Sawt Falasteen - Zhao's historic snooker title sparks talk of China world domination

The 28-year-old left-hander beat Mark Williams at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre on Monday to become the first Asian to clinch snooker's biggest prize.

Zhao celebrated by draping the Chinese flag over his shoulders and back home he has been hailed as a national hero, his victory going viral on social media in the country.

His 20-month suspension in 2023 for his minor involvement in a betting scandal, with nine other Chinese snooker players also banned, has been largely forgiven.

"My phone hasn't stopped ringing with calls from media and parents," Zhang Dongtao, head coach at the Beijing-based World Snooker Academy -- which has trained most of China's stars, including Zhao -- told AFP.

Snooker was long characterised in China by dingy halls filled with smoke and considered a pastime for idle drifters, loathed by parents as a waste of time compared to school studies.

But the sport has boomed since an 18-year-old Ding Junhui burst onto the scene two decades ago, defeating Stephen Hendry to win the China Open.

Many professional Chinese players, including Zhao, cite Ding as inspiring them to take up the sport.

Chinese make up ten of the top 32 players in the world and China boasts more than 300,000 snooker or billiards clubs, up from 34,000 in 2005, state media says.

An industry report by Shangqi Consulting valued the country's billiards market, which includes snooker, at 37 billion yuan ($5 billion) in 2023 -- and predicted that could double over the next few years.

- 'Incredible work ethic' -

At the World Snooker Academy in Beijing a replica of the Masters trophy, another of snooker's most coveted prizes, sits on display as inspiration.

"Our entire focus is on youth training to help them get rid of bad habits in life and in their snooker technique, and to absorb positive influences during their developmental years," the head coach Zhang said.

Competition is key to training, with the academy holding six internal tournaments each semester.

While snooker still lacks the prestige in China of Olympic events like table tennis and badminton, there has been a "dramatic shift" in attitudes in the last two decades, Zhang said.

"The Chinese market is huge. Investors are abundant, they can sponsor some tournaments, and the prize money for competitions is very high."

With qualifying events for snooker's major tournaments almost all held in Britain, Chinese players typically head overseas once they turn professional.

Many end up in Sheffield in the north of England, some arriving as young as 17 to chase their snooker dreams.

Zhao trains at the China-run Victoria Snooker Academy, just a short walk from the Crucible.

"The Chinese players' work ethic is just incredible," Lucky Vatnani, manager of the Ding Junhui Snooker Academy, also in Sheffield, told AFP.

"They play seven days a week, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. I don't see a lot of English players doing that."

"Their only purpose is to play snooker," he added of the Chinese players.

- 'World class' -

At the basement Zhangqing Billiards Club in the capital, 43-year-old fan Xiong Jian points to a photo of a young Zhao Xintong taken after his victory in a youth tournament over a decade ago.

The young champion's image hangs on the wall alongside photos of Ding and world stars such as Ronnie O'Sullivan, whom Zhao defeated in the semi-finals of the tournament in Sheffield.

Seven-time world champion O'Sullivan has warned that emerging talent in Britain is "thin on the ground", particularly in comparison to China -- which he said was "churning out champions" thanks to funding from the Beijing government.

The fan and casual player Xiong said China's vast population of 1.4 billion meant "there will always be families willing to support their children on the snooker path".

He added: "The current environment is worlds apart from the 1990s or early 2000s."

Between frames at the same snooker club, Zhu Guangqi believes Zhao's Crucible triumph will have "a profound influence on the development of the sport in China".

He says Chinese players will dominate snooker within three to five years.

"Chinese players have world-class competitive ability," he said proudly.

T.Samara--SF-PST