More snooker enthusiasts will get to try to make their dreams come true as World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn abolished entry fees in the professional tournaments.
Hearn made the announcement on the same day he declared a Challenge Tour for amateurs, a sign that the sport will now be more accessible for lower ranked players.
“When we were a small business, entry fees was a substantial part of our income,” said Hearn.
“This is no longer the case, so we’re going to write off £500,000 of entry fees that we receive through the years and all the players will be saving £4000 to £5000 a year, which is going to be very helpful to the lower ranked players as they start their journey to become a professional snooker player.”
Many players with potential are discouraged to make snooker as their lone career because it does not pay as much as other sport, especially those below the Top 20.
Last January, world number seven Neil Robertson stated in his Twitter page that he doesn’t “recommend this sport as a career” because of the low pay.
“At the moment, it’s top 20 or you’re better off flipping burgers,” said Robbo in the tweet. The Australian, who won the 2010 world title, has earned around £3.3 million in winnings in his 19-year career.
Without entry fees, many of the lower ranked players can now spend their money for other necessary expenses like travel and lodging.
The Challenge Tour is also another way to enter professional snooker, as the winner and runner-up of this competition will get a tour card for the 2018-2019 season.