Ronnie O’Sullivan poses with the trophy soon after successful versus Judd Trump on day 7 of the 2024 Spreadex Environment Grand Prix at Morningside Arena on January 21, 2024 in Leicester, England.
Tai Chengzhe | Visual China Group | Getty Photographs
Saudi Arabia will maintain its to start with major invitational snooker event in March as the kingdom carries on to make sizable investments into a increasing amount of sports activities.
The “Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker” will acquire area amongst March 4 to March 6 at Boulevard Arena in the capital of Riyadh.
The inaugural function will function some of the world’s best snooker gamers, together with Ronnie O’Sullivan — commonly identified as 1 of the most talented gamers in the sport’s record — 2019 entire world winner Judd Trump and 2023 earth winner Luca Brecel.
Games of snooker — a cue activity like billiards that is quite preferred in the U.K. and China — will acquire position under present Environment Snooker guidelines but with the introduction of a 23rd ball referred to as the “Riyadh Year” ball. This golden ball will be worthy of 20 factors but will only be pottable on finishing a maximum split.
It just isn’t apparent when this ball would be launched to the typical desk established-up, but it does mean the greatest doable split at the occasion will be 167 — alternatively than the traditional highest rating of 147.
“We are thrilled to be web hosting our initial-ever expert snooker match in the Kingdom,” claimed Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the Saudi Typical Entertainment Authority.
“Snooker is watched and played by millions around the world and we glance forward to welcoming some of the finest gamers and snooker enthusiasts to our country and exhibiting them what Saudi Arabia and Riyadh Time has to offer,” Alalshikh claimed in a statement published Jan. 18.
Saudi Arabia has used an extraordinary total on sports investments in recent yrs, pouring revenue into soccer, Formulation One, golf, tennis and boxing.
Critics have repeatedly accused the kingdom of “sportswashing,” or using sporting activities to distract from human rights abuses in the nation. Saudi officials have consistently denied these claims.
‘A significant prize’
Seven-time world champion O’Sullivan spoke of his exhilaration about playing in Saudi Arabia shortly after winning the Environment Grand Prix title for the third time on Sunday.
“What’s the prize for a 167? Have they introduced it?” O’Sullivan explained in an interview printed on the World Snooker Tour’s YouTube channel. “I am absolutely sure it’s going to be a hefty prize.”
He included: “Listen, the Saudis can do what they like — they are a strong outfit. I imagine it’s going to be great, it’d be terrific to get out there and play, every other activity appears to be to be executing things in Saudi so it’d be wonderful to get out there.”
Saudi Arabia’s bold plans to make its domestic soccer league an international hub of superstars endured a setback last 7 days.
England international Jordan Henderson on Thursday abruptly finished his playing time in Saudi Arabia’s Pro League and chose to indicator for Dutch facet Ajax on a two-and-a-half-calendar year deal.
Henderson’s early departure from Saudi Arabia prompted quite a few to speculate about the prospective reputational hurt to the country’s leading domestic league.