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Snooker star Kyren Wilson has admitted that he understands Ronnie O’Sullivan’s decision to favour events in China as opposed to tournaments in the UK. The Rocket has insisted that he is prepared to quit the sport if he is restricted from playing in the Far East, even though he and other players are contracted to play in World Snooker Tour events and could be sanctioned for skipping them in favour of Chinese tournaments.
“If I can’t go and do what I need to do, which is play a lot in China, I won’t ever play again. So, we’re at a kind of crossroads now,” said O’Sullivan in a recent interview with the BBC.
Wilson, who reached the final of the World Snooker Championship in 2020, believes that more work needs to be done in the UK to appeal to top stars such as O’Sullivan. He has pleaded for more top events in Britain and pledged to do his “utmost” to make that happen.
“Yeah, I would say so,” Wilson told SportsBoom when asked about the prospect of more prestigious events being held alongside the Triple Crown. “Especially going back to China, we realise how big those events are. And, you know, other than the, I think it was the British Open, which is still kind of… not even close to the UK Championships, really. I think other than that, this is the first sort of big major for a while, especially in the UK.
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“So, yeah, I do feel like we could do with at least one or two more. I don’t know who would need to sort that. But listen, you know, I just enjoy every opportunity that I get. I feel like I’ve got a long… career ahead of me. I’ve got a lot of years left in the game. So if I can help in any way and try and promote it and try and make it bigger, then I’ll obviously do my utmost to try and make that happen.”
O’Sullivan has been a frequent vocal supporter of snooker in China, often citing how impressed he is with how well the top players are treated as opposed to elsewhere. Wilson admitted that it can be a struggle to find the necessary motivation at lowly events in the UK.
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“Yeah, no, I do. I totally get it,” Wilson added when asked for his views on O’Sullivan’s criticisms. “Yeah, I do agree to some extent, to be honest with you. When we go to China, you know, it’s like a red carpet’s laid out. You know, we get mobbed by fans in the hotel.
“You know, they’re literally hanging around in the hotel lobby waiting for autographs. And some of them have been there for a week. Like, it’s crazy. And just the way we’re treated, we’re treated like we’re almost like royalty, really.
“You know, the food’s amazing out there. They can’t do enough for you. They really big it up. And yeah, I just think sometimes it’s not ideal turning up at a leisure centre in the UK. Whereas, you know, you go to these events in China, and they’re massive venues, and it just feels class. And, you know, it’s hard to get up for it sometimes, but you have no problem getting up for it in those sort of positions.”
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