Snooker fans are eyeing a new ball.
Ronnie O’Sullivan may be hit with the Ballon d’Or in Riyadh. PDO
Saudi Arabia has increasingly focused on polishing its image with the help of sports. Among other things, news about its next territorial invasion Eurosport.
Snooker is scheduled to be played in Riyadh from 4th to 6th. March. Titled the Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker, the tournament features 10 top players including a superstar Ronnie O’Sullivan.
In addition to O’Sullivan, they bag the balls at least Judd Trump and reigning world champion Luca Brecel.
Sports fans’ attention was drawn to one point in particular. The local tournament organizers plan to create a completely new element in snooker, the 20-point “golden ball”. With that, the maximum break of one game would increase to 167 points.
Maximum break refers to a perfect stroke, during which the player pockets every red ball on the table and sinks the most valuable black ball always after the red. When the reds run out, the player clears the table of the remaining balls in the correct order.
Apparently, the golden ball should only be bagged last. It is not yet known if the extra ball will be on the table throughout the game or if it will be thrown there only last.
Rude reaction
Reforming the Golden Ball is considered sacrilegious.
– Maximum brakes are really rare moments anyway, even if you don’t add this shameful extra, wrote Editor of the Independent Luke Baker.
– Everyone knows that this is just a stupid marketing gimmick and not an additional element aimed at fans, one comment on Xwhen a sports reporter Phil Haigh shared the news.
– I pray, throw away this idea of 20 points. Snooker is better without it, another wrote.
– Another huge blow to snooker. Matchroom is doing everything it can to sell boxing, darts and snooker in the hope of quick profits,
– Disgusting, one commented Eddie Hearn’s to share publication.
In the opinion of many, the oil state’s sportswear got yet another additional program with snooker.
Hearn, the owner of the British Matchroom, is behind the agreement with Saudi Arabia. He is known as an influential boxing promoter who protected Anthony Joshua recently fought in a heavyweight super night against Otto Wallin in Riyadh.