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Olympic Games - Should snooker try for inclusion?

Postby PoolBoy

The Olympics is upon us again!

Am I the only one thinking that London 2012 feels like only two summers' ago!?
Just think, a student enrolling on a course at the time of the London closing ceremony will now have completed their honours degree!
Anyway, should snooker be pushing for a slot at future Olympic Games? (..dare I say, discuss...?)

In my opinion, NO.
Snooker's pinnacle will always be the World Championship. Indeed, I'd argue that any discipline that has a tournament 'bigger' than the Olympics, probably shouldn't be included. The likes of football, golf and tennis particularly.
I still feel the Olympics is more about sports like swimming, athletics and gymnastics, for which there is no bigger accolade than an Olympic gold.

However, snooker is expanding globally, with more professionals from different countries than ever before.
But, I can't see an Olympic medal as being at the forefront of may players' aspirations.

Re: Olympic Games - Should snooker try for inclusion?

Postby Andy Spark

I have changed my mind on this matter after listening to people from South-East Asia. Now I think snooker and the most globally played form of pool should probably both try for inclusion.

While I understand a lot of the arguments against trying for inclusion, the fact there is a lot of luck in the outcome of (short frame format) snooker and pool, compared to most other sports, may actually inspire poorer countries like Thailand and the Philippines who rarely win anything at the Olympics. I know that the Philippines has never won a gold medal and sees their best chance of winning one as getting pool included in the Olympics. I also know that while Thailand have been a little more successful at the modern Olympics (seven golds achieved) they would still see snooker as a great chance of adding to that total.

Re: Olympic Games - Should snooker try for inclusion?

Postby KrazeeEyezKilla

Checking wikipedia in Golf the Olympic events have 60 players but each nation is restricted to four players within the Top 15 and two players outside it. In Tennis each country has a limit of six players and four in the singles. With Snooker still overwhelmingly dominated by British players it would leave a strange line-up. If they had 32 players and had a qualification system similar to Golf you'd have these qualifiers.

Mark Selby - Britain
Stuart Bingham - Britain
Shaun Murphy - Britain
Neil Robertson - Australia
Judd Trump - Britain
Mark Allen - Ireland
Ding Junhui - China
Marco Fu - Hong Kong
Liang Wenbo - China
Luca Brecel - Belgium
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh - Thailand
Fergal O'Brien - Ireland
Dechawat Poomjaeng - Thailand
Kurt Maflin - Norway
Robin Hull - Finland
Hossein Vafaei Ayouri - Iran
Darryl Hill - Isle of Man
Hamza Akbar - Pakistan
Michael Georgiou - Cyprus
Aditya Mehta - India
Thor Chuan Leong - Malaysia
Itaro Santos - Brazil
Hatem Yassen - Egypt
Igor Figueiredo - Brazil
Alex Borg - Malta
Kurt Dunham - Australia

That's all the players with a World ranking and there is still six places left. Darryl Hill is always shown as being from Isle of Man although I'm not sure if he'd be allowed enter as that. Michael Georgiou is now playing as a Cypriot. Mark Allen could play for either Britain or Ireland. If the Yes side had won the Scottish referendum in 2014 then Higgins and Maguire would also be in.

Re: Olympic Games - Should snooker try for inclusion?

Postby eraserhead

If it can encourage new players and viewers from more countries then yes, the only problem is it wouldn't mean as much to win if it's missing a majority of the British players.

I am interested to see what kind of format would be used.

Re: Olympic Games - Should snooker try for inclusion?

Postby SnookerFan

eraserhead wrote:If it can encourage new players and viewers from more countries then yes, the only problem is it wouldn't mean as much to win if it's missing a majority of the British players.

I am interested to see what kind of format would be used.


Shot Clock Shootout. :mosh:

Re: Olympic Games - Should snooker try for inclusion?

Postby KrazeeEyezKilla

The World Championship in Snooker is longer than the Olympic Games. The only sports in the Olympics that go on the whole 16 days are the team sports (basketball, hockey, handball, water polo) and boxing. In Snooker you would have to accomodate a womens event too so there's a chance you could only have best of sevens. You could play the mens from the first saturday until the middle sunday and have the womens tournament in the final week. That would allow a tournament with best of 11's and two session semi's and final.

Re: Olympic Games - Should snooker try for inclusion?

Postby Andy Spark

Yes, they could only really use a short format (best of 7 or possibly 9). The event wouldn't mean much to real snooker fans like us, but there are loads of people in the world that haven't heard of snooker who would then get to hear of it. Also, there is the persuasive argument that the funding increase that would come with snooker being an Olympic sport would help the globalisation priority of the professional game for men and women.

Consider this: Reanne Evans recently stated that her biggest regret was not being able to provide enough money for her family solely from snooker prize money. For the best female player in the world this is a shameful state! Extra exposure and funding from snooker gaining Olympic sport status could help female players even more than male players. :-)

Re: Olympic Games - Should snooker try for inclusion?

Postby kolompar

I agree the Olympics should mostly be about athletics, swimming and stuff, but I guess they will always keep football and others to get more viewers.
Also, there are some totally stupid rubbish sports there, like sailing and equestrian. So as long as the Olympics are like that, snooker should definitely be there too.
I think it would be better for snooker to try to get in alone, without pool and 3 cushion, they are just holding back snooker.
Cue sports are in the World Games by the way. The format there for snooker was 16 players, 8 from World Snooker, 8 from IBSF I think, best of 5 matches. I don't see why you couldn't have even best of 19s at the Olympics though.

Re: Olympic Games - Should snooker try for inclusion?

Postby TheSaviour

More likely the Snooker Olympiad like there is the Chess Olympiad that would be then. Well it would come down to just a few countries to dominate it, but isn´t and wasn´t that the case with the chess also. The Soviet Union obviously was the dominant force. Now USA has almost as strong depth as they have that " the new Paul Morphy" Wesley So, Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, Gata Kamsky.

A professional sportsmen lacking the communication skills and variations. Just like Ronnie´s snooker; just boom boom boom, straight in.... Where as we ordinary internet posters can do and have a bit of a many things.... While being accused of spreading some ill communications which obviously not being the truth at all.

This is a case of just personal opinions. There are some really daft disciplines out there now too you know. But if there´s enough yes-opinions then it is perfectly ok.

Re: Olympic Games - Should snooker try for inclusion?

Postby SnookerFan

TheSaviour wrote:More likely the Snooker Olympiad like there is the Chess Olympiad that would be then. Well it would come down to just a few countries to dominate it, but isn´t and wasn´t that the case with the chess also. The Soviet Union obviously was the dominant force. Now USA has almost as strong depth as they have that " the new Paul Morphy" Wesley So, Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, Gata Kamsky.

A professional sportsmen lacking the communication skills and variations. Just like Ronnie´s snooker; just boom boom boom, straight in.... Where as we ordinary internet posters can do and have a bit of a many things.... While being accused of spreading some ill communications which obviously not being the truth at all.

This is a case of just personal opinions. There are some really daft disciplines out there now too you know. But if there´s enough yes-opinions then it is perfectly ok.


:anyone:

Re: Olympic Games - Should snooker try for inclusion?

Postby eraserhead

Watching the golf at this years olympics I've become a bit conflicted on my opinion, because ultimately there is something special about winning something once in 4 years. Watching Justin Rose wining gold was one of those rare moments where I truly felt tense watching sport.

I'm not the biggest sport/golf fan and usually snooker is the only the sport that engages me enough to get an emotional reaction from me, but watching the final day of golf at the olympics was truly special. I would like to see snooker players have the opportunity to show what they can do to the world.

The downside is nothing in snooker can compare to the world championships, to be blunt it's freakish. Is there any other sport that it takes two weeks to win a title, two days for a final and matches last multiple hours? This is why I love snooker it's not like any other sport, players call fouls on themselves and a frame can last anywhere from 5 minutes to 100 minutes .

As I said before I think snooker needs a more competitive field from other countries for a gold medal to be significant in snooker, but I would like to se snooker in the olympic games.


   

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