Asian Players on the Cusp of a Snooker Takeover

Ronnie O’Sullivan’s criticism of young snooker players may well come back to bite him if a recent research study is to be believed.

The 44-year-old was less than complimentary about the standard of the modern game, saying he would have to ‘lose an arm and a leg to fall out of the top 50’ in the rankings.

His comments didn’t go down well within the sport, with many current and former players hitting back at O’Sullivan. Former world champion Ken Doherty was quick to wade into the row.

“Name another sportsman that would slag off the rest of the tour saying they are not that good – the standard is as high as ever,” Doherty told the BBC.

“It may be a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it is not nice. I think it is derogatory. All of those players look up to Ronnie and he has a duty to them as an ambassador to the game.

“He is a hero to all those players on the tour. I don’t know whether they will still think he is a character or look up to him.”

O’Sullivan has a long history of courting controversy, but the timing of his latest outburst could be particularly ill-advised given developments elsewhere.

There have been numerous examples of talented overseas players in snooker, but that hasn’t translated into success at world championship level.

Just three non-British and Irish players have won the world title since its inception – Horace Lindrum (1952), Cliff Thorburn (1980) and Neil Robertson (2010).

However, the balance of power in snooker could soon shift from Britain and Ireland to Asia given the number of players that have taken up the sport in the region over the past few years.

China’s Ding Junhui has undoubtedly been a trailblazer for Asia, winning 14 major ranking titles including the prestigious UK Championship on three occasions during his career.

His efforts have inspired a new generation of players, many of whom are already having an impact at the top level of the sport.

They include Yan Bingtao and Liang Wenbo, who reached the quarter-finals of the 2019 UK Championship alongside Ding, highlighting how the landscape is changing in snooker.

Seven of the top 32 players in the current world rankings are from Asia, and there are numerous others currently climbing rapidly up the standings.

There may have been an element of mischievousness to O’Sullivan’s comments about the standard of modern snooker, but he may live to regret his words if the Asian surge continues.