Snooker receives four more years of elite support

Snooker has been given the green light to remain an elite programme at the Sports Institute for the next four years, but its long-term future is still unclear.

According to the institute's funding criteria, Asian Games status is a prerequisite and a sport also has to reach a complicated nine-point benchmark through international success at junior and senior levels.

Snooker has been dropped from the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea and it was the only elite sport that was given a two-year support period at the last review in 2011 rather than a normal four-year period.

But at the Sports Commission meeting on Monday, it was decided snooker will still enjoy full support up to 2017 after meeting the nine-point criteria.

However, it is still unknown if snooker will remain at the institute or face the axe should the sport not return to the Asian Games in 2019.

"It was not mentioned at the meeting about the years after 2017," said a source close to the commission. "It seems the members want to discuss this again only after the current four-year support period expires."