The seven-time world champion says he ‘can’t fit in with the organisation’ and that snooker’s governing body requested him to ‘examine his future.’
According to reports, Ronnie O’Sullivan was advised to “consider” his future in snooker by the sport’s regulatory body in a recent letter.
That month, O’Sullivan, who was participating in an exhibition in Shanghai, supported the “Macau Five,” branding WST as “b*ll*cks, trying to scare players like that.”
The 47-year-old has now said that he received a letter from the WST asking him to think about his future in the sport.
The Englishman reportedly stated, “The letter they’ve sent me has not been very nice,” according to BBC Sport.
“I believe I’ve contributed significantly to this game.” You know what, we believe you’ve done fantastic for the game and we enjoy what you provide, is probably what I’d expect someone to say.
I never get letters saying “well done.” I just receive a letter telling me that I made mistakes here and there. I know the culture is not for me, therefore I haven’t spoken to anyone at World Snooker in ten years, and I won’t ever reach out to them again.
All I want to do is steer my own ship. Good luck to all the players; it’s fantastic that they want to concentrate on 130 players. However, not every player has the same opportunities as myself.
“I simply don’t fit in with”
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh of Thailand, Luca Brecel, the winner of this year’s Crucible, Mark Selby, John Higgins, and Ali Carter have all declined to compete in the WST’s Northern Ireland Open in favor of the lucrative exhibition in China.
The stars were cautioned by the WST, nevertheless, that performing in Macau would be against their contracts and that they risked fines or suspension.
Conversely, O’Sullivan desires the opportunity to profit from high-stakes demonstrations, which may be limited by players’ contracts.
In his most recent remarks, O’Sullivan proposed relocating the entire tour to China, claiming that the Chinese organizers went above and beyond to make the players feel valued.
O’Sullivan stated in a different interview with Eurosport that he would prioritize performances and exhibitions in front of sizable audiences in Asia after looking to play major events in the UK.
In response to O’Sullivan’s complaint, the World Snooker Tour has said that major measures are being taken to guarantee that snooker remains a worldwide sport.
Over the last ten years, our UK events have significantly expanded. For instance, at the Masters in London, 10 years ago, we sold less than 500 tickets for some sessions, but these days, the majority of sessions fill the 2,000-seat venue, according to the statement.
Since we are a worldwide tour, it is crucial that we have tournaments in a variety of UK locations to provide snooker fans the opportunity to watch live matches in their own countries. Our selection of locations is determined by a number of criteria, such as the size and player backstage amenities.
The facts speaks for themselves as our overall ticket sales have increased by 300% over the past ten years, or if we discount the World Championship then that figure is 700%. We are setting new records for sales at every venue year after year. Today the arena in Brentwood was sold out well in advance.
The facts speaks for themselves as our overall ticket sales have increased by 300% over the past ten years, or if we discount the World Championship then that figure is 700%. We are setting new records for sales at every venue year after year. Today the arena in Brentwood was sold out well in advance.
