Fight for the Snooker World Championship: Two big balls on the table

When China's Zhao Xintong was applauded as the new snooker world champion last Monday, the first thing he received was the national flag of his home country. The 28-year-old carefully unfolded it, then held the red strip of cloth up in front of his face, so that he was no longer visible. This was fitting, as he was not only crowning himself champion—but also his country for the first time.

Zhao's title symbolizes China's far-reaching ambitions in snooker to overtake the English, who have dominated the discipline for decades. At the World Championship, ten Chinese players were in the main draw; only the English fielded a larger contingent. Snooker is a trend sport in China; 150 million people watched the final on TV in the middle of the night. And now the country intends to snooker the annual highlight of the snooker calendar—and wrest the World Championship from England.

Ronnie O'Sullivan could secure his eighth title at the Snooker World Championship and set another special record. But first, he's facing off against the traditionalists of his sport before the tournament begins.

The ongoing speculation about China's interest was confirmed by Barry Hearn, 76, who heads his own marketing company, Matchroom, which largely organizes and controls professional snooker. He said Chinese cities like Beijing and Shanghai are offering him "huge sums of money" to award the World Championship to the Far East. Since 1977, the tournament has been held continuously in the historic Crucible Theatre in Sheffield city center, the spiritual home of snooker.

However, the contract with Sheffield City Council only runs for another two years, and could end in 2027. During the World Championship, Hearn deliberately missed no opportunity to threaten the organizers with letting the contract expire. In doing so, he is attempting to play the snooker countries of England and China off against each other. China is, in a sense, his cue ball at the table, with which he wants to move the target ball of England according to his own ideas. While Hearn emphasizes his personal connection to the Crucible and actually wants to stay there, he makes demands that are not easily met by the other side.

The main issue is the capacity of the Crucible, which can only hold 980 spectators. However, according to information from Matchroom, between 2,500 and 3,000 tickets could be sold for most of the 43 match sessions over the two weeks of the tournament. The issue is clear, explains Hearn: It's obviously about money, and World Championship revenues are currently "starving." He also criticized the facilities at the Crucible and called for more respect. The most plausible solution would be to expand the run-down Crucible. But the financially strapped working-class city of Sheffield in the north of England would certainly not be able to afford the millions in costs. The venue is otherwise used for theater performances. While Sheffield's residents would also benefit from renovations, it seems more than questionable whether there is any need for them outside of the Snooker World Championship.

Hearn intends to pass on any additional proceeds to the players through increased prize money. The payout at this World Championship was 2.4 million pounds, of which the winner received half a million. Hearn envisions the world champion receiving twice as much from now on. In his view, this should encourage young talent to pursue a career in snooker, which in turn would benefit the sport's appeal. Hearn uses the Darts World Championship, which is also managed by Matchroom, as a model. Starting in 2026, there, prize money of almost five million pounds will be offered for the first time. Darts gained importance when the World Championship venue changed: in 2008, it moved from the Circus Tavern on the outskirts of London to the larger Alexandra Palace, known as "Ally Pally." However, this is also located in London, even more centrally. Not in China.

The location issue is now dividing the snooker scene. On the one hand, players and fans appreciate the history of the Crucible, which has a special atmosphere because spectators can get closer to the protagonists than in almost any other sport. On the other hand, the dilapidated condition of the building is evident. One participant complained last year that the smell was bad and the practice room resembled a garage. Representatives of Matchroom and Sheffield Council recently met for talks – without any real progress. Hearn reported that he still believes a compromise can be reached and that talks are continuing. His hope is that the British government, which they must approach, will step in.

The news platform Sheffield Tribune commented that the "snooker psychodrama" must finally end because the annual debate about 'will they, won't they?' is draining. World champion Zhao Xintong, who kick-started his professional career by moving from his hometown of Xi'An in northern China to Sheffield, expressed himself diplomatically. He hopes the World Championship will come to China at some point – but his happy place remains the Crucible.