WPBSA chief Jason Ferguson eyes place for snooker at Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games after Zhao Xintong triumph

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Zhao Xintong's World Championship victory over Mark Williams could help snooker become an Olympic sport, according to the chair of the WPBSA. Jason Ferguson wants it to be included at the Brisbane Games in 2032. Snooker failed in its attempts to be part of the roster for Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. But Ferguson said Xintong's success will only further the sport's popularity in Asia.

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Snooker could be an Olympic event within the next seven years, according to the head of the sport's governing body.

Jason Ferguson was speaking in the aftermath of Zhao Xintong's sensational World Championship victory at the Crucible.

The 28-year-old became the first player from China to lift the famous trophy when he defeated Mark Williams 18-12 at the Crucible.

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His success should only fuel snooker's popularity in his homeland, where participation levels have grown significantly over the last couple of decades.

Ferguson, chair of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), hopes that will help secure a spot at the Brisbane Games in 2032.

"Realistically, Australia is a target," he said. "We’re talking to all the multi-sport bodies.

"There’s a lot of politics involved, but the size of snooker and how important China is to the IOC [International Olympic Committee], someone has to look at this and say this is now snooker’s time."

Snooker has never previously been on the Olympic roster, with an application for Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 proving unsuccessful.

However, it was part of the inaugural Paralympic Games, in Rome in 1960, where Cliff Keaton beat Michael Shelton to take the gold medal.

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It was not until after Seoul 1988 that snooker was shelved and Ferguson believes for it to have a chance of being included as an event in Brisbane, that governing bodies need to take it more seriously.

"We need to see snooker in this country treated like a major Olympic sport; that’s the difference," he continued.

"We have Sport England recognition, but we do need to get the sport treated the same as others.

"Maybe it’s the introduction into events like the Commonwealth Games, the Olympics, maybe even the Paralympics, that matters."

'One of the biggest occasions snooker has seen'

Zhao's World Championship victory is likely to be a huge boost to snooker's popularity in China.

Competing as an amateur, the 28-year-old is one of several Chinese players who have enjoyed success in recent years, including the likes of Ding Junhui and Zhang Anda.

China, Ferguson says, is one country where snooker is treated with the utmost respect and the new world champion will reap the benefits.

"Zhao has the potential to become the richest earning player in the history of the sport," he added.

"That’s quite a bold statement when you think about the titles players like Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan won.

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"But the size of the market is huge and when you see the association of the brands who want to partner with snooker, it has endless potential.

"This is one of the biggest occasions snooker has seen. Snooker in China is treated like any national sport.

"To see a world champion returning to China a national hero is really going to send the sport to another level."

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