Latest news with #WorldSnookerTour
The Sun
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
‘I wasn't sure I'd play again' – Snooker star Sam Craigie reveals year-long battle with horror neck injury
SNOOKER star Sam Craigie has revealed his year-long battle with a horror neck injury, admitting: 'I wasn't sure I'd play again.' Craigie, 31, is one of snooker's top players after turning professional in 2011. 6 6 6 He boasts 101 century breaks after recording a best ranking finish of third at the 2021 WST Pro Series. But Craigie is currently listed at just 84th in the world after playing his last match in September 2024. The ace vanished from sight following his English Open qualifying defeat to Michael Holt, leading to questions from fans over his future. However, Craigie has now posted a lengthy statement online revealing that he has been dealing with serious health issues. Posting several pictures of himself in hospital with scarring around his neck, the ace revealed that intense shoulder pain and a slipped disc left him unable to play. Craigie admits the setback was so bad that he even considered giving up snooker. However, he is well on the road to recovery and even got his tour card confirmed earlier this month. Craigie is now in line to compete at the Wuhan Open qualifiers on June 23 against Aaron Hill. And he is also scheduled for a British Open qualifier just days later against Yao Pengcheng. Cragie told fans on Instagram: 'Some of you might have been wondering where I have been on the World Snooker Tour. 'Not fit for purpose' - Barry Hearn slams Crucible with World Snooker Championship tipped to 'travel around world' 6 6 6 'Well, it's been a bit of a tough time of late. For around a year, I had been in & out of the GP for shoulder pain. In June 2024, I was sent for an x-ray & MRI where I found I had a tear. 'From around then the pain became almost permanent, I nearly had to withdraw from most tournaments during that time but somehow had my best result in getting to the Semi finals of the German Masters despite the pain I was in. 'Once the season finished, I decided to see a orthopaedic surgeon who informed me the pain in my shoulder was most likely coming from my neck, which was confirmed by an MRI, showing I had a slipped disc. 'I then decided to go forward with the surgery (C5/6 anterior cervical disc replacement) in July as the pain was unbearable. Thankfully, all went well, and I was discharged the following day, thinking I would be back to full health a few weeks after the surgery. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. 'The first few tournaments were only a week or 2 away at the time, but I simply couldn't get down to play a shot when I tried. I informed world snooker about the situation after withdrawing from multiple events. 'The following months, I couldn't do much at all. I wasn't sure if I'd even play snooker again. Around January 2025, I started thinking about snooker seriously again and slowly started having a few hours of practice. 'It was hard to commit to it due to still being in some pain while playing. A couple of months ago I started taking it seriously again. On Friday 6th June 2025 my tour card was confirmed so now I can get my head down and look forward to what the future holds.' Fans were quick to praise Craigie, with one saying: 'It's great you're back in the game.' Another declared: 'Wish you the best.'
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘I wasn't sure I'd play again' – Snooker star Sam Craigie reveals year-long battle with horror neck injury
SNOOKER star Sam Craigie has revealed his year-long battle with a horror neck injury, admitting: 'I wasn't sure I'd play again.' Craigie, 31, is one of snooker's top players after turning professional in 2011. Advertisement 6 Sam Craigie admits he almost gave up snooker after a major health battle Credit: Getty 6 The ace has spent almost a year recovering from a slipped disc in his neck Credit: Instagram @samcraigie_147 6 He was forced to undergo surgery after suffering serious shoulder pain Credit: Instagram @samcraigie_147 He boasts 101 century breaks after recording a best ranking finish of third at the 2021 WST Pro Series. But Craigie is currently listed at just 84th in the world after playing his last match in September 2024. The ace vanished from sight following his English Open qualifying defeat to Michael Holt, leading to questions from fans over his future. However, Craigie has now posted a lengthy statement online revealing that he has been dealing with serious health issues. Advertisement READ MORE IN SNOOKER Posting several pictures of himself in hospital with scarring around his neck, the ace revealed that intense shoulder pain and a slipped disc left him unable to play. Craigie admits the setback was so bad that he even considered giving up snooker. However, he is well on the road to recovery and even got his tour card confirmed earlier this month. Craigie is now in line to compete at the Wuhan Open qualifiers on June 23 against Aaron Hill. Advertisement Most read in Snooker And he is also scheduled for a British Open qualifier just days later against Yao Pengcheng. Cragie told fans on Instagram: 'Some of you might have been wondering where I have been on the World Snooker Tour. 'Not fit for purpose' - Barry Hearn slams Crucible with World Snooker Championship tipped to 'travel around world' 6 Craigie shared his X-rays on social media Credit: Instagram @samcraigie_147 6 The disc in his neck left the star in agony Credit: Instagram @samcraigie_147 Advertisement 6 He has now got his tour card back and is set to return to snooker later this month Credit: Instagram @samcraigie_147 'Well, it's been a bit of a tough time of late. For around a year, I had been in & out of the GP for shoulder pain. In June 2024, I was sent for an x-ray & MRI where I found I had a tear. 'From around then the pain became almost permanent, I nearly had to withdraw from most tournaments during that time but somehow had my best result in getting to the Semi finals of the German Masters despite the pain I was in. 'Once the season finished, I decided to see a orthopaedic surgeon who informed me the pain in my shoulder was most likely coming from my neck, which was confirmed by an MRI, showing I had a slipped disc. Advertisement 'I then decided to go forward with the surgery (C5/6 anterior cervical disc replacement) in July as the pain was unbearable. Thankfully, all went well, and I was discharged the following day, thinking I would be back to full health a few weeks after the surgery. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. 'The first few tournaments were only a week or 2 away at the time, but I simply couldn't get down to play a shot when I tried. I informed world snooker about the situation after withdrawing from multiple events. 'The following months, I couldn't do much at all. I wasn't sure if I'd even play snooker again. Around January 2025, I started thinking about snooker seriously again and slowly started having a few hours of practice. 'It was hard to commit to it due to still being in some pain while playing. A couple of months ago I started taking it seriously again. On Friday 6th June 2025 my tour card was confirmed so now I can get my head down and look forward to what the future holds.' Advertisement Fans were quick to praise Craigie, with one saying: 'It's great you're back in the game.' Another declared: 'Wish you the best.' One noted: 'Speedy recovery brother.' Another added: 'Glad you're back on your feet.' Advertisement
Daily Record
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Snooker star whose wife is World Championship referee gets new job away from the table
Ben Woollaston, who caused one of the biggest upsets at the 2025 World Championship by knocking out fellow Leicester star Mark Selby, has landed a new role with snooker's governing body Snooker star Ben Woollaston, the husband of a leading referee, has secured a new role after achieving his best-ever result at the World Championship. The Leicester potter reached the second round after pulling off a major upset by defeating Mark Selby before being eliminated by Si Jiahui in a 13-10 loss. Woollaston's wife, Tatiana, refereed at the Crucible this year, having made her debut at snooker's premier event in 2020. She also took charge of last season's UK Championship final in York. Naturally, she is not permitted to officiate her husband's matches, not that she would want. She said last year:"I don't spend time with Ben while he's practising to help me refereeing-wise. "He's on the circuit as a player, I'm on the circuit as a referee. We've never really mix that. I'm obviously not allowed to referee his games and I wouldn't want to, to be fair." Away from snooker, Tatiana works as a merchandiser at the head office of clothing retailer Next. Meanwhile, her husband has also taken on a new role away from the table, having been appointed to the WPBSA's governance board. The sport's governing body announced on Wednesday that Woollaston had been appointed as a non-executive director with immediate effect. WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson said: "We are pleased to welcome Ben to the WPBSA board, which follows his election to the board of WPBSA players last December. "A professional for over 20 years, Ben has just enjoyed arguably the best season of his career, highlighted by his memorable victory against four-time world champion Mark Selby at the World Championship. Ben is ideally suited to this new role, as a player of great integrity and who is well thought of by his peers. "It has been positive to see him take a keen interest in coaching in recent years, becoming one of our WPBSA 1st4sport Level 2 Coaches and sharing his knowledge with aspiring players of all levels." Meanwhile, Woollaston, 38, said: "I am pleased to join the board of WPBSA Governance and be able to provide representation for player issues at the highest level of our sport. "As a professional snooker player for over 20 years, I have been privileged to see first-hand the development of our sport during that time and to live the highs and lows of competing on the World Snooker Tour. "I look forward to sharing my experience with the team at the WPBSA and to helping shape the future development of our sport, from grassroots level to the professional circuit." The governance board is chiefly tasked with the overall direction and management of the WPBSA, the global governing body for snooker and billiards. Woollaston joins the board as the second player-director alongside Mark Davis, who was appointed in January. The duo will work in tandem with Ferguson, vice-chairman and director Nigel Mawer and governance director Nigel Oldfield.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
World Snooker Championship Post Event Analysis 2025: BBC Secures Snooker Broadcasting Rights Until 2032 in Landmark Deal Extension
Explore the record-breaking 2025 World Snooker Championship, featuring insights into its sponsorships, broadcasting milestones, and attendance. With 29M streams across BBC platforms and a renewed BBC rights deal until 2032, the championship highlights its growing popularity in the UK snooker scene. Dublin, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Post Event Analysis - World Snooker Championship 2025" report has been added to analysis of the recent 2025 World Snooker Championship, including a look at its sponsorship portfolio, broadcasters, attendance and the UK, the 2025 World Snooker Championship achieved a record-breaking 29 million streams across the BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website, and BBC Sport app. The tournament achieved a cumulative television reach of 12.6 million viewers across BBC One, BBC Two, and BBC Four in the UK. At the beginning of 2025, the World Snooker Tour renewed its long-running rights deal with the BBC, the UK public-service broadcaster, until 2032. The five-year deal extension ensures that the World Snooker Tour's flagship 'Triple Crown' events (the World Championship, the UK Championship, and the Masters) remain free-to-air across the UK. UK-based television sports production and media company Sunset+Vine announced in 2024 that it will be the new official production partner for the BBC's snooker coverage. This deal runs through 2027; no production partner has signed for BBC's five-year deal through to 2032 to 2025 World Snooker Championship had an estimated sponsorship revenue of $1.71 million. The 2025 World Snooker Championship's largest agreed partnership in terms of annual value is the tournament's deal with Halo, the workflow automation software company, which served as the competition's title sponsor. The deal is worth an estimated $1 million annually. Nongfu Spring, the mineral water supplier, have been a partner of the World Snooker Tour since 2023-2024 and the partnership has been agreed to continue through the 2024-25 season. The deal covers the Triple Crown Series and the Welsh Open only. Star Xing Pai, the snooker table manufacturer, have served as an official supplier of the World Snooker Tour since 2009 and the partnership has been confirmed to continue through the 2024-2025 2025 World Snooker Championship saw a total prize money of £2,395,000 ($3,195,624). The winner, Zhao Xintong, took home a prize of £500,000 ($667,249), with the runner-up, Mark Williams, claiming £200,000 ($266,899).? Mark Allen won the prize for the tournament's highest break at the Crucible received a bonus of £15,000 ($20,015). He achieved the only 147 of the year's championship and the 15th maximum break ever witnessed at the venue. In comparison to other snooker tournaments, the winner of the Saudi Arabia Masters also receives £500,000 ($667,249), whilst the winner of the Masters received £350,000 ($467,608). Company Coverage: Halo Midnite Nongfu Spring WSP Textiles Star Xing Pai Key Topics Covered: 1. Event Introduction Executive Summary Introduction 2. Media Landscape World Snooker Championship 2025 Viewership and Domestic Media Rights World Snooker Championship 2025 Broadcasters Breakdown 3. Sponsorship Landscape World Snooker Championship 2025 Sponsorship Portfolio World Snooker Championship 2025 Sponsorship Breakdown 4. Prize Money World Snooker Championship 2025 Prize Money Breakdown 5. Attendance and Ticketing World Snooker Championship 2025 Ticketing Breakdown World Snooker Championship 2025 Attendance Breakdown For more information about this report visit About is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. CONTACT: CONTACT: Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@ For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900Sign in to access your portfolio
Wales Online
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
World Snooker Championship star announces retirement after falling off the tour
World Snooker Championship star announces retirement after falling off the tour Anthony Hamilton, who won the German Masters in 2017 and was a former World Championship quarter-finalist, has retired from snooker after 34 years as a professional Anthony Hamilton has called time on his professional career (Image: Anna Gowthorpe/PA Wire ) Anthony Hamilton, once a practice partner of Ronnie O'Sullivan, has announced his retirement after a run of 34 years on the World Snooker Tour. Turning pro in 1991, just a year before O'Sullivan himself hit the professional scene, Hamilton has now brought down the curtain on his top-level career. The 'Sheriff of Pottingham' never quite lived up to what many believed was his full potential. Nonetheless, his career highlights include triumphing at the German Masters in 2017, where he bested Ali Carter in the final for his maiden ranking title. His record also boasts four appearances in the quarter-finals of the World Championship. The Nottingham native had already been contemplating retirement prior to bowing out of qualifying for the 2025 World Championship, which consequently led to the loss of his tour card. Reflecting on his experiences at Q-School, where he failed in his bid to regain his card, he said: "It felt strange playing there, knowing that these could be your last couple of matches. But I'm not going to miss it because the last few years have not been that enjoyable." However, he remains fond of the sport, adding: "I probably love it again now more than I used to. I appreciate it more. I watch it more now than I used to. I love it more and I love players now because I know what they're about. Article continues below Hamilton admits it is a relief to retire (Image: Getty ) "During my prime, I didn't really focus on snooker; my interests lay elsewhere in life. Now, as an older man, I've rediscovered my love for the sport and enjoy watching it again. I'm eager to see what the future holds." O'Sullivan once praised Hamilton, describing him as "phenomenal" and a "great practice partner". In 2021, the Rocket said: "He was phenomenal, still is, just goes ton, ton, ton, ton. It's good for you to play someone like that because it rubs off on you. He was a great practice partner. "He's won the German and had a very good career. It's a compliment, but with his game he should have won more really because he's a very heavy scorer. That's why he's still competing, because of his scoring power. "Plays the right shots, plays the right game, plays in the right spirit. A bit like [Anthony] McGill maybe, plays the game nicely, good cue action, everything's nice. When he does bring his best form, he's like that every day in practice. O'Sullivan rated his practice partner very highly (Image: Getty ) "If he could bring that regularly to the match table, he'd have won multiple titles. I don't know why he hasn't because he's got bottle, he's got everything. It's a strange one. Some players you look at and think they're too good not to have won more. He's definitely one of those." Meanwhile, O'Sullivan, 49, looks set to play on following his comeback at the World Championship, where he made the semi-finals despite complaining of chronic cue issues. How often fans will see the Rocket next season remains to be seen after he missed virtually half of last season. Speaking following his Crucible defeat to eventual champion Zhao Xintong, he announced plans to quit the UK for the Middle East. He said: "I'll still try and play snooker but I don't know what the future looks like for me really. Article continues below "I'm moving away soon so I'll just see how it goes. There's a lot of more important things in life to worry about than a game of snooker."
