Zhao Xintong’s historic snooker title sparks talk of China world domination

BEIJING – Zhao Xintong’s historic World Snooker Championship title is set to spur the game to even greater heights in China, and sparked predictions the country could come to dominate the sport.

The 28-year-old left-hander beat three-time world champion Mark Williams of Wales at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre on May 5 to become the first Asian to clinch snooker’s biggest prize.

Zhao celebrated by draping the Chinese flag over his shoulders and, back home, he has been hailed as a national hero – his victory going viral on social media in the country.

His 20-month suspension in 2023 for his minor involvement in a betting scandal, with nine other Chinese snooker players also banned, has been largely forgiven.

“My phone hasn’t stopped ringing with calls from media and parents,” Zhang Dongtao, head coach at the Beijing-based World Snooker Academy – which has trained most of China’s stars, including Zhao – told AFP.

Snooker was long characterised in China by dingy halls filled with smoke and considered a pastime for idle drifters, loathed by parents as a waste of time compared to school studies.

However, the sport has boomed since an 18-year-old Ding Junhui burst onto the scene two decades ago, defeating Scotsman Stephen Hendry to win the China Open.

Many Chinese pro players, including Zhao, cite Ding as inspiring them to take up the sport, which numbers at an estimated 50 million currently.

Chinese make up 10 of the top 32 players in the world and China boasts more than 300,000 snooker or billiards clubs, up from 34,000 in 2005, said state media.

An industry report by Shangqi Consulting valued the country’s billiards market, which includes snooker, at 37 billion yuan (S$6.64 billion) in 2023 – and predicted that could double over the next few years.

At the World Snooker Academy in Beijing, a replica of the Masters trophy, another of snooker’s most coveted prizes, sits on display as inspiration.

“Our entire focus is on youth training to help them get rid of bad habits in life and in their snooker technique, and to absorb positive influences during their developmental years,” Zhang said.

Competition is key to training, with the academy holding six internal tournaments each semester.

While snooker in China still lacks the prestige of Olympic events like table tennis and badminton, there has been a “dramatic shift” in attitudes in the last two decades, Zhang added.

“The Chinese market is huge. Investors are abundant, they can sponsor some tournaments, and the prize money for competitions is very high,” he said.

With qualifying events for snooker’s major tournaments almost all held in Britain, Chinese players typically head overseas once they turn professional.

Many end up in Sheffield in northern England, some arriving as young as 17 to chase their snooker dreams. Zhao trains at the China-run Victoria Snooker Academy, just a short walk from the Crucible.

“The Chinese players’ work ethic is just incredible,” said Lucky Vatnani, a former Indian player and now manager of the Ding Junhui Snooker Academy, also in Sheffield.

“They play seven days a week, 10am to 6pm. I don’t see a lot of English players doing that. Their only purpose is to play snooker.”

Seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan has warned that emerging talent in Britain is “thin on the ground”, particularly in comparison to China – which he said was “churning out champions” thanks to funding from the Chinese government. AFP