Will Clark – Snooker in danger of becoming an old man’s game
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China’s Zhao Xintong won the UK Snooker Championship on Sunday defeating Belgium’s Luca Brecel in the final.
But the fact that neither player wasn’t British wasn’t the most eye-catching statistic of the final, it was the fact that both players were under the age of 30.
Snooker in recent years is gaining a reputation as an ageing sport, with players in their late 30’s, 40’s and in some cases pushing 50 among the best players in the world.
In the top 10, only Kyren Wilson (29) is younger than 30.
But he will hit the milestone age two days before Christmas day.
It is a far cry from the sport in the 80’s and 90’s when fresh faced youngsters were among the top players in the game. Steve Davis won four of his six world titles before he was 30, winning his final world title in 1989 aged 33.
Stephen Hendry won the first of his seven world titles in 1990 aged 21, but retired at 43 saying he could not keep up with the standard of younger players.
But the landscape on the baize has changed in the last decade, current world champion Mark Selby is 38. In 2018, Mark Williams became world champion defeating John Higgins who were both aged 43 at the time. Ronnie O’Sullivan won his sixth world title in 2020, aged 45. He criticised the state of the game last year saying he “would have to lose an arm and an leg to fall out of the top 50.”
In a post match interview, he said: “I’m not surprised that the older players are still playing like this. If you look at the younger players coming through, they aren’t that good really.
“Most would probably do well as half-decent amateurs, but not even that. They are so bad.
“That’s why we are still hovering around.
“How poor it is down that end. It is that bad.”
O Sullivan’s comments were criticised by other players in the game at that time.
But it is no secret the average life-span of a professional snooker player’s career has increased significantly compared to what it was 20 years ago.
A report into the game in Scotland stated in 1995 said there were 192 clubs operating in the country but in 2016, that number had dropped to around 60.
However, the game has been going from strength to strength in China, with it reported there are over 1000 snooker clubs in Shanghai alone.
The Chinese Government has even incorporated snooker into the school curriculum in the hope of finding the next big star.
However, China has yet to find a world champion, with Ding Junhui the only Chinese player to ever reach a world championship final losing to Selby in 2016.
There have only been three players from outside the UK and Ireland to become world champion which means the British Isles is still the beating heart of the sport.
But where is the fresh injection of young talent coming from? Sunday’s UK Championship final at least showed there are twenty-somethings capable of performing at the top level.
But will the likes of O’Sullivan, Williams and Higgins still be at the Crucible in 20 years time when they should be drawing their pension?
The world rankings suggest young talent threatening to challenge for the major titles are few and far between.
At this rate, John Virgo at 75 might fancy his second big break at the game. But don’t tell Jim Davidson.
