Have UK youngsters been left snookered?

Eastern promise of world domination

With snooker’s Champion of Champions just around the corner, it’s time for this season’s prize guys to do battle. 13 of the 16 entrants happen to be British, so it’s safe to assume the game over here is in a great place – or is it?

Two of those three remaining competitors are China’s Ding Junhui and Yan Bingtao. So much has been made of the explosive growth of snooker within this vast and heavily-populated part of the world, that two representatives may seem like a paltry offering. Of course, nothing is that black and white.

Which is particularly true in a sport where so many veterans are rolling back the years, almost in their sleep, but not even the much-lauded ‘Class of ’92’ can go on forever, and so it’ll be down to today’s upcoming players to keep the good times rolling. The thing is, it’s unclear how much of that talent is home-grown, and how many find themselves, figuratively speaking, snookered.

What’s beyond doubt is that China is producing it by the bucket-load, leading many to believe that their domination is an inevitability. Among these is Clive Everton, snooker’s pre-eminent media personality and someone who’s covered events on the green baize for well over half-a-century. The editor of Snookerscene said: “The professional game here is doing absolutely fine, although the amateur one is struggling a little more.” He feels a Chinese stranglehold is, however, perhaps more of a question of when rather than if: “It’s not going to be immediate,” he added, “but they’ll probably occupy much of the top 32 in ten years.”

But you don’t get an amateur game without the one at grassroots level, beginning at establishments like Grantham Billiard Club, managed by Brian Rinkert, who’s in his 31st year of service there. The closure of such places over the last decade or two has been cited as a reason that British talent has been somewhat stifled, yet he remains upbeat: “Clubs have struggled up until recent years, but things have picked up since Barry Hearn took over. Just recently it’s been so much better.”

But as good as Hearn and his Matchroom brand’s been good for the game, there are some things beyond even their control. “We don’t tend to get many youngsters these days compared to what it used to be like,” Brian admitted. “Plus we’re down your typical back alley. Some people who’ve lived here all their lives still don’t know that we exist!” The club itself used to benefit from funding via the local college, but sadly this ran out as priority had to be given to sports such as football and cricket. On the subject of finance though, Brian said: “We’ve been very well looked after by the government regarding grants and the furlough scheme. Without these we’d have been closed.”

Yet despite China benefitting from huge investment and the subsequent explosion at junior level, we’re still yet to see the rewards being truly reaped. Brian’s own view on this offers hope for Britain’s glory days to continue much longer than many anticipate: “It’s a question that was asked ten years ago,” he said. “It was thought it would’ve happened by now, but with more Chinese players basing themselves over here, never say never.” After all, was it not the great Pele who once confidently predicted an African nation would win football’s world cup by 2002? We’re further away than we’ve ever been on that score.

If there’s one thing Matchroom like to do, it’s to make a game global. It’s vital in order for snooker to thrive, even survive, and will no doubt show that multiple nations are just as capable of producing the very best players. Ivan Herschowicz, Head of Media for the World Snooker Tour, part of the Matchroom family, is enthusiastic to tap ever deeper into such potential: “We’re always looking for the next China,” he said. “The biggest potential is in India, where there’s a big history as snooker was invented there. There’s many followers of our Facebook page in India and Pakistan in particular. We’re also hoping to have an event in Saudi Arabia at some point.”

So the competition could be getting even healthier. Although there’s a clear desire for globalisation, Matchroom still has national interests at heart: “There’s issues on the participation side, but the WPBSA (World Pool Billiards and Snooker Association) are making fantastic efforts to give amateur players exposure to tournament play week after week,” said Ivan. “You’ll always get good players coming through, but there’s factors out of our hands, such as high street rents for clubs.”

One man who knows a thing or two about players coming through is Garry Baldry, who’s been running the Star Snooker Academy – now based in Sheffield – since 2002. He’s also uniquely placed to comment on the emergence of Chinese talent, as he’s known Ding since the age of 15. For the next 12 years he would manage all of the young man’s affairs, including his game from when he turned pro at age 16. He’s now taken more of a back seat, but still helps when needed.

As far as he’s concerned, it’s not talent that’s lacking among the youth of today, but opportunities: “Youngsters get their tour card,” he said, “but then have no knowledge of how to win. The Chinese are winning everything worldwide on the amateur circuit because they’re crafty; they’ve picked up things you learn through an apprenticeship that young players here haven’t served.

“I could be in Leeds on a Saturday playing for a thousand pounds, and then in Essex on the Sunday playing for another thousand. Nowadays, where is the incentive?” If that sounds a little bleak, it’s certainly not all doom and gloom: “If you’d asked me two years ago, I’d have said the game here wasn’t in a great place. But because World Snooker needs to bring everybody under the same umbrella, to get the game in the Olympics, they’re now ticking the boxes with the juniors,” he added.

It’s quite conceivable that the lineup for the Champion of Champions 2031 could feature not just Ding Junhui and Yan Bingtao, but quite a few of their compatriots as well. You may also find that India’s answer to Ronnie O’Sullivan makes the cut… or Saudi Arabia’s, Brazil’s, heck, maybe even Greenland’s! Or it might just be that players who’ve learned their trade at snooker halls in London’s East End, Belfast’s Shankhill Road, or inner-city Glasgow, are still showing them the way to go.