Changing of the guard

The emergence of Chinese champions has redrawn the boundaries of what nations and regions dominate the sport.

For decades, the sport was headed by players from England, Scotland and Wales. Names such as Stephen Hendry and Mark Williams defined different eras of professional dominance.

Today, Chinese players are consistently competing at the highest level, with multiple competitors ranked in the top tier.

This shift has been accompanied by increased international scheduling of events in Asia, particularly in China, where tournaments now account for a significant number.

The commercial structure of the sport has also taken a new direction, with China becoming a key market for broadcasting rights, sponsorship and audience engagement.

Meanwhile, snooker's long-standing ambition to be included in the Olympic Games has been revived by the shifts in the sport. After Zhao's and Wu's world titles, senior officials within the sport have suggested that momentum for a future Olympic bid has strengthened, with the Brisbane 2032 Olympics often cited as a potential starting point.

Jason Ferguson, chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, has noted that China's standing within the Olympic movement will be a significant factor in any future application.

"China is a very important country to the IOC (International Olympic Committee) — it has been a host of the Games on many occasions and they are heavily invested in sports, in IOC terms," he told The Associated Press. "So the fact that China is a key market for snooker is a really important part about any Olympic bid."

With cue sports gaining broader international recognition, stakeholders view the coming decade as a potential window for inclusion.

Players such as Chang Bingyu, Fan Zhengyi and Lei Peifan now represent the next wave rising behind the current crop of stars. As Ding noted when witnessing the collective rise of Chinese players: "The threshold I crossed back then has now become the runway for everyone."

China is no longer simply producing world-class players. It is increasingly shaping how snooker is played, financed, promoted and globalized. For decades, the sport's center of gravity rested firmly in Britain.

Now, the ball is rolling eastward.

liyingxue@chinadaily.com.cn