Despite two world champions, it’s a nervous time for Hong Kong snooker
Teenager Cheung Ka-wai could join Marco Fu Ka-chun in the pro ranks this week, but the game still faces an uncertain future at the Sports Institute
There aren’t many sports in which Hong Kong has a world champion, let alone two. But despite a tremendously successful 2015, local snooker faces a battle to remain in the Hong Kong Sports Institute.
But HKSI head billiard sports coach Wayne Griffiths – the son of former pro Terry – admits it’s a nervous time for everyone involved in the sport.
As a result of all his hard work and talent I think [Cheung will] be somebody who goes on to deliver strong results for Hong Kong for a long time
Though snooker recorded a maximum possible 12.5 points in 2015 under the HKSI’s ranking system and is secure as an elite sport until 2019, because it is not in the Olympics and has been dropped by the Asian Games for two consecutive editions (Incheon 2014 and Jakarta 2018), it could be downgraded when the HKSI meets after the Rio Olympics to designate elite sports for the next four-year cycle (2017-2021).
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“Even though we’re one of strongest in terms of results we’re still not guaranteed to be staying in,” says Wales’ Griffiths, who has been coaching in Hong Kong for five-and-a-half years. “The players are concentrating on getting good results but maybe the politics, the rules whether we can stay in the Institute, is a key area for us.”
As snooker is not in the Olympics, it is not automatically included in the Asian Games. Hosts can pick several non-Olympic sports, but Indonesia isn’t much interested in snooker (they did pick bridge for 2018).
For now, Griffiths and his squad are focused on a big few months. This week, Cheung and three teammates head to Sri Lanka for the Asian Under-21 Championships, with a two-year ticket to the professional ranks on offer to the winner. Ng then defends her women’s world title at the end of March and will take on the men in the qualifiers for their world championships.
Cheung dominated the U18 Worlds in St Petersburg, Russia, before beating Hong Kong teammate Chan Ming-tung in the final. His promise has seen him tagged “the next Marco Fu” by the Chinese media and though that might be jumping the gun, Griffiths says he and his teammates will be full of confidence in Colombo.