on his fondness for Hong Kong, Trump said: "Everything really. The food, the environment, the buildings, everything there is so special. In the middle of everything it is the hustle and bustle, then you drive 15 minutes and you have the beaches, you have the weather. It is such a nice place." Speaking about his dual residency situation with the Metro, Trump added: "My main base will be in Dubai, but my girlfriend lives in Hong Kong. I have residence in both Dubai and Hong Kong, so I'll be split between them depending on where the tournaments are. Article continues below "It's very different, completely different from what I'm used to. I'm used to my old life of just going to practice and then sitting at home all night, every day. "I wouldn't have expected this, but my life has really changed for the better. I am able to enjoy myself a bit more off the table. It is nice to be living in a warmer climate and being able to experience that and the different cultures. I am in a good place off the table, and that is why I have been consistent over the past five or six years."
Daily Mirror
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Zhao Xintong disagrees with Judd Trump and Ronnie O'Sullivan's life decision
World Snooker Championship winner Zhao Xintong has advised young snooker players to move to the UK, despite the likes of Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump basing themselves away from Britain Zhao Xintong has encouraged budding snooker talents in Hong Kong to consider relocating to the UK. The reigning World Snooker champion made the move from Shenzhen to Sheffield during his teenage years, and believes that similar steps could be beneficial for other rising stars. This viewpoint contrasts with that of former world champions Judd Trump and Ronnie O'Sullivan, who have both expressed interest in setting up bases outside the UK. Zhao made history last week by becoming the first Asian player to clinch the World Snooker Championship, defeating Mark Williams 18-12 and securing the third ranking title of his career. The 28-year-old also triumphed over snooker legend O'Sullivan in the semi-finals. However, Zhao's opinion on the ideal location for top players differs from that of the seven-time world champion, who was granted residency in Hong Kong last year. Speaking to the South China Morning Post, Zhao said: "I feel that in the UK, the level of training is better because the players here are more skilled and it helps to raise your standard. "On the mainland, for example, the level isn't that high, and the level of competition is also not that high, so your motivation won't be as strong. If you really want to play professionally, it's definitely better to train in the UK." When asked what advice he would give to aspiring snooker players, Zhao added: "Focus on your training and believe in yourself. If you have the opportunity, going to the UK is obviously the best." Zhao perfected his skills at Victoria's Snooker Academy in Sheffield, which is just around the corner from the Crucible, where he would go on to win the World Snooker Championship. He is not alone in choosing the UK as his base. Several other Chinese players also call Sheffield home, straying from the trend of many of their fellow snooker stars who prefer to train at the Hong Kong Sports Institute. The institute provides a monthly allowance of between £1,200 and £5,200 to its 24 elite players, based on their performance. However, seven-time world champion O'Sullivan has taken a different path, having been granted residency in Hong Kong last year. He revealed that the majority of his work commitments are now in Asia, prompting him to make the city his home. "I probably do about 70 per cent of my work in China and Asia now, so I have to make a life here, I have to make a home," O'Sullivan told TNT Sports. He added: "Obviously snooker is very popular here as well. Obviously, like myself, someone travelling from another country, the tax is also a good thing. But your food, your culture, it's a great place to live, a great place to be. If you want to live a life, a good life, you should come to Hong Kong." However, O'Sullivan has since announced plans to relocate to the Middle East, suggesting he will be splitting his time between his new home and Hong Kong. "I think I am going to be moving out of the UK this year," he confessed. "I'll be moving away to the Middle East. We'll see how it goes - I might be back in six months. A new life somewhere else. I don't know how that is going to pan out." Trump has his sights set on a different scene, unlike O'Sullivan and Zhao, as he opts to split his time between Hong Kong and Dubai. It was revealed in January that Trump plans to set up one residence in Hong Kong with his partner Maisy Ma, a TV host and ex-figure skater. Trump was very complimentary, as he said: "Everything really. The food, the environment, the buildings, everything there is so special. In the middle of everything it is the hustle and bustle, then you drive 15 minutes and you have the beaches, you have the weather. It is such a nice place." Additionally, Trump enjoys staying in Dubai, which is where he claims he will be based most of the time. The snooker star previously said: "My main base will be in Dubai, but my girlfriend lives in Hong Kong. "I have residence in both Dubai and Hong Kong, so I'll be split between them depending on where the tournaments are. "It's very different, completely different from what I'm used to. I'm used to my old life of just going to practice and then sitting at home all night, every day. "I wouldn't have expected this, but my life has really changed for the better. I am able to enjoy myself a bit more off the table. It is nice to be living in a warmer climate and being able to experience that and the different cultures. I am in a good place off the table, and that is why I have been consistent over the past five or six years."
Wales Online
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Zhao Xintong told Ronnie O'Sullivan and Co are nothing like him by flabbergasted snooker star
Zhao Xintong told Ronnie O'Sullivan and Co are nothing like him by flabbergasted snooker star Zhao Xintong has been showered with praise after becoming snooker's first Asian world champion, with one of his opponents in Sheffield among those to laud his abilities Zhao Xintong has been told exactly where he reigns supreme among snooker's elite (Image: Getty Images ) Zhao Xintong has been picked out for special praise by Elliot Slessor, who has outlined exactly where the new snooker world champion stands clear of the competition. And Slessor, 30, has earned the right to comment after he posed the greatest challenge to Zhao during the 2025 World Snooker Championship. Zhao, 28, made history as the first Asian person to be crowned world champion at the Crucible. That's after he impressively outplayed his mentor and snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan with a 17-7 victory in the semi-finals. He followed up with an equally commanding 18-12 win against Mark Williams to claim the title. However, it was during the final qualifier at the English Institute of Sport, referred to as Judgement Day, that Slessor pushed the new world champion close in a 10-8 defeat. Having offered Zhao what may have been his sternest test of the competition, Slessor took to social media to express his admiration of the player. And it's the Chinese ace's cutthroat nature in putting away chances that gives Zhao a distinct edge over his peers. "I said it then and will say it again," wrote Slessor on X. "I've played them all [and] nobody pots balls like this kid. "The consistency in the long game and to make tough shots look easy is staggering. Congratulations to Xintong and Victoria's Snooker Academy. Incredible stuff." Article continues below Neither Ronnie O'Sullivan nor Judd Trump can stack up against the new world champion, according to Slessor (Image: VCG, VCG via Getty Images ) That vicious mentality was on full display against Gwent's own Williams in the Crucible decider. The Welsh Potting Machine was guilty of leaving glaring opportunities unpotted from a multitude of positions, but Zhao proved far more clinical, even in the most challenging circumstances. Although Judd Trump entered the tournament as the bookies' choice to take home the trophy, his campaign ended in the semis thanks to Williams. That's despite Trump setting a new record for centuries in a season and demonstrating conquering form in the earlier phases of the tournament. Slessor did not manage to secure a spot in the main draw but faced formidable opponents nonetheless. Speaking about his match with Zhao, he was candid about his disappointment yet continued to heap admiration on the victorious challenger. "I wanted to win," he replied to one fan, accompanied by a crying-with-laughter emoji. "But the boy is very special every credit to him congratulations." Slessor pushed Zhao close in qualifying for the 2025 World Snooker Championship (Image: Getty ) Article continues below Zhao entered the competition as an amateur due to his 20-month ban for betting-related activities. He had been sanctioned following an extensive WPBSA probe into corruption that led to the suspension or banning of 10 Chinese players in total. Specifically, Zhao was implicated for "being party to another player fixing two matches" and placing bets on games himself. However, his 20-month suspension was the most lenient handed out by the sport's authorities, reports the Daily Express. After his return to the sport, many aficionados are enthusiastic about witnessing one of snooker's most promising talents compete again following his punishment. Six-time world champion Steve Davis labelled Zhao's infraction "a stain on his CV" but affirmed the snooker star "deserves a second chance."
