Saudi Arabia has elevated its ties with snooker after a brand new partnership with the World Championship was introduced.
An announcement was launched on Tuesday outlining an settlement between state-backed Riyadh Season and the World Snooker Tour “which can promise to convey the game to extra followers throughout the Center East.”
As a part of the settlement, Riyadh Season will turn into an official companion of snooker’s most prestigious match, with the 2024 World Championship to start on Saturday in Sheffield.
World primary Ronnie O’Sullivan has additionally signed a three-year deal to behave as an envoy for snooker in Saudi Arabia.
The settlement ensures that O’Sullivan will play in all WST occasions within the nation, whereas he may even make particular journeys there to teach and foster aspiring expertise.
Saudi Arabia hosted its first WST occasion final month with the inaugural Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker gained by O’Sullivan.
The match is confirmed to return subsequent season and can characteristic the world’s prime ten gamers along with two wild playing cards.
A rating occasion may even be staged in Saudi Arabia this summer time, with a prize fund of £2 million nearly matching the purse at the moment on supply on the World Championship.
Current developments together with this week’s announcement have led many to imagine that the World Snooker Championship is destined to maneuver to Saudi Arabia sooner or later.
The game’s blue-riband occasion is at the moment contracted to remain on the Crucible Theatre till 2027, which might mark its fiftieth anniversary in Sheffield.
Past that, the World Championship’s future is unsure, with supremo Barry Hearn often suggesting up to now that the occasion may transfer if funding isn’t offered to develop an even bigger and higher venue in Sheffield.
Basic Leisure Authority chairman Turki Alalshikh, in the meantime, said that these new initiatives will assist to drive the event of snooker in Saudi Arabia.
“Riyadh Season is delighted to be a companion of the World Snooker Championship, which can begin subsequent Saturday and continues till Might sixth at Crucible in Sheffield,” Alalshikh mentioned.
WST Chairman Steve Dawson mentioned: “We’re honoured to work with HE Turki Alalshikh on his visionary plans for progress.”
“We share his ambition of bringing snooker to many extra followers throughout the Center East, and to foster new expertise and develop grassroots buildings.
“We share a dream that in the future Saudi Arabia will produce a world snooker champion, and every of the three initiatives introduced right this moment are steps in direction of that dream.
“We’re thrilled to be working with His Excellency and to deepen our relationship with Saudi Arabia.
“The inaugural Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker was a superb occasion and lots of the gamers loved the environment created by the native followers.
“We sit up for returning to the Kingdom in the summertime for the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, which would be the first ever world rating occasion within the area.
“These tournaments develop the game and supply improbable alternatives for the gamers to compete for excellent prize cash.”
Ronnie O’Sullivan mentioned: “Taking part in in Riyadh final month was a tremendous expertise, I really like the environment and the keenness of the followers.”
“We are able to make snooker big in Saudi Arabia. So I’m excited by this opportunity to work to develop the game there and the chance to teach the very best younger expertise and go on my expertise.
“I’m additionally relishing the possibility to play in additional huge occasions within the Kingdom, and to work alongside HE Turki Alalshikh on his ambitions.”
Featured picture credit score: WST
