Sporting Life
The Crucible hosts the World Championship
The Crucible hosts the World Championship

Snooker's World Championship could move around the world on a rotation basis, according to Barry Hearn

By Chris Hammer
Snooker
Mon May 06, 2024 · 7M ago

Barry Hearn has suggested the World Championship could around the world on a rotation basis as speculation about the snooker's future at the Crucible continues.

The venue's current deal is due to expire in 2027 and some stars including world number one Ronnie O’Sullivan, Hossein Vafaei and Ali Carter have openly called for the World Snooker Tour to pursue other options abroad, with the Rocket favouring Saudi Arabia or China.

On the possibility of the World Championship heading to Saudi Arabia, Hearn told the BBC: "They are buying up sports left, right and centre - we've seen what they have done with boxing. It's a completely different world.

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"We've got to show we can compete and raise at least something near it to justify me not turning around to the players and saying 'Why don't we make the prize money 10 times more than it is?'

"In the business sense, and snooker is a sport played by professionals, their first demand is prize money. They want to see it as big as possible and we as custodians of the sport have a fiduciary duty to those players.

"Why should the tournament have one home and why isn't the Crucible transported around the world to play ione year in Saudi Arabia, one year in Beijing, one year in Sheffield?"

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Although Hearn insists he is always open for the World Championship to stay at its spiritual home, which has hosted every staging since 1977, he admits money will always be the crucial factor.

He said: "Trust me, money has the edge every time. We live in the real world, if there are deals out there that are going to change people's lives and increase profitability, there's not really a choice to make.

"The Crucible has a fantastic history, it has been a massive part of my life. But we've all got to live in the real world, there's a price for everything in today's world whether we like it or not.

"But I don't like it and I want to stay here. I can't do any more than say but I need help, I need a reason to stay here. I can't be more loyal to Sheffield than I have but everybody needs to pull in the right direction."

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I am doing absolutely everything to stay in Sheffield. But it takes two to tango - I'll stay here while we are wanted. I know we are wanted by the BBC, I think we're wanted by Sheffield.

"But they've got to be realistic and we have said for the last few years we need a new venue that seats 2,500-3,000 people because I am fed up of getting letters from people all over the world asking how they can get a ticket.

"I'm looking to Sheffield to come to the party and if they do, we're staying. And if they don't, they're really saying to me 'We don't want you'. So it's not really my call."

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