chengdufan wrote:To become good enough to be a snooker pro, you need both talent and loads of opportunity to practice.
To get the opportunity to practice a lot, you either need to come from a wealthyish family and have parents who don't mind if you're not doing your homework, or you need free access to a table.
What sort of demographic ticks those boxes? I'll give you a clue, it doesn't include many young black kids.
To really make the game more open to all, you need to have open events for kids to give snooker a try. For those who show some natural talent, offer them scholarships for free coaching, which is then managed alongside their schoolwork.
And do this in as many geographical locations as possible.
Doesn't China have it on their national curriculum? Even then that won't help too much to become a pro you need to practise hrs daily and most people won't have the means to have a table at home, yes basketball is very cheap and easy to practise, just need a ball and hoop. Pool and table tennis to get to a facility is easier than snooker, the table size being 1 factor, I imagine pubs, pool clubs and halls may see pool as a better investment, certainly with less risks anyway as snooker is a much more specialised game with the table being 50% bigger than a pool table.
If it is about costs then how do blacks fare in professional pool?
chengdufan wrote:To become good enough to be a snooker pro, you need both talent and loads of opportunity to practice.
To get the opportunity to practice a lot, you either need to come from a wealthyish family and have parents who don't mind if you're not doing your homework, or you need free access to a table.
Ronnie O'Sullivan all over, I can't think of a high profile player who's had a fairytale start like his (Yes I know it got derailed with his father being jailed & mother for a much shorter period), O'Sullivans were millionaires long before the boy picked up a cue so while he's had the most immense pressure to be the best, better than his idols even someday with his dad telling everyone he'll be world champ since the boy was a kid he never had the financial pressure. I know, he laughs at the low ranked players calling them numpties & he'd have to lose an arm and leg to fall out of the top 50, funny as it is & I STILL laugh at that on a serious note he really has been blessed growing up to hone his talent with everything provided for him, like Ding neither has to do well on the tour to survive, they'll get big money regardless of prize money if anything their commercial interests outstrip whatever they win from the green baize.
Ronnie can & has gone into reality tv he can very easily do that and give up snooker anytime & he says and knows it, partly why he's the most dangerous opponent throughout his career as it's not life or death to win for him, much less so vs most players anyway. In his words he treats it like a hobby.