Ronnie O’Sullivan has won seven world snooker titles but believes the sport’s flagship competition should be taken out of the crucible and moved to another country altogether
Ronnie O. ‘Sullivan speaks to the ITV Sport microphone
Ronnie O’Sullivan called for change to World Snooker
Ronnie O’Sullivan has called for Sheffield’s Crucible to be removed from the World Snooker Championship and the tournament moved to Saudi Arabia, Arabia or China. .
The Crucible is the traditional home of the sport’s premier event and has a contract to host the tournament until 2027. O’Sullivan has won seven world titles at the historic venue and is targeting an eighth this year.
However, the missile has now launched an extraordinary attack on the Crucible facilities. He tried to capitalize on the advantages it offered to those attending compared to overseas concerts.
O’Sullivan argued that Sheffield’s facilities were now so outdated that it was time to move the World Cup elsewhere. Instead, the snooker icon pointed to Saudi Arabia and China as ideal locations.
“I think it’s definitely a smart decision to move away from Sheffield. There’s still a tournament there. Why not? But not just the 17-day World Cup. It’s a huge circus and you need a huge space to contain it,” he told The Sun.
“I think Saudi Arabia would be great. They have the means and would do great. If you are going to take it to China, you must take it to Shanghai. Or another big city like Shenzhen or Guangzhou. It would be done right. The cars are on.
“You can eat. The hotels are great. Everything would be paid for. The prize money would be astronomical. I know the Crucible has good tea and lasagna when the boys cook. But that’s about it.
O’Sullivan played in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, just last month and has played frequently in China. Co-star Judd Trump previously spoke about the atmosphere at the venues in Saudi Arabia after the Saudi Arabia World Snooker Championship.
“It’s a really good atmosphere, especially when I came in. I was very happy there. The audience) put up with the best in both of us, so it’s a lot better than a lot of the atmosphere we play in the UK,” he said.
“I can’t wait, I’m definitely excited to still be at the event, it’s just a free shot in a way. It’s a pleasure to play here in another big event and I can’t wait to get started.”
But the Middle Eastern state’s latest sporting venture has come under fire from human rights groups. When the deal for Saudi Arabia’s competition was announced, the Amnesty International UK economic director Peter Frankental claimed the country had simply washed the sport.
He said: “It was only a matter of time before the giant competition started. The Saudi Arabian. sports washing machine will suck snooker out of the other greats of the world.” in sports like Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump playing in Riyadh, they should not hesitate about human rights..
