Ronnie O’Sullivan has been handed a huge boost as the World Snooker Tour confirmed the World Grand Prix contest will be hosted in Hong Kong.
O’Sullivan, 48, has frequently said that he believes there should be fewer tournaments in the UK and more in Asia. The World Grand Prix has been held in the UK since its inception in 2015.
However, it will now be held in the brand new Kai Tak Sports Park stadium in Hong Kong. Considering O’Sullivan’s previous comments, few will be happier than him that the country will host its first major ranking snooker event in 35 years.
The season’s top 32 players will compete for an increased World Grand Prix prize fund in the country. The pot has increased from £380,000 to a whopping £700,000.
The champion is set to pocket £180,000, a significant increase from the £100,000 O’Sullivan won in Leicester earlier this year. Since its introduction to the snooker calendar, the World Grand Prix has been hosted in Llandudno, Preston, Cheltenham, Milton Keynes and Coventry, with O’Sullivan clinching a 10-7 final victory over Judd Trump last January.
Due to the current schedule, O’Sullivan has expressed his frustration on multiple occasions about not being able to compete in Asia as much as he would like. He even threatened retirement last year to have more control over his calendar.
Speaking to the BBC, O’Sullivan said: “If I can’t go and do what I need to do, which is play a lot in China, I won’t ever play again. So, we’re at a kind of crossroads now.”
“If that gets to the point where I’m not able to do that, I’m not allowed to do that, I probably won’t play. I’ll probably go and play Chinese 8-Ball because I still want to play snooker, I still want a cue in my hand.
“There’s just not enough here in the UK for me to justify the effort that I put in. If someone’s going to respect me and value me more, why would I not go there?
“It’s like being in an unhealthy relationship with someone, why would you be in that? I’d love to be able to just keep playing snooker for the next five, six, seven, eight years.
“But if I’m going to be forced into a situation where that’s not possible, then I’m not going to just accept whatever 132 players do, which is to go and play tournament after tournament, week in, week out.”