Latest news with #HongKongMasters
South China Morning Post
21 hours ago
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Former world champion Neil Robertson the third snooker star to become Hong Kong resident
Former world snooker champion Neil Robertson revealed on Friday that he and his family had acquired Hong Kong residency. The Australian, who made the announcement on his official Weibo account, becomes the third high-profile player to take advantage of the city's Quality Migrant Admission Scheme. England's seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan and world No 1 Judd Trump have both previously become residents. In a post in simplified Chinese, Robertson wrote that he was 'very honoured that my whole family and I have obtained Hong Kong identity cards'. He added: 'This is not only a significant moment for me personally, but also an honour for our entire family. Hong Kong has always been my blessed land. I have achieved many great successes here and have forged a deep friendship with this city.' Neil Robertson called Hong Kong 'my blessed land' in a Weibo post. Photo: Dickson Lee In 2017, Robertson triumphed at the non-ranking Hong Kong Masters when he beat Mark Selby, Marco Fu Ka-chun and O'Sullivan at Queen Elizabeth Stadium.
South China Morning Post
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
World Grand Prix in Hong Kong: snooker MC Rob Walker urges ‘dynamite'
Spectators at snooker's World Grand Prix in Hong Kong this week have found themselves greeted by an energetic Englishman holding a microphone, politely encouraging them to make some noise. Advertisement Meet master of ceremonies Rob Walker, a familiar sight in the UK but less so in this tournament's new host city. He has been making himself heard over the booming Kai Tak Arena sound system, introducing the players and insisting the audience provide a loud roar for the cameras when he gives the signal. He told the Post he had a simple request for those attending during the final three days: 'more energy'. Walker MCs at multiple leading snooker events, including the World Championship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, and is a renowned sports broadcaster. He said he had been wowed by Hong Kong's energy and vibe, but admitted he was expecting to see more fans watching as the tournament neared its halfway point on Friday. Rob Walker hoped to get the crowd to 'explode into energy' from the quarter-finals onwards. Photo: Handout Whereas more than 8,000 fans turned up at the Coliseum for the climax of the Hong Kong Masters in 2022, the first few sessions at the new venue drew fewer, with organisers estimating a total of 6,300 across Tuesday and Wednesday.
South China Morning Post
04-03-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong support has inspired snooker to aim for bigger audiences, sport's CEO says
The record-breaking crowd at the Hong Kong Masters almost three years ago inspired snooker's world governing body to believe the sport could be played in front of much bigger audiences, the head of World Snooker Tour said on Tuesday. Advertisement Speaking exclusively to the Post on the first day of the World Grand Prix – the city's first ranking tournament in 35 years – Simon Brownell said the 9,000 fans who turned up at the Coliseum for the exhibition final between Marco Fu Ka-chun and Ronnie O'Sullivan in 2022 'changed our minds'. According to Brownell, the light-bulb moment came when Fu potted the last black to record a 147 in his semi-final against John Higgins. 'The noise that was created was unlike any that anyone had ever experienced in the sport before,' Brownell said. 'As to what was possible for our sport, we couldn't be limited by our imagination. 'We had to go out there and think about what is possible and what we learned was that a 10,000-seat arena is possible for our sport. So, we know what is possible here and we can't wait to start building the highlights reel and important, historical moments that we're going to see here.' Ronnie O'Sullivan (left) beat Marco Fu in the Hong Kong Masters 2022 final at the Coliseum. Photo: K. Y. Cheng Brownell added that his organisation now wanted to extend the successful model to the rest of the world, having also learned that intimate venues were not necessary for success.
