The game has lengthy been touted as a possible Olympic sport – that might lastly be about to occur.
Snooker might be included within the Olympic Video games (Picture: Getty)
Snooker might be named as a part of the Olympics programme for the 2032 Video games in Brisbane. It comes after a second consecutive Chinese language potter gained the World Championship title on the current event in Sheffield.
Wu Yize edged a 35-frame thriller in a dramatic World Championship closing, following within the footsteps of Zhao Xintong, who triumphed final 12 months. He was the primary Asian champion, with the game’s reputation having boomed within the 12 months since.
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It’s estimated that round 300,000 snooker golf equipment exist in China, with 11 of the 32 gamers in the principle draw of the 2026 Championship having come from the Asian nation. Snooker has lengthy been mooted as a possible Olympic sport, having failed with bids for the Video games in 2021 and 2024.
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Nevertheless, Jason Ferguson, chairman of the World Skilled Billiards and Snooker Affiliation, believes there are actually extra eyes on the game. Chatting with The Related Press, he mentioned: “It is vitally necessary.
“China is a vital nation to the IOC — it has been a bunch of the Video games on many events and they’re closely invested in sports activities, in IOC phrases. So the truth that China is a key marketplace for snooker is a extremely necessary half about any Olympic bid.”
Wu Yize’s World Championship victory might be pivotal to snooker changing into an Olympic sport (Picture: Getty)
It isn’t simply China that’s seen a snooker growth. The game has grown in different markets, together with components of Europe, with Antoni Kowalski changing into the primary Polish participant to qualify for the World Championship. Ferguson continued: “Once we began this concept of going to the Olympics, we solely had a handful of nations taking part in. However we’re prepared (to be within the Olympics). And that is an thrilling proposition.”
Regardless of the 2032 Video games being eight years away, the deadline for making a choice is simply across the nook. The Worldwide Olympic Committee is predicted to finalise its programme of sports activities to be added to the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics by subsequent spring, which might coincide with the time of the subsequent World Snooker Championship.
A profitable bid would require assist from key resolution makers in Australia, that means snooker chiefs might name upon Neil Robertson, with the Aussie ace at the moment ranked second on the planet. Robertson gained the world title in 2010 and is the present world No.2, and might be pivotal for snooker’s marketing campaign to be included within the Olympics.
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