Zhao's title success at world championships shines light on snooker's growth in China

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Once considered a saloon or rec-room past-time by many, snooker has long been serious business in the U.K. and much of the rest of the world. Now, it seems, it's China's turn in the spotlight.

Zhao Xintong's crowning as Asia's first world snooker champion has put the focus on the growth of the sport in China in a relatively short time.

''There's a new superstar of the game,'' said Mark Williams, 50, the three-time World Champion from Wales who lost to Zhao in the final of the World Snooker Championship, held in Sheffield, north England, on Sunday. ''It could be huge for the sport.''

Brought to China by foreign traders in the 19th century, snooker suffered during the early Communist period, when all pastimes seen as individualistic, bourgeois and foreign were frowned upon. The first ranking event to be held in Asia was the Hong Kong Open in 1989. The following year China hosted the Asian Open.

The death in 1976 of Mao Zedong, opened the doors for the sport and snooker has now moved from smoky backstreet parlors and outdoor shopfront street-side tables — amazingly kept level by the bricks they sat on — to swanky halls and practice venues.

Former world No. 1 Ding Junhui blazed the trail for Zhao and others like him, even as enthusiasm for the sport may be waning somewhat among a younger generation infatuated with e-sports and smartphone games.

Zhao himself may be the best thing to happen to China-British relations in recent years, with ties under pressure over trade and China's curtailment of democracy in the former British colony of Hong Kong. The 28-year-old now lives and trains in Sheffield, and enjoyed strong support from the British fans at Sunday's final.

Raised in the bustling industrial center of Shenzhen, Zhao picked up a cue at age eight and, somewhat surprisingly for education-obsessed Chinese parents, received strong support from his parents, who built him a practice room at home.

That didn't fully shield him from the shadier side of the sport, however. He was banned for 20 months as one of 10 Chinese players implicated in a match-fixing scandal. Zhao owned up to knowledge of the what was happening, although he said he wasn't directly involved. He returned to the sport in September 2024 as an amateur. requiring him to battle his way back up the ranks.

Boost for the game in China

Dubbed ''The Cyclone,'' Zhao now stands at 11th in the world rankings and his combination of youth and talent is being celebrated across the country.

His expressions of disbelief at his world title was witnessed by millions of television viewers in China, with many praising him in online posts as the ''pride of China'' who ''brought tears to one's eyes."

''It's worth celebrating in China," said Tong Jianfeng, 29 and long-time fan of the game. "Through the whole process, Zhao Xintong played smoothly. His precision is impressive.''

Huang Siyuan, also 29, agreed, "It didn't come easy. I feel proud for Chinese billiards.''

Wang Heng, the manager and founder of Beijing Xinrui Billiard Academy, located in Tongzhou, just outside the capital, said Zhao's success will be positive for the domestic game.

''I believe this will make Chinese players very confident because they would realize the world championship is no longer something difficult to break,'' he said. "They will be more and more sure of themselves.''

‘On a pedestal'

There may already be more Zhao's in the works. At this year's world championships, 10 Chinese players qualified for the main draw and six made it into the final 16 — the highest ever.

''Now this will give them (children in China) power and in the future many Chinese players can do this,'' said Zhao covered in confetti and a Chinese flag after taking the title.

International recognition will be crucial to the sport's continued growth, according to Jason Ferguson, chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association.

''The one thing we do know about China is that snooker is treated like any other major Olympic sport, it is on a pedestal, it does get major broadcast hours and it really is supported by government and education systems,'' Ferguson told The Associated Press.

''The sport is extremely well-respected. To have a world champion is really just incredible.''

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Associated Press sports writer Steve Douglas in Europe and Olivia Zhang in Beijing contributed to this report.