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World Snooker submit bid for 2020 Olympic Games

Postby PLtheRef

From the BBC Breaking news ticker

World Snooker says a bid has been submitted for the inclusion of billiards sports in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics


I'm skeptical that it'll be included, particularly when it's lost it's place in the Asian Games? What does everyone think snooker's prospects are? I wonder whether it's got more of a chance in the Commonwealths?

Re: World Snooker submit bid for 2020 Olympic Games

Postby Andre147

PLtheRef wrote:From the BBC Breaking news ticker

World Snooker says a bid has been submitted for the inclusion of billiards sports in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics


I'm skeptical that it'll be included, particularly when it's lost it's place in the Asian Games? What does everyone think snooker's prospects are? I wonder whether it's got more of a chance in the Commonwealths?


It'll be absolutely great if it's included, I created a thread about Snooker and the Olympics a few months ago and we discussed this already, but I think there's a good chance it'll be included. See this topic:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5443&p=336221&hilit=olympics#p336221

Since we don't have a Nations Cup anymore like when there used to be in the early 2000s, this happening would be great and more people would get interested in the Sport me thinks. I for one know that certain Sports I normally only watch when the Olympics comes around.

Re: World Snooker submit bid for 2020 Olympic Games

Postby Andre147

AC or LT? wrote:It wouldn't be the pinnacle of the sport and as such like tennis and football wouldn't deserve to be there.


Nobody is saying it would be the pinnacle, just like in Tennis winning a Grand Slam is more imporant. But it wouldn't do Snooker any harm to be included, like I said earlier, many only watch certain Sports at the Olympics, so Snooker would just be another one.

I would love it to happen, if Sports like Shooting and Archery are there, no reason at all for Snooker not to be.

Re: World Snooker submit bid for 2020 Olympic Games

Postby Andre147

Trump once again with one of usual silly comments:

"If I could play there once in my lifetime and get the gold medal then I certainly think it would top winning the World Championship"

lol, it would be great no doubt, but it would never top winning a World Championship, just like in Golf and Tennis is more important winning a Major.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/snooker/30953597

But I hope that if not in 2020 then in 2024 at least it will be included.

Re: World Snooker submit bid for 2020 Olympic Games

Postby Wildey

Andre147 wrote:Trump once again with one of usual silly comments:

"If I could play there once in my lifetime and get the gold medal then I certainly think it would top winning the World Championship"

lol, it would be great no doubt, but it would never top winning a World Championship, just like in Golf and Tennis is more important winning a Major.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/snooker/30953597

But I hope that if not in 2020 then in 2024 at least it will be included.

if Snooker was included it cant be a pinnacle because only a handful of players from a nation could play meaning it wouldn't be open to everyone

Re: World Snooker submit bid for 2020 Olympic Games

Postby Cloud Strife

Wildey wrote:
Andre147 wrote:Trump once again with one of usual silly comments:

"If I could play there once in my lifetime and get the gold medal then I certainly think it would top winning the World Championship"

lol, it would be great no doubt, but it would never top winning a World Championship, just like in Golf and Tennis is more important winning a Major.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/snooker/30953597

But I hope that if not in 2020 then in 2024 at least it will be included.

if Snooker was included it cant be a pinnacle because only a handful of players from a nation could play meaning it wouldn't be open to everyone


It would be open to everyone. All you have to do to be selected for your country is be ranked high enough.

Re: World Snooker submit bid for 2020 Olympic Games

Postby Andy Spark

I agree with Ronnie...
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/other- ... van-rocket

I don't think snooker should really be in the Olympics. You won't be able to have long formats and the whole thing will just be out of keeping with the Olympian idea of the "pinnacle of sporting achievement". What tennis is doing there, I also don't know. I've heard the argument that it is a massive stage to advertise the game to new audiences; I've also heard the argument about funding increases, these are both reasonable arguments but I'm still not convinced of the need to go down this Olympics route.

Re: World Snooker submit bid for 2020 Olympic Games

Postby whitespider

If they are going down this road why don't they go for the Commonwealth Games as well? Smaller scale than the Olympics but similar arguments. I imagine getting it in the Commonwealths would be far easier and give more weight to the Olympics debate. Sure Ding would miss out but then Snooker has been in the Asian Games hasn't it?

In terms of longeivity of matches - most rankings events are under a week. Can't see that being a problem as Commonwealths and Olympics are two.

Re: World Snooker submit bid for 2020 Olympic Games

Postby roy142857

whitespider wrote:If they are going down this road why don't they go for the Commonwealth Games as well? Smaller scale than the Olympics but similar arguments. I imagine getting it in the Commonwealths would be far easier and give more weight to the Olympics debate. Sure Ding would miss out but then Snooker has been in the Asian Games hasn't it?

In terms of longeivity of matches - most rankings events are under a week. Can't see that being a problem as Commonwealths and Olympics are two.


Agree with you re Commonwealth Games, potentially the kind of boost snooker needs in Canada and (to a lesser degree) Australia.

The problem re time might be similar to Asian Games, SEA Games etc - they use the same area for multiple cue sports (a couple of pool variants and carom for instance), and for multiple snooker competitions - snooker, six reds and snooker doubles, and of course there's mens and womens competitions. So yes two weeks, but the amount of time for the snooker might not be that long.

Re: World Snooker submit bid for 2020 Olympic Games

Postby whitespider

Agree, sharing facilities would have an impact but no other cue sports will be at the Commonwealths (unless there is a whole scale change). If facilities are to be shared it could be with Badminton or something though so take your point. Reckon your could do it in four days though. A field of 16. A round every day. Last 16 and Quarter Finals best of 9, Semis - best of 11 and Final best of 19. Or something like that.

Re: World Snooker submit bid for 2020 Olympic Games

Postby SnookerFan

Andy Spark wrote:I agree with Ronnie...
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/other- ... van-rocket

I don't think snooker should really be in the Olympics. You won't be able to have long formats and the whole thing will just be out of keeping with the Olympian idea of the "pinnacle of sporting achievement". What tennis is doing there, I also don't know. I've heard the argument that it is a massive stage to advertise the game to new audiences; I've also heard the argument about funding increases, these are both reasonable arguments but I'm still not convinced of the need to go down this Olympics route.


:goodpost:

I don't agree with Ronnie often, but he's spot on there. Tennis shouldn't be there either, or Soccer. Only sports for which the Olympic gold medal is the pinnacle of achievement in that sport should be there. If snooker was in the Olympics, The Crucible would still be the pinnacle of the sport. Whatever Judd has to say on the issue.

You could argue that amateur boxing can stay, because that's different rules to real boxing, so could be considered in some ways to be distinct from proper boxing. But that's the only real exception I can think of.

Re: World Snooker submit bid for 2020 Olympic Games

Postby roy142857

SnookerFan wrote:
Andy Spark wrote:I agree with Ronnie...
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/other- ... van-rocket

I don't think snooker should really be in the Olympics. You won't be able to have long formats and the whole thing will just be out of keeping with the Olympian idea of the "pinnacle of sporting achievement". What tennis is doing there, I also don't know. I've heard the argument that it is a massive stage to advertise the game to new audiences; I've also heard the argument about funding increases, these are both reasonable arguments but I'm still not convinced of the need to go down this Olympics route.


:goodpost:

I don't agree with Ronnie often, but he's spot on there. Tennis shouldn't be there either, or Soccer. Only sports for which the Olympic gold medal is the pinnacle of achievement in that sport should be there. If snooker was in the Olympics, The Crucible would still be the pinnacle of the sport. Whatever Judd has to say on the issue.

You could argue that amateur boxing can stay, because that's different rules to real boxing, so could be considered in some ways to be distinct from proper boxing. But that's the only real exception I can think of.


Six Reds? Snooker team or Doubles? (Just a thought!)

Re: World Snooker submit bid for 2020 Olympic Games

Postby GreenRiver

SnookerFan wrote:You could argue that amateur boxing can stay, because that's different rules to real boxing, so could be considered in some ways to be distinct from proper boxing. But that's the only real exception I can think of.


Its interesting that you mention boxing. As you say, the Olympic boxers are amateurs. This opens up another possibility - that snooker is included in the Olympics but only amateurs are allowed to enter. The Olympic games could become the pinnacle of amateur snooker.

Another thing that is interesting about boxing is that Cuba has historically been the dominant nation in amateur boxing, but, because it is a Communist country, they don't become professional (a few have defected to the US to turn pro but you take my point). The Olympic games is the only opportunity most of the world has to watch these boxers who, in spite of the word "amateur", are extremely accomplished at what they do. I wonder if anyone plays snooker in Cuba? I wonder if theres a potential Hendry or O'Sullivan there that we don't know about?

Re: World Snooker submit bid for 2020 Olympic Games

Postby SnookerFan

GreenRiver wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:You could argue that amateur boxing can stay, because that's different rules to real boxing, so could be considered in some ways to be distinct from proper boxing. But that's the only real exception I can think of.


Its interesting that you mention boxing. As you say, the Olympic boxers are amateurs. This opens up another possibility - that snooker is included in the Olympics but only amateurs are allowed to enter. The Olympic games could become the pinnacle of amateur snooker.

Another thing that is interesting about boxing is that Cuba has historically been the dominant nation in amateur boxing, but, because it is a Communist country, they don't become professional (a few have defected to the US to turn pro but you take my point). The Olympic games is the only opportunity most of the world has to watch these boxers who, in spite of the word "amateur", are extremely accomplished at what they do. I wonder if anyone plays snooker in Cuba? I wonder if theres a potential Hendry or O'Sullivan there that we don't know about?


The difference being that Amateur boxing is that it's a different discipline to professional boxing. It could almost be taken as a different sport based on several differences between the Amateurs and the Professional game.

The scoring is different, what with three judges trying to award punches based on the punch scored, rather than who won each round. Also there are only three rounds per fight, the gloves having more padding and the combatants use head gears for added security. (Though I'm aware at the Commonwealth Games recently they had a trial period whereby the men didn't wear head guards.) Quite a lot of differences, and a couple of quite significant ones.

If you just let amateur snooker players into the Olympics, it would still fundamentally be the same game. 15 reds, and the colours. It'd just be full of people who weren't good enough to make it professional.

Re: World Snooker submit bid for 2020 Olympic Games

Postby GreenRiver

Fair points SF. Amateur boxing is very different to the pros. Paradoxically, you often see more skill in amateur boxing than in the pros, because in the professional ranks, where fights can last a gruelling 12 rounds, it becomes more a test of stamina and ruggedness than of skill. You have some boxers who are brilliant amateurs but get nowhere in the pros because they run out of gas after 3 rounds. What is interesting about the Olympic boxing is that you can get to see a kind of sneak preview of the future of the professional ranks. Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Lennox Lewis, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roy Jones, Floyd Patterson, Floyd Mayweather - these are just some of the fighters who first came to public attention fighting in the Olympics and went on to have very successful professional careers. Perhaps, like in boxing, if we had snooker in the Olympics, it could give young talent a chance to shine. I think this is what they did with the Olympic soccer if I'm not mistaken - from what I understand TeamGB was predominantly youngsters with a couple of over age players (Ryan Giggs and Craig Bellamy).


   

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