Ronnie O’Sullivan says Saudi Arabia’s involvement in snooker has made his life easier and claims fans were ‘too quick’ to judge after the Riyadh Season ball was introduced at last month’s event.
O’Sullivan – who has signed a new three-year ambassadorial agreement with Riyadh Season – told Mail Sport about the way in which players are ‘pampered’ in Saudi Arabia.
He said the players are given access to additional practice tables, provided with lunch and dinner in the form of a banquet and driven to and from events to allow them to focus on the snooker.
O’Sullivan also said the introduction of the Riyadh Season ball at the inaugural Riyadh Season World Masters event last month actually enhanced the game rather than hindered it.
He felt the fans were wrong to critcise the concept when it first came out as it gave the players’ an opportunity to make a life-changing amount of money without changing or compromising the traditional rules.
Ronnie O’Sullivan says Saudi Arabia’s involvement in snooker has made his life easier
He sat down with Mail Sport after his ambassadorial agreement with Saudi was announced
O’Sullivan sat down with Mail Sport after his ambassadorial agreement – which will see him take part in all World Snooker Tour events in Saudi Arabia and make special trips to the Kingdom to coach aspiring talent – was announced.
The conversation with Mail Sport also came after Riyadh Season agreed to become an official partner for snooker’s most prestigious tournament, the World Snooker Championship.
When speaking about the difference between the Saudi tournaments and those hosted in other nations, O’Sullivan said: ‘I think the tournaments we travel to in Asia and Saudi Arabia are different to the others.
‘A lot more things are laid on for you. You don’t have to worry about food because there is a banquet in the afternoon and the evening for all the players and all the officials.
‘You don’t have to spend time worrying or thinking about where you are going to eat. Instead of having maybe four practice tables for 120 players, they will have 12 tables. So, you can go and practice when you want. You can take your time. There is a no rush like there usually is with these events.
‘They also put on courtesy cars to take you to and from events. You really don’t have to do anything other than play snooker.
‘Sometime the headache [at other events] becomes what am I going to eat, how am I going to get to the venue. Once you take away all the headaches, it kind of just become ‘okay, I just need to go and play snooker’. As a player, that’s the most important thing. I just want to go and play snooker.’
O’Sullivan – who has won a record 23 Triple Crown titles – went on to add: ‘I’ve always managed to focus just the snooker but it does make my life easier. Even if you put me in the most horrendous of environments, I have this ability where I can just switch on and play. Ever since a kid, it’s all I’ve done. Play snooker.
The conversation with Mail Sport also came after Riyadh Season agreed to become an official partner for snooker’s most prestigious tournament, the World Snooker Championship
O’Sullivan (above) has won a record 23 Triple Crown titles and is the current world No.1
He is widely recognised as one of the most talented and successful players in snooker history
‘I am pretty hard wired. It doesn’t matter what the conditions are I still find a way to go in there and play, but it shouldn’t be like that.
‘It’s never really bothered me or effected me but if I had a choice, I would choose to play somewhere you are taken care of a bit more. Somewhere you are pampered a bit more. All the players are pampered. Why not.’
Saudi Arabia hosted it’s first-ever WST event last month – the Riyadh Season World Masters. O’Sullivan was the star attraction, winning the inaugural event by beating Luca Brecel 5-2 in the final.
The tournament also featured an innovative new concept, introducing a 23rd ball – titled as the Riyadh season ball – to a frame. The ball was worth 20 points, meaning there was the possibility of a 167 maximum break, rather than the traditional 147 maximum.
The first player to pot the ball was set to earn around £400,000. However, no one managed to claim the prize. Therefore, his Excellency Turki Alalshikh decided to increase the incentive.
His Excellency announced that next year’s prize for the golden ball at the Riyadh Season World Masters had doubled to $1million (£800,000). Providing a life changing amount of money for the players.
When asked what he made of the initial response to the Riyadh season ball prior to last month’s event, O’Sullivan said: ‘I don’t like what when people are quick to judge. I am quite an honest person and I think people know that. I will say what I think is right.
‘I think once you start tampering with the rules of the game, then you start to cause a problem. I don’t even know what the rules are so if I am out there thinking I don’t know what’s going on it’s bad.
‘I am also a bit of a purist at heart but I understand things need to evolve and change. You have to keep up with the times. So, there is mixture with getting that balance right.
‘I don’t think you can start tampering with the rules of the game and that’s what I liked with Saudi. They said we aren’t going to do that, but what are going to do is add a ball. It doesn’t effect the game.
The 48-year-old star has won the World Snooker Championship a total of seven times
O’Sullivan praised Turki Alalshikh for ‘giving opportunities to those that might get missed amongst all the top players’ and insisted there was scope to develop world champions in Saudi
‘If someone is good enough to make a 167 and get that, there is a massive bonus. So nothing actually really changes with the game except there is an extra ball which could be life changing money for one of these players. I like that. It’s good. I was on board with it. I liked it yeah.’
O’Sullivan said he was focused on winning the tournament last time around but admitted he might ‘put all his eggs in one basket’ and focus on the Riyadh Season ball next time.
O’Sullivan told Mail Sport: ‘The first time I met his Excellency was in Saudi Arabia. There was this big thing about the golden ball but my main priority was to win the tournament.
‘Then when I realised how passionate he was about the golden ball, I saw he was a little bit disappointed no one got it and he wasn’t able to give away the big prize. So, he went and doubled it.
‘So then next year I was thinking maybe I go there and just try and put all my eggs in one basket and give it a go.
‘HE has been great for all sports in Saudi Arabia and for snooker so I kind of thought I need to give it ago for his Excellency’s sake.’
O’Sullivan went on to praise HE Alalshikh for ‘giving opportunities to those that might get missed amongst all the top players’ and insisted there was scope to develop world champions in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking about His Excellency’s involvement in snooker, O’Sullivan said: ‘He obviously loves sport and I think that’s what it’s all about.
‘You want someone who isn’t just into the big names. You want someone who loves the sport and someone who can see the characters.
‘His Excellency is invested in giving opportunities to those that might get missed amongst all the top players.
‘He’s the one that says, I actually quite like him, can we bring him in to play etc. I think that’s nice that someone is showing that level of interest in the sport.’
O’Sullivan – who was awarded a snooker academy in his name based in Riyadh after winning the March event – claims Saudi Arabia could be responsible for producing the future stars of the sport.
He says the UK have fallen far behind the likes of China with the academy system but believe Saudi have what it take to nurture talent if they buy into a ’20 year plan’.
O’Sullivan said: ‘The next generation is paramount. I think the UK are being left behind on that front which is a shame because we see China with the academies they have out there. It’s like a Harvard university of snooker in some ways.
‘You just see so many great, talented players coming through the set up. There are so many pictures of me with six year old kids and they come up to me 15 years later after winning the UK championship and show me the photos of us together when they were six. I am thinking wow.
‘There are so many of them. I have had a picture with every one of them so it’s clear they have been interested in the sport for a long time. Ever since they were really young. So, that’s why you see so many great Chinese players coming through.
‘I think with Saudi, you have to do the same thing. That’s what I will be saying to them. If you really are genuinely serious at creating a generation of great players, it’s a 20 year plan.
‘The first 10 years we might be one or two out but it’s later down the line they will see it. It’s a bit like Ding Junhui, they see him do it and that creates a bit of belief that they can do it. They start thinking, why can’t it be me.
‘I quite enjoy that challenge because I think it can be done but it’s a commitment. It’s a commitment of everyone going towards it. It’s definitely something that will be worth it in the long run.’
