Mandy Fisher, the woman at the head of WWS was interviewed on the BBC “Framed” podcast

Here is the BBC piece about this interview:

Mandy Fisher: Women’s snooker president predicts narrowing of gender gap

Last updated on 12 June 202312 June 2023.From the section Snooker

Women’s snooker head Mandy Fisher says the “new generation” of female players will be able to compete with men.

The former world champion is now the president of World Women’s Snooker, the organisation she founded in 1981.

From the days when some clubs had signs reading ‘No women allowed’, Fisher believes the sport is now close to having a level playing field.

In the BBC snooker podcast Framed, Fisher spoke of the great strides the women’s game has taken in recent years.

The introduction of two-year tour cards for women on the World Snooker Tour in 2021 has been key to elevating the sport to the point where women players are “role models” to girls coming through, and where Ng On-yee – who last year beat former world champion Ken Doherty in a qualifying event – is a “superstar” in Hong Kong, she says.

“It’s absolutely huge. It’s a platform. It’s a learning curve,” said Fisher.

• Listen to the full Framed podcast interview with Mandy Fisher

“It has brought more players to the game because they’re realizing that, like [19-year-old British Open champion] Bai Yulu – she probably would have remained in China and just played from there had it not been for the fact that we were given the tour cards. So she came to the Women’s World Championship for the first time ever this year to try and win that tour card.

“So it just gives fantastic opportunities, not just for women, but for minority countries that don’t play snooker. It just builds snooker in each of those countries – for women as well as for men.”

World number one Reanne Evans, Rebecca Kenna, 2022 women’s world champion Mink Nutcharut and reigning world champion Baipat Siripaporn have all been offered tour cards.

Evans made history in January by becoming the first woman to beat a man in a televised ranking snooker event, when she beat Stuart Bingham in the Snooker Shoot Out.

Fisher predicts that such wins will become more commonplace.

“Yes, they haven’t won many matches. They have won frames, which is a stepping stone,” she said.

“But you have to bear in mind that that they’ve never played until recent years on the Star tables. 

“You can’t explain to people there is so much difference from playing on club tables, and unless you’ve got your own Star table installed, you are not going to go to a tournament and play your best because they are just so different from anything else that most people have ever played on. 

“But you can see the standard improving all the time. The women have won matches, they’re not at the bottom of the ranking list and they’re doing really well.

“You’ve got to give people a chance. Whether you’re male or female, coming on the tour you’re probably going to struggle. It’s like anything, to get used to the surroundings, the environment. 

“To play your best it can take players years and years. And we know that because there are players coming through now, who have been playing for 20 years and not done anything, but in these last few years they’re doing really well.”

Fisher added that the women’s game has come a long way since the dark days when she was world champion, in 1984.

“Most women don’t go in snooker clubs,” she added. “They go in pubs, and in pubs there are pool tables. I’m not saying pool isn’t skilful, because I know it is skilful. I’m just saying that the leap from being good at pool to being good at snooker is a very difficult one to take.

“I was not able to play in all the snooker clubs, or I was the first woman ever to go and play in these clubs because you would have signs saying ‘No women allowed’, so it takes generations to get over that. 

“Now there are academies and more snooker centres that make women more welcome, and you are seeing more people playing.

“It will take some time, but I just can’t see any physical reason why women should not be as good as men.”

As it happens WST also just did a piece with Reanne Evans

Evans On Overcoming Struggles To Regain Tour Card

Reanne Evans battled through cue and health issues at last month’s Women’s British Open to retain her professional status and secure another two years on the World Snooker Tour, now she hopes to showcase her best game on the sport’s grandest stages.

The 12-time Women’s World Champion has struggled to find her best form in recent times. However, she has been hindered by an undiagnosed tremor which has impacted her game.

Despite this and last minute cue damage, she managed to outperform rival Ng On Yee to reach the British Open final and remain at the top of the Women’s world rankings. Evans lost the title match 4-3 to 19-year-old Chinese sensation Bai Yulu, who was runner-up to Thailand’s Baipat Siripaporn at the Women’s World Championship.

We’ve caught up with Evans to reflect on the British Open and discuss the current global trend of women’s snooker.

Reanne, first of all congratulations on retaining your tour card. How pleased were you to achieve that feat?

“I think everyone wanted a showdown with me against On Yee. It didn’t happen in the end. I wasn’t really thinking anything heading into that tournament. I didn’t think I could win it or play any good. I had a lot of issues going on and my cue was damaged. I actually played quite well in the end. Snooker is a random sport, I didn’t expect it. When I got to the final, I thought I was going to win but I was just so drained. Bai is half my age so she could probably have played another whole day of snooker. She deserved it in the end and she outlasted me. She is great for the game, has a good following and is a good young talent.”

How did your cue become damaged?

“I went to watch the World Seniors at the Crucible and Jason Francis said I could take my cue to have a hit on the practice table. I went to see everyone and enjoyed a couple of days there. As I was walking back from the venue to the hotel, it absolutely poured down with rain. I never thought anything of it. I got back home a day or two later and went for a practice. My daughter picked up my cue and said it felt funny. I said it was probably nothing and told her to go and wash her hands. When I chalked my cue, the chalk was damp and I looked and saw the wood was actually over the ferule. I was panicking and had to go up to the loft to find my old cue. The ferrule of that was black and mouldy so I had to clean it up and put on a new tip. My two cues are now with John Parris and he has done a refurb on them both.”

You have been dealing with a tremor recently. How hard has that been to contend with?

“At the moment it isn’t as bad, maybe because I’m not playing as much. There are just things in day to day life which trigger it. I have a couple of more scans to go to and will speak to neurologists to try and get it sorted.

“When it first started it was quite bad. There was a lot of publicity around women playing on the main tour, with the tour cards coming in. Matches were on TV and I was under the microscope. Most of last season, I had no feeling in my arm whatsoever. I was questioning whether I play quick, whether I play jabby or slowly. Nothing seemed to work. I didn’t know if I was coming or going. All the way down the right side of my body was shaking. Hopefully we can get to the bottom of it. I think not knowing what it is or what has caused it has been the main problem. Once you know you can start dealing with it.

“I probably shouldn’t have played last season when it was at its worst. However, we have been given this opportunity and it is something you think you can’t not turn up or withdraw. Hopefully it can be controlled a bit more.”

Now you have managed to get back on, what are the targets for the next two seasons?

“Since getting on the main tour I’ve been looking to win a few matches. It hasn’t been like on the Women’s Tour when I am looking to win events. That is a strange feeling. When I enter something, I want to win it. I know that’s not going to happen. It is a weird situation. It isn’t just not winning matches, I want to win the event. Changing the mentality is hard, but maybe I need to find a different approach. I love a challenge and I need to go out there and do my best. I have nothing to prove now. That is all on the young players like Bai, Baipat, Mink and the rest of them. I am older now. It is good that there is some youth and experience. They inspire me and hopefully I still inspire them sometimes. I have no real targets. I just want to see what happens. I still enjoy it and especially when I play well. If you enjoy a challenge, then you will always enjoy snooker because it is such a hard sport.”

How important do you think the tour cards have been for the women’s game?

“I think it is great for players like Baipat and Bai. They have no scars and just want to go out and enjoy it. I read Bai saying something about just wanting to play for herself. I thought that was great as it was what I used to think like. It got to the point when for a few years the limelight was just on me and I started trying to play for everyone. You get more pressure then and you have more people watching you. Everything is on your shoulders. I think it is fantastic for those young players coming on that there are a few of them.

“I still get messages now saying they didn’t realise women played. That is frustrating after all these years. To see what it is like in Thailand and see how many young girls play is just brilliant.  We all get on really well and we want to do the best for ourselves and the best for the sport. There is a lot of talent out there now.”

How impressed have you been with how Bai Yulu performed at the British Open and at Q School?

“Because she is so young and just wants to pot balls she doesn’t think too much. She has a great game and is very confident. Her long potting is amazing. The other parts of her game will come with more experience. People were impressed with the pink she potted against Josh Thomond in the decider at Q School, but I was more impressed with the black. She just got down and didn’t even think about it. You need to do the right things at the right times and I think she did.”

Before you continue to read this piece I want you to know that I have the uttermost respect for Mandy, who, for decades, has fought to develop the Women’s game, even when it was at its lowest. She fought through discrimination, contempt, derision, lack of support and lack of money. She never lost her love for her sport and she kept hope against all hopes. She’s a snooker hero and doesn’t get enough recognition for what she did, and still does. Thank you Mandy!

The first thing I will say – admit actually – is that I have been disappointed overall with the results of the women on the main tour. I expected better. That said I had no idea that Reanne was suffering with physical issues. I thought that she looked flat and demotivated at times, but, of course, if she was struggling physically whilst, at the same time, being acutely aware of the fans expectations, it can’t have been easy. I do wish Reanne the best and I hope that the doctors will be able to identify the cause of the problem, and cure it.

On Yee has been quite disappointing as well. Of course she also has her own issues. With the “Elite Sport” status of snooker under threat in Hong Kong, and with it, its future funding uncertain, she had her own concerns and additional pressure to deal with. She also traveled a lot back and forth between the UK and Hong Kong. That said, her last main tour match was encouraging: she lost to Michael Holt by 10-8 at the 2023 World qualifiers: She had five breaks over 50 in that match, including a 115, Michael had eight breaks over 50. It was a very high standard match and she certainly didn’t disgrace herself. She can score, she showed it again in the Asian Q-School, but IMO she would benefit from playing a bit faster and more aggressively.

Mink lacks cuepower. She is petite. Whenever she needs to apply cuepower, her accuracy suffers. We have seen the same with some of the men who are handicapped by a very short stature, like, for instance, Zhang Anda. There is nothing they can do about it. Some of the shots tall players – like Judd Trump or Neil Robertson for instance – can play, elevating the cue and creating a lot of spin, are simply not available to them (unless the step up on a crate 😉) … you can’t beat physics.

I’m afraid that those poor results have only reinforced the prejudices of those who believe that women are useless at snooker, should not be allowed on the main tour and will never be able to reach the Crucible. Unfortunately there are quite a few around on social media.

It will be interesting to see what Baipat will be able to do.

Bai Yulu has really impressed in the Q-School. No disrespect to Mandy, but I’m not convinced that Bai came to the UK because of the Women’s tour. She’s used to play the men in China and she entered the Q-School where she gave a really good account of herself. I do hope that she will be able to play on the Q-Tour.

Mandy says that there has been increased interest in the Women’s tour events since women are seen on TV playing on the main tour, more girls and women wanting to play. That’s obviously a positive. But to really progress to their full potential, I feel that the best of them, once they reach a certain level, need to play the men as well.

Finally, I’m not entirely convinced that there are “no physical reasons”, why women can’t compete with men. Strength and height are factors but maybe not prohibitive obstacles. However denying that there are physical differences is stupid and unhelpful.

We, women are, on average, shorter, we have less physical strength and we are built differently. We have narrower shoulders, boobs, wider hips, and the shape of our legs – because of the wider hips – is different too. All of these elements have an impact on our stance. I ‘m pretty useless at snooker, but I tried to work with a coach for a short while. Johnny was very patient and he tried his best to teach me the “perfect stance”, the “Hendry like” stuff. It was almost impossible, extremely uncomfortable, notably with boobs coming in the way of the cue.

In his latest book, in the chapter about practice, Ronnie speaks about the importance of the hips when it comes to the stance and alignment. You would expect that he knows his stuff. Well that’s an area where the anatomical difference between men and women is massive.

Also, speaking of strength, of course, on average women are not as strong as men. But that’s not all: the “repartition” of strength – if that makes sense – is different. Whilst males usually have a lot stronger shoulders and arms, women feel strong around the waist and hips. Ask a man to carry a 18 months baby around for half an hour, he will likely sit the kid on his shoulders, ask a women and she will probably carry it around her waist, sitting on one hip, or strapped on her lower back.

Yes we are anatomically different. I wonder if any coach ever did put some real effort into looking at the anatomy of both genders and maybe find a stance, or stances, that can be recommended depending on gender or body types. And of course then, there is another challenge. Those anatomical differences mainly develop with puberty. Some kids start very young, which is good, but then coaches need be able and prepared to guide them through the anatomical changes.

Comments and thoughts more that welcome!