With US$3.5 million in career prize money, three titles and two World Championship semi-final appearances, he is the closest thing Hong Kong has to a sporting superstar competing consistently at the top level against the world’s best.

But in terms of a household name recognised worldwide, Fu is the only Hong Kong sportsperson who comes close.

Such a lack of visible global stars certainly doesn’t help the sporting apathy in this city. We mostly rely on a touring circus of other country’s exports, such as the English Premier League, to generate interest – compare the 38,000 who came to watch Liverpool in the Asia Trophy at Hong Kong Stadium last summer to the barely 500 that showed up to the same venue for Hong Kong’s 2-0 victory against Guangdong last month in the first leg of the annual Interport clash.

Even with former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan banging in the goals for Kitchee, the Hong Kong Premier League champions can only dream of attracting the packed Hong Kong Stadium crowd they had for their exhibition clash against Tottenham last summer, when they play at Mong Kok Stadium every week.

If this really is the end for Fu, he will be sorely missed – for more than just his sporting ability and the exposure and attention he brings to Hong Kong’s fledgling sports scene.

Fu is also a class act away from the snooker table, always happy to pick up the phone to speak to the press when he’s on the road away from his family and his home.

After revealing on social media last month he had been suffering from retinal degeneration and myodesopsia, having started to see black spots during a tournament in England last September, Fu would have been well within his rights to ask that the media respect his privacy during his recovery.

Yet he organised a press conference at a tiny coffee shop in Prince Edward to provide an update amid fears he could announce his retirement; you could barely move for the number of reporters and cameras there, a testament to his popularity and the esteem he is held in.

Snooker is known as a “gentleman’s game” and there is perhaps no greater gentleman in Hong Kong sport than Fu.

Here’s hoping that a rest will do him the world of good after two decades in the game.

“I have never come across any major crisis,” he said. “This is the first time so it also gives my body a break, physically and mentally, because I have been playing for so long.

“If I cannot stay competitive against the world’s top players, I would call it a day. But at the moment it’s too early to talk about that.”

If he does have to hang up his cue then Hong Kong should fittingly honour its most famous athlete.