Latest news with #JuddTrump
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
‘Blessed' – Snooker icon reveals new business venture after becoming third world champ to take residency in Hong Kong
SNOOKER star Neil Robertson has revealed he has taken up residency in Hong Kong. The 2010 world champion has been based in Cambridge with his Norwegian wife Mille and their two kids in recent years. 3 3 But on his Asian switch, Robertson said he was "very honoured that my whole family and I have obtained Hong Kong identity cards". The Aussie continued in a post written on Chinese social media site Weibo: "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. 'This identity will make it easier for me to travel to Hong Kong more frequently and expand business cooperation. "Regarding future development plans in Hong Kong, I have made full preparations and will share them with you soon.' Robertson has followed in Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump 's footsteps by having a property in the nation. The trio have moved following the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, which aims to attract "highly skilled or talented persons" to Hong Kong to boost the economy. O'Sullivan's residency was confirmed in 2019 and Trump followed just months later. The world No1 is dating Hong Kong figure skater and TV presenter Maisy Ma.
South China Morning Post
3 days 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.
Wales Online
6 days ago
- Sport
- Wales Online
Mark Allen makes £100,000 point as he issues proposal to snooker bosses
Mark Allen makes £100,000 point as he issues proposal to snooker bosses Rather than offering snooker's elite their chance at another massive payday, Mark Allen has controversially called for the World Snooker Tour to scrap its latest idea Mark Allen has been praised for calling to scrap one of the World Snooker Tour's latest big ideas (Image: Getty Images ) Snooker star Mark Allen has shown his solidarity with the sport's less celebrated players in response to one of its latest big ideas. That's after advocating for a prize fund to be shared among lower-ranking competitors rather than offering another opportunity for the elite to increase their earnings. The World Snooker Tour (WST) has revealed the 'century of centuries' initiative will return in the 2025/26 season. This scheme, which debuted in the 2024/25 season, awards a £100,000 jackpot to the first player to achieve 100 centuries. The inaugural winner was world No. 1 Judd Trump, who reached his 100th century of the season at the Crucible in April. The Bristolian therefore added a substantial sum to his already considerable wealth, mopping the floor with the competition. However, Allen believes the money would be better spent supporting those further down the rankings. And his call for revolution has been championed by many fans who agree it would be a better spend of the funds. Snooker journalist Phil Haigh commented on the renewal of the 'century of centuries' campaign, suggesting it incentivises top players to participate in as many tournaments as possible. Yet considering Trump's recent dominance, Haigh questioned whether the initiative might simply become "a 'Can Judd Trump Buy Himself Another Car?' campaign." Article continues below In response, Allen suggested on X (via the Daily Express): "Why not take the 100k and run a side event during one of the players series tournaments for those not qualified? I think there's loads on offer for the top players as it is." Judd Trump won the inaugural 'century of centuries' prize fund (Image: Getty Images ) The remark puts the WST under scrutiny to reassess its player reward system and consider how many players can realistically benefit from such funds. There's an onus on the organisation to reward its biggest stars, but many smaller-profile players may struggle to maintain a career at all without lower-scale prizes on their level. To put the figures into perspective, only twice before this season has anyone completed 100 centuries in a season. Neil Robertson was the first to do so in 2013/14 before Trump managed the feat six years later in the 2019/20 campaign. 'The Ace In the Pack' has significantly outperformed his rivals in this area this season. He has racked up 107 centuries to date for the 2024/25 campaign, with Mark Selby trailing behind as his nearest competitor on just 73. While it's true such substantial rewards may encourage all players to participate regularly and perform at a high level, Allen's concern for those lower down the pecking order is warranted. And it points to his moral fibre that he's willing to forgo potential winnings in an effort to see his peers thrive as a whole. Article continues below Allen has been lauded for thinking of snooker's smaller-profile stars (Image: Getty ) Many supporters concurred with 'The Pistol' and praised him for considering the underdog. Despite an unexpected second-round departure at this year's World Snooker Championship, Allen pocketed a £45,000 bonus for making the 15th maximum in Crucible history. "Well said Mark, couldn't agree more," wrote one snooker fan in response to Allen's comment. And another replied: "Well said. Among fans nobody cares about whether Judd, Ronnie, yourself or whoever wins this cash. It's a sideshow."
Metro
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Metro
Which players could actually win World Snooker Tour's huge centuries bonus?
The 2025/26 season will see £100,000 on offer for the first player to make 100 centuries, just as it was last campaign, but how realistic is it as a target? Well, it happened last season, so for at least one player it is very much achievable. Judd Trump landed the £100,000 bonus by storming past the century of centuries target during the World Championship, ending his campaign on a record 107. It was the second time he had reached the remarkable hundred hundreds, having also done so in 2019/20. Three times it has happened in total, with Neil Robertson the first to reach the milestone in the 2013/14 season. On the announcement of the bonus returning for the 2025/26 season, World Snooker Tour CEO Simon Brownell said: 'We will start the new season with a fresh slate and all players have an opportunity to shoot for the stars and see if they can make it to a century of centuries.' In reality, though, is is a very small number of players who are in the running. Speaking during the World Championship, Mark Williams said of the target: 'There's only three players who've got a chance of getting that: Judd, Neil Robertson and [Ronnie] O'Sullivan if he played in every tournament. 'There's no other player who has got a sniff of winning that £100,000 bonus.' After the announcement of this season's bonus, last season's World Championship runner-up posted on X: 'Only 2 or 3 players can possibly get it. 'I'm number 3 in the world and I have zero chance of getting that if I played in every comp.' It does seem like stats back up Williams' point, with no one other than Trump and Robertson ever coming close to the landmark tally. Trump managed 90 centuries in 2020/21 and Robertson hit 84 in 2018/19 and these represent the closest any player has come other than when the 100-mark has been reached. Judd Trump – 2024-2025 – 107 Neil Robertson – 2013-2014 – 103 Judd Trump – 2019-2020 – 102 Judd Trump – 2020-2021 – 90 Neil Robertson – 2018-2019 – 84 Judd Trump – 2018-2019 – 83 Judd Trump – 2014-2015 – 82 Judd Trump – 2023-2024 – 79 Ronnie O'Sullivan – 2017-2018 – 74 Kyren Wilson – 2020-2021 – 74 The nearest anyone else has got to 100 centuries in a season was Ronnie O'Sullivan in 2017/18 and he finished on 74. Speaking after defeat to Trump at the Crucible, Masters champion Shaun Murphy felt like he'd had a good campaign and finished way short on 58. 'We called it the Judd Trump-Neil Robertson Award when it was announced at the start of the season,' said the Magician. 'I was chasing it myself and fell some way short. 'I think I've had a really good season and I think I've made 50-odd. I've never got anywhere near 100 and I think I'm one of the best break-builders in the game!' Murphy made the point that the statistics show just how spectacularly good Trump and Robertson – but especially Trump – has been in recent years. 'It's an incredible achievement that perhaps doesn't get the national or international recognition it ought to,' said Murphy. 'It's a phenomenal achievement and it will be going on my own to-do list next season. 'I think all these initiatives are great. Anything that creates a bit more interest and talking points in the game is good.' Judd Trump – 107 Mark Selby – 73 Kyren Wilson – 62 Shaun Murphy – 58 Jak Jones – 56 Xiao Guodong – 54 Mark Allen – 47 John Higgins – 44 Wu Yize – 44 Neil Robertson – 43 Of course there are plenty of players with the capability of reaching huge break-building landmarks, but the likes of O'Sullivan, Murphy, John Higgins, Mark Selby and Kyren Wilson have not got particularly close to the century of centuries in a season before, so it would be a huge leap in tons to get there this season. The wildcard this campaign coming will be the world champion, Zhao Xintong, despite the fact he has never made more than the 31 centuries he managed in the 2020/21 season. Back on tour after his ban from the sport, coming into the new season as world champion and in the top 16, he will likely play in almost every event and could become a challenger for the bonus. In the eight matches he played in World Championship qualifying and the main stages he made 18 centuries, showing off his immense break-building skills. Trump should remain favourite to reach the century of centuries but Zhao may well now be the likeliest contender to beat him to the bonus, if anyone can. For all the hopefuls, the key to success is likely to be found in a low-key environment – the Championship League Invitational in Leicester. The unique event sees players able to compete in multiple groups dependent on performance and play on tables with seemingly very generous pockets – Trump described them as 'playing very, very large' – so it has become the perfect place to rack up the tons. Jak Jones set a record for most centuries ever in a single tournament last season when he made 32 in the Championship League Invitational. Trump's record-breaking season tally of 107 was heartily boosted by his 23 in Leicester. More Trending In comparison, Murphy didn't play in the event, which partly explains why he fell so far short of the century of centuries. So in conclusion, with O'Sullivan very unlikely to play enough to contend, we're looking at Trump, Robertson and Zhao and we will only keep looking at them if they play in the century bonanza that is the Championship League in January. It's looking like a three-horse race which could have no winner, but with the carrot dangling, top players could look to fight their way into that race by entering every event possible. That is ultimately the aim of the bonus for World Snooker Tour, and as Murphy says: 'Anything that creates a bit more interest and talking points in the game is good.' MORE: Liam Pullen: In snooker only the strongest survive so you have to become one of them MORE: China's Bai Yulu retains World Women's Snooker Championship MORE: Q School becomes last chance saloon after four survive first event
Zawya
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Zawya
Hong Kong Life as the Title Sponsor of the "Greater Bay Area Snooker Culture Challenge"
Promote the spirit of 'Serious, Focused, Strive for Excellence' HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 9 May 2025 - Hong Kong Life is pleased to announce its title sponsorship of "Greater Bay Area Snooker Culture Challenge", in collaboration with organizers - Ming Snooker Club, Sum Supreme Media and Sum Supreme Sport, to present an exciting snooker event. The challenge will take place on 10 and 11 June 2025 at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Hong Kong, featuring the snooker stars, including the "World No. 1", Judd Trump, renowned player Jack Lisowski, Thai player Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, Chinese snooker star Zhang Anda, and the rising talent Chen Qien. The event will also invite Mr. Andy Lam and Mr. Jackey Ma, the representatives from the Hong Kong Phab Snooker Association, to team up with world-class players for an exhibition match. Andy and Jackey both won the bronze medals in the G3 and G1 classification group respectively at the 2025 World Disability Snooker Championship in March 2025. The event aims to further raise public awareness of para-athletes. Hong Kong Life aims to promote the spirit of "Serious, Focused, Strive for Excellence" through its sponsorship of the snooker challenge. During competitions, snooker players need to maintain intense concentration, adjust their tactics based on their opponents' rhythms, while also demonstrate the harmony of mind and body to pot balls in sequence for accumulating points to win. Similarly, Hong Kong Life is dedicated to developing comprehensive life insurance products and keenly responding to evolving customer needs and market dynamics. By continuously enhancing the products and services, Hong Kong Life strives to support customers in achieving different life goals for a better future. Moreover, Hong Kong Life has always been committed to promoting the development and inheritance of sports culture. This snooker competition can create a platform for players from various regions to exchange their expertise while allowing the public to watch the matches, encouraging more people to develop a habit of doing exercise and foster physical and mental wellness. Hong Kong Life also hopes to create a stage for the para-athletes through the demonstration matches, allowing them to showcase their talents, and to convey a positive message about inclusivity. Mr. Jonathan Ko, Chief Marketing Officer of Hong Kong Life, said, "Hong Kong Life is delighted to be the title-sponsor of the 'Greater Bay Area Snooker Culture Challenge', partnering with the organizers to bring an exciting snooker event to Hong Kong citizens, allowing everyone to experience the charm and positive energy of sports. This competition not only provides citizens with the chance to participate in and watch the performance of world-class snooker players, but also builds a stage for Hong Kong's para-athletes to interact with top snooker talents, creating an ideal environment for inclusivity. Hong Kong Life hopes to promote the spirit of 'Serious, Focused, Strive for Excellence' through this event. We have always focused on developing diversified and high-quality life insurance products, persisted in innovation and improvement and also continuously enhanced our products and services, to help our customers create greater value in their life journeys." Information about the "Greater Bay Area Snooker Culture Challenge": Hashtag: #HKLife #Snooker The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About Hong Kong Life Established in 2001, Hong Kong Life Insurance Limited ("Hong Kong Life") was founded by five local financial institutions including Asia Insurance Company Limited, Chong Hing Bank Limited, CMB Wing Lung Bank Limited, OCBC Bank (Hong Kong) Limited and Shanghai Commercial Bank Limited, which laid their foundations and have been serving people in Hong Kong for more than 50 years in average. Through our extensive network of around 130 distribution points comprising Chong Hing Bank, CMB Wing Lung Bank, OCBC Bank (Hong Kong) and Shanghai Commercial Bank, we offer an integrated one-stop service of insurance and financial planning to customers. Hong Kong Life
