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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.
France 24
05-05-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Snooker star Zhao: from ban to Chinese sporting history
But now 28, Zhao has surpassed his compatriot's notable achievements by becoming China's first world snooker champion in stunning style on Monday. Zhao defeated three-time world champion Mark Williams 18-12 in the final to clinch the title at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre on Monday. The left-hander's unexpected triumph is the culmination of a redemption story that ensures him a place in Chinese sporting history. Zhao's journey from first picking up a cue aged eight to glory in his maiden appearance in the World Snooker Championship final has not been without controversy. The 2021 UK Championship winner was playing at the Crucible as an amateur as he continued his comeback from a 20-month ban for his involvement in a major betting scandal. Chinese players in recent years have become a significant force in snooker, but in 2023, 10 players from the country were banned in a match-fixing case that shook the sport to its foundations. Two players, Liang Wenbo and Li Hang, were banned for life. Zhao's suspension was the shortest, reflecting the fact that while he bet on matches, he did not throw them. Away from home Like many of the Chinese players now making a name for themselves, Zhao has made the northern English city of Sheffield his base. Zhao is with the Chinese-run Victoria's Snooker Academy, a two-floor facility just 10 minutes by foot from the Crucible. Not far away there is also the Ding Junhui Snooker Academy. A record 10 Chinese were among the final 32 players competing at the Crucible, reflecting just how prominent the country now is in the sport. For many of them, including Zhao, it all comes back to Ding, China's first snooker star. "My goal when I was younger was to become someone like Ding Junhui," a 17-year-old Zhao told a Chinese documentary in 2015 called, "Becoming Ding Junhui". The so-called grandfather of Chinese snooker won the UK Championship three times and the Masters in 2011. Ding lost the world championship final against Mark Selby in 2016. 'Luckiest kid in the world' Zhao was born in the tourist city of Xian but as a child moved to the metropolis of Shenzhen, just over the border from Hong Kong, when his parents went there for work. An only child, Zhao's father Zhao Xiaowei is the vice-president of a hospital and his mother, Wen Anxiao, is a nurse in the same hospital. Zhao first became interested in snooker because of some tables set up outside small stores near his home. As his interest grew, his parents put a snooker table in one of the rooms in their home and made it his practice room. Even then, as is typical for many Chinese parents, they were sceptical about his sporting ambitions and wanted him to study. In the documentary, Zhao's mother recalls: "I asked him, when you've finished university what job will you do? "He said, 'Play snooker'. He said it very firmly, he didn't need to think about it." She says that was the moment she decided to fully support his decision to make snooker his life. Acknowledging that support from his parents, Zhao said: "I'm the luckiest kid in the snooker world." The same programme includes a ringing endorsement from Ding's father, calling Zhao his "favourite" player and a "rare" talent. "There's no problem with this child's character," he says. Seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan is another big fan of Zhao, even after suffering a crushing 17-7 semi-final defeat to him in Sheffield last week. The two have been known to practise and dine together, and they shared a warm embrace in the dressing rooms after Zhao's devastating display. Away from snooker and as his fame grows, Zhao's personal life has attracted scrutiny in China. Several years ago, photos emerged of him with a Chinese student he met in Britain in which he appeared to show off his family's supposed wealth. One picture showed Zhao sitting in the boot of a Rolls Royce.
HKFP
04-05-2025
- Sport
- HKFP
Snooker star Zhao Xintong – from ban to cusp of Chinese sporting history
By Peter Stebbings with Sam Davies in Beijing In 2015 a teenage Zhao Xintong told a documentary that he wanted to be like trailblazer Ding Junhui. Now 28, Zhao is on the cusp of becoming China's first snooker world champion — and if he does would surpass his compatriot. Zhao demolished seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan 17-7 on Friday at Sheffield's Crucible, the unofficial home of snooker, in the semi-finals. The left-hander faces Welshman Mark Williams in the final on Sunday to Monday, and a chance to write his name in Chinese sporting history. Zhao's journey from picking up a cue aged eight to a first appearance in the World Snooker Championship final has not been without controversy. The 2021 UK Championship winner is playing at the Crucible as an amateur as he continues his comeback from a 20-month ban for his involvement in a major betting scandal. Chinese players in recent years have become a significant force in snooker, but in 2023, 10 players from the country were banned in a match-fixing case that shook the sport to its foundations. Two players, Liang Wenbo and Li Hang, were banned for life. Zhao's suspension was the shortest, reflecting the fact that while he bet on matches, he did not throw them. Away from home Like many of the Chinese players now making a name for themselves, Zhao has made the northern English city of Sheffield his base. Zhao is with the Chinese-run Victoria's Snooker Academy, a two-floor facility just 10 minutes by foot from the Crucible. Not far away there is also the Ding Junhui Snooker Academy. A record 10 Chinese were among the final 32 players competing at the Crucible, reflecting just how prominent the country now is in the sport. For many of them, including Zhao, it all comes back to Ding, China's first snooker star. 'My goal when I was younger was to become someone like Ding Junhui,' a 17-year-old Zhao told a Chinese documentary in 2015 called, 'Becoming Ding Junhui'. The so-called grandfather of Chinese snooker won the UK Championship three times and the Masters in 2011. Ding lost the world championship final in 2016. 'Luckiest kid in the world' Zhao was born in the tourist city of Xian but as a child moved to the metropolis of Shenzhen, just over the border from Hong Kong, when his parents went there for work. An only child, Zhao's father Zhao Xiaowei is the vice-president of a hospital and his mother, Wen Anxiao, is a nurse in the same hospital. Zhao first became interested in snooker because of some tables set up outside small stores near his home. As his interest grew, his parents put a snooker table in one of the rooms in their home and made it his practice room. Even then, as is typical for many Chinese parents, they were sceptical about his sporting ambitions and wanted him to study. In the documentary, Zhao's mother recalls: 'I asked him, when you've finished university what job will you do? Embed from Getty Images 'He said, 'Play snooker'. He said it very firmly, he didn't need to think about it.' She says that was the moment she decided to fully support his decision to make snooker his life. Acknowledging that support from his parents, Zhao said: 'I'm the luckiest kid in the snooker world.' The same programme includes a ringing endorsement from Ding's father, calling Zhao his 'favourite' player and a 'rare' talent. 'There's no problem with this child's character,' he says. O'Sullivan is another big fan of Zhao, even after suffering a crushing defeat to him as the Chinese player seized on the English great's every error. The two have been known to practise and dine together, and they shared a warm embrace in the dressing rooms after Zhao's devastating display. Away from snooker and as his fame grows, Zhao's personal life has attracted scrutiny in China. Several years ago photos emerged of him with a Chinese student he met in Britain in which he appeared to show off his family's supposed wealth. One picture showed Zhao sitting in the boot of a Rolls Royce.
New Straits Times
04-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Snooker star Zhao: from ban to cusp of Chinese sporting history
HONG KONG: In 2015 a teenage Zhao Xintong told a documentary that he wanted to be like trailblazer Ding Junhui. Now 28, Zhao is on the cusp of becoming China's first snooker world champion – and if he does would surpass his compatriot. Zhao demolished seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan 17-7 on Friday at Sheffield's Crucible, the unofficial home of snooker, in the semi-finals. The left-hander faces Welshman Mark Williams in the final on Sunday to Monday, and a chance to write his name in Chinese sporting history. Zhao's journey from picking up a cue aged eight to a first appearance in the World Snooker Championship final has not been without controversy. The 2021 UK Championship winner is playing at the Crucible as an amateur as he continues his comeback from a 20-month ban for his involvement in a major betting scandal. Chinese players in recent years have become a significant force in snooker, but in 2023, 10 players from the country were banned in a match-fixing case that shook the sport to its foundations. Two players, Liang Wenbo and Li Hang, were banned for life. Zhao's suspension was the shortest, reflecting the fact that while he bet on matches, he did not throw them. Like many of the Chinese players now making a name for themselves, Zhao has made the northern English city of Sheffield his base. Zhao is with the Chinese-run Victoria's Snooker Academy, a two-floor facility just 10 minutes by foot from the Crucible. Not far away there is also the Ding Junhui Snooker Academy. A record 10 Chinese were among the final 32 players competing at the Crucible, reflecting just how prominent the country now is in the sport. For many of them, including Zhao, it all comes back to Ding, China's first snooker star. "My goal when I was younger was to become someone like Ding Junhui," a 17-year-old Zhao told a Chinese documentary in 2015 called, "Becoming Ding Junhui." The so-called grandfather of Chinese snooker won the UK Championship three times and the Masters in 2011. Ding lost the world championship final in 2016. Zhao was born in the tourist city of Xian but as a child moved to the metropolis of Shenzhen, just over the border from Hong Kong, when his parents went there for work. An only child, Zhao's father Zhao Xiaowei is the vice-president of a hospital and his mother, Wen Anxiao, is a nurse in the same hospital. Zhao first became interested in snooker because of some tables set up outside small stores near his home. As his interest grew, his parents put a snooker table in one of the rooms in their home and made it his practice room. Even then, as is typical for many Chinese parents, they were sceptical about his sporting ambitions and wanted him to study. In the documentary, Zhao's mother recalls: "I asked him, when you've finished university what job will you do? "He said, 'Play snooker'. He said it very firmly, he didn't need to think about it." She says that was the moment she decided to fully support his decision to make snooker his life. Acknowledging that support from his parents, Zhao said: "I'm the luckiest kid in the snooker world." The same programme includes a ringing endorsement from Ding's father, calling Zhao his "favourite" player and a "rare" talent. "There's no problem with this child's character," he says. O'Sullivan is another big fan of Zhao, even after suffering a crushing defeat to him as the Chinese player seized on the English great's every error. The two have been known to practise and dine together, and they shared a warm embrace in the dressing rooms after Zhao's devastating display. Away from snooker and as his fame grows, Zhao's personal life has attracted scrutiny in China. Several years ago photos emerged of him with a Chinese student he met in Britain in which he appeared to show off his family's supposed wealth.
France 24
03-05-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Snooker star Zhao: from ban to cusp of Chinese sporting history
Now 28, Zhao is on the cusp of becoming China's first snooker world champion -- and if he does would surpass his compatriot. Zhao demolished seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan 17-7 on Friday at Sheffield's Crucible, the unofficial home of snooker, in the semi-finals. The left-hander faces Judd Trump or Mark Williams in the final on Sunday to Monday, and a chance to write his name in Chinese sporting history. Zhao's journey from picking up a cue aged eight to a first appearance in the World Snooker Championship final has not been without controversy. The 2021 UK Championship winner is playing at the Crucible as an amateur as he continues his comeback from a 20-month ban for his involvement in a major betting scandal. Chinese players in recent years have become a significant force in snooker, but in 2023, 10 players from the country were banned in a match-fixing case that shook the sport to its foundations. Two players, Liang Wenbo and Li Hang, were banned for life. Zhao's suspension was the shortest, reflecting the fact that while he bet on matches, he did not throw them. Away from home Like many of the Chinese players now making a name for themselves, Zhao has made the northern English city of Sheffield his base. Zhao is with the Chinese-run Victoria's Snooker Academy, a two-floor facility just 10 minutes by foot from the Crucible. Not far away there is also the Ding Junhui Snooker Academy. A record 10 Chinese were among the final 32 players competing at the Crucible, reflecting just how prominent the country now is in the sport. For many of them, including Zhao, it all comes back to Ding, China's first snooker star. "My goal when I was younger was to become someone like Ding Junhui," a 17-year-old Zhao told a Chinese documentary in 2015 called, "Becoming Ding Junhui". The so-called grandfather of Chinese snooker won the UK Championship three times and the Masters in 2011. Ding lost the world championship final in 2016. 'Luckiest kid in the world' Zhao was born in the tourist city of Xian but as a child moved to the metropolis of Shenzhen, just over the border from Hong Kong, when his parents went there for work. An only child, Zhao's father Zhao Xiaowei is the vice-president of a hospital and his mother, Wen Anxiao, is a nurse in the same hospital. Zhao first became interested in snooker because of some tables set up outside small stores near his home. As his interest grew, his parents put a snooker table in one of the rooms in their home and made it his practice room. Even then, as is typical for many Chinese parents, they were sceptical about his sporting ambitions and wanted him to study. In the documentary, Zhao's mother recalls: "I asked him, when you've finished university what job will you do? "He said, 'Play snooker'. He said it very firmly, he didn't need to think about it." She says that was the moment she decided to fully support his decision to make snooker his life. Acknowledging that support from his parents, Zhao said: "I'm the luckiest kid in the snooker world." The same programme includes a ringing endorsement from Ding's father, calling Zhao his "favourite" player and a "rare" talent. "There's no problem with this child's character," he says. O'Sullivan is another big fan of Zhao, even after suffering a crushing defeat to him as the Chinese player seized on the English great's every error. The two have been known to practise and dine together, and they shared a warm embrace in the dressing rooms after Zhao's devastating display. Away from snooker and as his fame grows, Zhao's personal life has attracted scrutiny in China. Several years ago photos emerged of him with a Chinese student he met in Britain in which he appeared to show off his family's supposed wealth. One picture showed Zhao sitting in the boot of a Rolls Royce.
