This was published in the South China Morning Post today

Snooker gets stay of execution from funding cuts with Hong Kong government set to delay sports review

Three ‘Tier A’ sports facing demotion from elite status in April will get one more year if review is extendedElite Sports Committee will discuss the subject at its meeting next month, source tells the Post

by Chan Kin-wa

Three sports facing funding cuts in April are set to be given a stay of execution for one more year, with the government planning to push back a planned review following the postponement of the Hangzhou Asian Games.

Cue sports, gymnastics and tennis were all set to be demoted to “Tier B” programmes at the Hong Kong Sports Institute in the new financial year, having not met the required results to continue in the elite Tier A bracket.

But it is believed the government is now likely to start its review after the Hangzhou Games, which China pushed back to 2023 amid a rise in Covid-19 cases, meaning the three sports will all get an additional year to stay in the programme.

“The government’s Elite Sports Committee will discuss the matter next month and it is likely they will push back the review for another year,” said a source.

“Asian Games results are a benchmark for all of these elite sports to measure their success, and with the Hangzhou Games now being postponed to 2023, it is logical that the government will also extend the review period.”

Commissioner for Sports Yeung Tak-keung did not respond when asked to comment on a possible postponement of the review.

Cue sports have been an elite programme at the Institute for more than a decade, as they met the prerequisite of taking part in three Asian Games since 1997, as well as achieving other results-based benchmarks.

However the government’s Sports Commission changed the prerequisite requirements in April, and as a result, cue sports were set to lose their status next year in the latest review.

Their future hinges on whether they can gain readmission to the Asian Games in 2026. After last featuring in 2010, they will return in 2030 in Doha, but are not included, as yet, in the 2026 edition in Nagoya, Japan.

The rules state that, to avoid demotion to Tier B next April, a sport must have featured in, or expect to feature in, at least three Asian or Olympic Games between 2010 and 2030.

Billiards and snooker were part of the Asian Games four times in a row from 1998 to 2010, with Marco Fu leading Hong Kong’s haul of four gold, three silver and three bronze medals.

“If the review is being postponed for one year, we can stay as a Tier A programme at least until March 2024,” said Vincent Law, chairman of the Hong Kong Billiard Sports Control Council. “Of course this is something good to hear, but we will not just stay there and do nothing.

“We want to lobby the 2026 Nagoya Asian Games organisers to include snooker into the medal programme so that we can satisfy the prerequisite. However, this is not going to be easy as it requires a joint effort from other Asian countries to support the move.

The rules state that, to avoid demotion to Tier B next April, a sport must have featured in, or expect to feature in, at least three Asian or Olympic Games between 2010 and 2030.

Billiards and snooker were part of the Asian Games four times in a row from 1998 to 2010, with Marco Fu leading Hong Kong’s haul of four gold, three silver and three bronze medals.

“At the same time we will try to prove to the government that snooker, as a sport, can make a great impact on the community. The recent Hong Kong Masters has been a great success, not only for the sport itself but also in creating a strong awareness in the community and promoting the name of Hong Kong through international media.

“The government’s three main strategies for sports development are to promote sports in the community, to support elite sports, and to develop Hong Kong into a prime destination for major international sports events – and this is exactly what we have illustrated through the Masters.”

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Exactly as I expected, the fantastic success of the Hong Kong Masters might prove to become an important factor to help snooker keeping its Elite Sport current status. Vincent Law can now make a much stronger case for the sport we love than a few months ago.