According to Ronnie O’Sullivan, most snooker players in history have wasted their lives, and he would not pick up the game at all if given the chance again.
According to Ronnie O’Sullivan, most snooker players in history have wasted their lives, and he would not pick up the game at all if given the chance again.
According to the six-time world champion, snooker is a “bad sport” that “may cause you a lot of damage,” thus parents should avoid getting their kids involved in it.
Throughout his incredible career, The Rocket has earned approximately £12 million in prize money, but he believes he belongs to a select group of players who have sufficiently profited from the game.
He goes so far as to say that some of the best cue players in history might have been better off pursuing other sports with their working lives.
“Don’t let them play,” is something I often tell parents of small children, O’Sullivan stated in an interview with The Disruptive Entrepreneur podcast. I tell my own children, “You’re not playing snooker.”
“I’m not supporting them if they want to play snooker; they’re on their own.”
It’s a dangerous sport that can really hurt you. Unless you’re [Mark] Selby, [Neil] Robertson, myself, Judd Trump, Steve Davis, John Higgins, Mark Williams, or Stephen Hendry.Ignore it.
“The rest, it’s just a life wasted.”
Even a few of the people whose names I’ve given are skilled in what they do, but if they could also be skilled in something else, I say, “Go for it!”
The 45-year-old gave an explanation for his beliefs, stating that the anti-social aspect of snooker practise can almost impede players’ personal growth and that it promotes a bad lifestyle.
“Snooker is just an extremely difficult sport,” he remarked. “Stuck inside for five or six hours without any natural light? Draw the curtains and don’t talk to anyone.”
“That’s not a good way to spend your life, and it’s not healthy.”
“Many snooker players don’t know how to hold a conversation because they don’t talk,” the player said.
O’Sullivan feels that he has found the right balance in his life now, between playing snooker when he wants and being involved in other pursuits, be it his passion for running or other business interests.
However, he doesn’t think other snooker players have managed to do the same.
‘Life’s all about getting a buzz and the joy of life. For me I’ve detached from snooker over the last 20 years,’ said Ronnie.
‘They don’t see me at a venue and a lot of players say, “What do you do?”
“I have a life!” is how I feel. I prefer to have fun doing different things.
“I don’t need to practice, I’m not that bothered. I can show up for a match at two o’clock, and at one and a half, I put on my shirt and tie.”
“Like I said, I would have probably chosen golf or Formula One instead of snooker.”
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