Snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan has warned he’ll stop snooker if he’s restricted from taking part in in China; “If I can’t go and do what I need to do, which is play a lot in China, I won’t ever play again. So, we’re at a kind of crossroads now”
Final Up to date: 22/11/23 8:36am
Ronnie O’Sullivan has warned he’ll stop snooker if he’s restricted from taking part in in China.
Exhibition occasions within the Far East have gotten more and more profitable, however typically conflict with World Snooker Tour occasions. O’Sullivan and different UK-based gamers are contracted to play in WST tournaments and will face sanctions in the event that they miss occasions to play abroad.
The seven-time world champion says the game is at a “crossroads”.
O’Sullivan stated in an interview with the BBC to advertise his new documentary: “If I can’t go and do what I need to do, which is play a lot in China, I won’t ever play again. So, we’re at a kind of crossroads now.
“If that will get to the purpose the place I am not in a position to do this, I am not allowed to do this, I most likely will not play. I am going to most likely go and play Chinese language 8-Ball as a result of I nonetheless need to play snooker, I nonetheless need a cue in my hand.
“There’s just not enough here in the UK for me to justify the effort that I put in.
“If somebody’s going to respect me and worth me extra, why would I not go there? It is like being in an unhealthy relationship with somebody, why would you be in that?
“I’d love to be able to just keep playing snooker for the next five, six, seven, eight years, but if I’m going to be forced into a situation where that’s not possible, then I’m not going to just accept whatever 132 players do, which is to go and play tournament after tournament, week in, week out.”
O’Sullivan has famously derided the usual on the WST up to now, suggesting he would want to lose a limb to drop down the rankings.
He nonetheless adopts that stance, claiming he’s “revolted” by mediocrity.
“I don’t think it’s very hard to be a top-16 snooker player. I could probably get away with playing once a week for two or three hours a day,” O’Sullivan, 47, added.
“I find it hard to put myself in their shoes because I was in their shoes and I didn’t accept top 50 as OK.
“I am not an excellent lover for mediocrity… I discover it fairly revolting in some methods, once I see folks accepting that. That is why I do not grasp round snooker folks at venues as a result of I simply do not like seeing it.
“I don’t think there’s enough good matches. I think there’s a lot of players that people don’t know, that don’t play the game in the right way.”
David Beckham was among the many stars celebrating with O’Sullivan on the UK premiere of his new documentary.
Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge Of Every thing tells the behind-the-scenes story of his quest to say a record-equalling seventh World Snooker Championship and was produced by former England footballer Beckham’s Studio 99.
The UK premiere comes after defending champion O’Sullivan withdrew from snooker’s Champion of Champions occasion on the eve of his opening match in Bolton final week.
The seven-time world champion wrote on X, former referred to as Twitter, that he was feeling “drained and stressed” and needed to take care of his psychological well being and physique.
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