Chinese player Zhao Xintong competes at the 2025 International Championship in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province on November 5, 2025. Photo: Courtesy of organizers

Few global sports success stories rival the rise of snooker in China. 

Originally rooted in UK halls, snooker found fertile ground in China after Ding Junhui's 2005 UK Championship win, which massively fueled its growth. 

Jason Ferguson, chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), told the Global Times that "China and snooker are a marriage made in heaven."  

"It's fantastic to see such big crowd as China and snooker are a marriage made in heaven," Ferguson told the Global Times in an exclusive interview during his visit to Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province. He was in Nanjing to attend the annual International Championship.

"It's really been a great journey working with China, bringing the sport here, but also building it for the people of China," he said.

The International Championship was first held in China in 2012 in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province under the banner of being "the first overseas major," and has since moved through different cities in China while maintaining its ranking-event status. 

Meanwhile, China has hosted multiple ranking events and the scale of the domestic market is now such that the WPBSA chief said five to six major events annually take place on Chinese soil. 

Ferguson, a former English professional snooker player, also underlines the sustainability of hosting snooker events.

"Hosting sporting events is about economics. We need a venue with security, we need infrastructure, and all these things make up the business model," Ferguson said. "We must ensure that the infrastructures in the sport are healthy."

As one WPBSA report noted, China now hosts nearly one-third of professional ranking events each season, far more than any other country outside the UK .

Around 210 million people in China were reported to be billiards or snooker enthusiasts, with the sport's infrastructure mushrooming: In 2023 alone, over 100,000 billiards-related businesses were registered.

A view inside the venue which hosts the 2025 International Championship in Nanjing Photo: Courtesy of organizers

No shortcut

For snooker to thrive in China, the foundations had to be laid. Ferguson emphasized that success does not happen overnight.

"There are no shortcuts to success," Ferguson said. "We have a healthy infrastructure where talent can get to the top."

Ferguson is clear that the WPBSA cannot act alone, especially on the subject of youth development. 

He stressed the importance and value of developing pathways, such as clubs and youth programs, in partnership with China's snooker governing body, 

the Chinese Billiards Sports Association (CBSA).

"Our partnership here with the CBSA is not a one way street. It is two parties working internationally and nationally together. We made a promise in this market many years ago to build a sport for the people of China, and we're delivering on that promise," Ferguson said. 

Over the past two decades, China has invested heavily in snooker infrastructure. The CBSA has established snooker academies in cities such as Beijing, Dongguan and Chengdu.

China is now seeing snooker entering schools, with clubs and tables proliferating. The talent pipeline is deepening. 

In assessing the progress Chinese players have made, Ferguson acknowledged that traditional powerhouses are aging.

"Young talent are coming in but you never know which player will break through a major event." 

Ferguson acknowledged that for China where once the question was "where are the players going to come from to help grow this market?" now has shifted to "There is so much talent here in every city we travel to."

The proof of the pudding is in performance. Chinese players are not just participating but contending for major titles. 

Indeed, at this year's World Championship, 10 Chinese players reached the main draw while six of them advancing to the last 16. What made the journey more impressive is that 28-year-old Chinese snooker player Zhao Xintong won the world title. Currently, five Chinese players  made into snooker's world top 20. 

WPBSA chief Jason Ferguson Photo: Lu Wenao/GT

Challenges noted

However, the sport's rise has not been without challenges. Past controversies regarding match-fixing remain a concern, and Ferguson stressed the importance of integrity and trust.

In 2023, Chinese snooker players Liang Wenbo and Li Hang had been handed lifetime bans as part of a group of 10 players penalized by the WPBSA for match-fixing. 

"We monitor every single match. We don't tolerate match-fixing, we don't tolerate manipulation of matches," Ferguson insisted. 

"What you see in that arena is something that means credibility to the players, families and to the fans. Everybody is deeply ingrained in the result. That's the way we're going to keep the sport."

Another challenge is that several snooker players publicly criticized certain venue conditions when playing in the World Snooker Tour events, calling for events to meet the same global standards.

Ferguson explained that via player feedback platforms and translation support, local organizers are being held to international benchmarks.

"Player feedback is really important to us. We do listen to it," Ferguson said. "That is actually one of the reasons that you do see events getting bigger and conditions improving."

As China continues to shape the sport's trajectory, the question is no longer can snooker grow in China, it's how much will it grow, and what ripple effects will that have around the world. 

"One thing we do know now is China loves this sport. We love China," Ferguson said.