Top snooker body to establish branch in Chengdu for training, tournaments

The World Snooker Academy of the Chinese Billiards & Snooker Association has signed an agreement to establish a Southwest branch in Chengdu, Sichuan province, with plans to open in late April, a senior official said.

The academy, jointly founded by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association and the CBSA, is regarded as the world's leading institution for snooker training.

Zhang Tao, who will head the new branch, said the expansion marks a major step in growing the sport in Southwest China and cultivating the next generation of snooker champions.

The facility, located in the Banzhuyuan subdistrict of Xindu district in Chengdu, will cover 1,300 square meters and feature 22 professional training tables and two competition areas with independent spectator stands, Zhang said.

He said it is designed not only to serve the professional training needs of snooker players, referees and coaches, but also to function as a high-quality venue for professional and regional snooker tournaments.

"Sichuan people's interest in snooker has skyrocketed in recent years, leading nationally in both participation and skill level. However, they lack standardized and professional training," Zhang said.

Zhang's team, which has more than 30 years of experience in the snooker industry and several certified coaches and referees recognized by the CBSA, aims to build a top-tier snooker training base in the district.

The academy plans to launch a series of training programs for young players and enthusiasts and promote snooker competitions to drive the development of the local snooker industry, Zhang said.

"Choosing Xindu was no coincidence," he said. "Snooker has a solid foundation here, and the area carries a 'champion gene'."

Xindu district's Sanhe village, which established a snooker hall in 2020, has been providing training for local enthusiasts as well as world-class snooker players such as Xiao Guodong and Zhou Yuelong.

Xiao, who has broken into the world's top 16, has often trained there between international competitions.

The village has also hosted the Sichuan-Chongqing Twin Cities Cup Snooker Invitational and the Sichuan Snooker Invitational Tournament for the past two years, significantly boosting the sport's popularity in the region.

Last year's Sichuan-Chongqing Twin Cities Cup Snooker Invitational drew more than 1.2 million viewers who watched virtually via livestream or in person, said Tan Jie, Party chief of the village.

The viewership boosted rural tourism and led to a significant increase in the village's agricultural sales, he said.

He Jingzhou, an official of Banzhuyuan subdistrict, said snooker, along with equestrian sports, dry slope skiing and roller skating, is one of the key sports projects being developed locally.

"The snooker competitions previously held in Sanhe village could only attract visitors during the events," He said. "We expect the academy will continuously bring top-ranked snooker players, snooker enthusiasts and spectators, driving the development of the local sports industry and rural vitalization."

pengchao@chinadaily.com.cn