Ronnie is due to play in the 2025 World Grand Prix

Two days ago, WST organised a big press conference in Hong Kong to promote the 2025 World Grand Prix. The event was attended by Judd Trump, the current World Number One, who, like Ronnie, has taken residency in Hong Kong.

Schedule For World Grand Prix Announced At Press Conference

Organised by World Snooker Tour (WST) and F-Sports Promotions Limited, and supported by the Billiard Sports Council of Hong Kong China Limited, the 2025 World Snooker Grand Prix will be held in Hong Kong for the first time, taking place from March 4th to 9th at Kai Tak Arena, Kai Tak Sports Park. The top 32 snooker players of the season will compete for the championship.

Tournament organisers held a pre-event press conference today, attended by world number one Judd Trump and the match schedule was announced. A star studded day one lineup sees the likes of Trump, World Champion Kyren Wilson, Masters champion Shaun Murphy and four-time Crucible king John Higgins in action.

Click here for the full match schedule and draw

The World Grand Prix is proud of being designated as an “M” Mark event, that helps enhance the image of Hong Kong as an international sports event capital. The “M” Mark is awarded by the Major Sports Events Committee, for signature events in the territory sports calendar.

An excited Trump remarked: “I really do enjoy every occasion I get to compete in Hong Kong. I love everything about Hong Kong and being able to play here for the first time as a Hong Kong resident is definitely a particularly meaningful event in my career. I can’t wait to experience the vibrant atmosphere, with 5,000 fans cheering at the amazing new Kai Tak Arena.”

Ms. Feng Huanhuan, CEO, F-Sports Promotions Limited said, ” We wish to thank the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Major Sports Events Committee, and all the supporting organisations for their strong support. The new world-class Kai Tak Arena offers an outstanding venue for hosting this event and will undoubtedly provide audiences with an exceptional viewing experience. With Judd Trump and Ronnie O’Sullivan both gracing the stage in their ‘new home,’ we are proud to promote Hong Kong on the world stage. Our goal is to bring top-tier snooker events that reflect the community’s passion for the sport, while leveraging Hong Kong’s position as the premier hub for Mega Events. We are committed to advancing the development of sports within the community, supporting elite sports, enhancing sports professionalism and developing sport as a thriving industry while promoting the city as a world-renowned centre for major international sports events.“

The World Grand Prix has been held since 2015 and is one of the premier events on the World Snooker Tour. This year marks the first time the tournament will be hosted outside of the UK, with a record breaking venue size and prize money on offer.

The huge arena capacity means 5,000 spectators will be able to experience this premier snooker event live at the brand-new Kai Tak Arena, making it the most attended ranking event on the World Snooker Tour to date. The total prize money has increased from £380,000 last year to £700,000 this year, with the champion’s prize rising from £100,000 to £180,000.

This will be the first ranking tournament held in Hong Kong since 1989. Notably, Trump and defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan will be competing at home after becoming residents of Hong Kong. 

On March 8th and 9th, exhibition matches will take place at 11 am. On Saturday, the men’s exhibition match will feature Hong Kong’s top player Marco Fu going up against Jimmy White. On Sunday, the women’s exhibition match will showcase Hong Kong number one and world number two Ng On Yee competing against world number one Mink Nutcharut. Tickets for the exhibition matches will be distributed for free, with further details to be announced later.

The Hong Kong Billiards Sports Academy, a collaboration between F-Sports Promotions Limited and the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, located at Kai Tak Mall, will officially open during the tournament.

Public tickets are available through HK Ticketing and Damai, ranging from HK$80 to HK$2,580. There is a special ‘roll-on roll-off’ format for this event, with two consecutive matches in both the afternoon and evening sessions, which means that fans buying a ticket for just one session can watch two matches.

Click here for the event website

Now, if you follow the link at the end of the article, you will open a page that features a video featuring Ronnie explaining that he took a break bit now feels ready to play in this event and I think he will. Why? Because it’s in Hong Kong, where he’s now a resident and it’s a place he loves. It’s a huge arena and you can be certain that the players will be treated extremely well. How well will Ronnie perform? I don’t really know as he’s facing a daunting task. His first opponent will be Si Jiahui who has beaten him earlier this season. Indeed, Si beat Ronnie by 6-4 in the QFs in Saudi Arabia, in an event where Ronnie certainly wanted to do well. I strongly believe that Ronnie will give it his best in this event, but will it be enough after sitting out so many events? I’m really, really not sure…

The first Disability Snooker World Championship will be held in Thailand next week and it has attracted huge interest

I have been told by one of the participants that some matches will be streamed, likely on Facebook.

Here is the announcement shared by WDBS last week:

Incredible Entry for Inaugural World Disability Snooker Championship!

It has today¹ been announced that the first-ever staging of the World Disability Snooker Championship will see an impressive 69 players from 17 countries contest six main titles in Thailand.

• Full player list via WPBSA SnookerScores

Organised by World Disability Billiards and Snooker (WDBS) and the Sports Association for the Disabled of Thailand under the Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King (SPADT), the landmark event will run from 23 February – 2 March 2025 in Nonthaburi, Thailand.

The opening two days (23-24 February) will incorporate classification sessions for players who have not played at a WDBS event before and optional practice for players ahead of the start of the competition.

The first competitive matches are set to be played on 25 February with the start of the group stages, during which there will also be a spectacular opening ceremony staged to open the Championship.

The Groups

The event will see six tournaments staged, with separate competitions held for players from Groups 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Due to entry numbers received, Groups 6A, 6B, 7 and 8 will be merged to play a single tournament with 12 players. This is subject to change should entry numbers change prior to the start of the event.

Appropriate points starts will be applied within this group in the interest of fair competition and will be confirmed prior to the start of the event.

Following the conclusion of the group stages, there will also be a Challenge Cup tournament held for players who do not qualify for the knockout stages.

Please note that the draws for the tournament will not be released until 24 February following the completion of new player classifications.

“A fantastic response”

Nigel Mawer QPM, WDBS Chairman said: “We are today delighted to announce such a strong line-up for the first-ever staging of the World Disability Snooker Championship in Thailand.

“To have players from 17 individual countries is a fantastic response and marks a truly international event for disability snooker. It is especially exciting to welcome players from Iceland, Indonesia, Libya, Pakistan and the United States to the Tour for the very first time.

“I look forward to meeting all of the players and officials in Thailand for what promises to be a week to remember.”

Here is more information about this event, as shared by WDBS last December

The World Disability Snooker Championship runs from 23 February – 2 March 2025 with tournament information to be available via WPBSA SnookerScores.

To be held in Srisaman, Nonthaburi, the landmark event will be organised in conjunction with the Sports Association for the Disabled of Thailand under the Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King (SPADT) and snooker’s world governing body the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association.

The first staging of a World Championship comes 10 years on from the foundation of WDBS and represents the latest major milestone in the continued growth of disability snooker worldwide, following snooker’s inclusion at last year’s World Abilitysport Games and the first-ever European Disability Snooker Championship in October.

Format

The event will run across nine days in total from 23 February – 3 March 2025, with the opening two days to include classification and practice days ahead of the start of the first matches on 25 February.

All players must attend from 25 February to be eligible to compete in the tournament.

……

“An Historic Event”

WDBS Chairman Nigel Mawer QPM said: “We are today hugely excited to be able to announce the first staging of the World Disability Snooker Championship in Thailand next year.

“The event will be the biggest ever disability snooker event held and represents a proud moment for all of us who have been associated with WDBS over the past decade.

“Our inclusion at last year’s World Abilitysport Games in Thailand was a week that I will never forget, and it is only fitting that the first ever World Championship will see us return to this amazing country once again.

“I would like to thank the SPADT and the WPBSA for their support of the event, and mostly importantly our players from around the world, without the support of whom the staging of this event would not be possible.

“Our long-term goal remains to secure the return of snooker to the Paralympic Games and this prestigious new event represents another huge step towards achieving that ambition.”

A spokesperson from SPADT said: “We are honoured to host this Championship. We sincerely thank WDBS for trusting Thailand as the host nation.

“We would also like to express our gratitude to the Billiard Sports Association of Thailand for their invaluable support and collaboration, which has been key to ensuring the success of this event.

“Drawing from our experience in organising international sports events for disabled athletes, SPADT is committed to delivering a smooth and memorable tournament. We warmly invite players from across the globe to join us in Thailand for this incredible Championship.

“We hope this competition will be a truly enjoyable and unforgettable experience for everyone involved. May all participants leave with great memories and the famous ‘Thai smile’ that will stay with you forever.”.

1. 13 February 2025 ↩︎