New association gives snooker players ‘stronger voice’ – Higgins

According to its chairman John Higgins, a new independent association for renowned snooker players will give them “a stronger voice” and may “massively” contribute to the development of the game.

The Professional Snooker Players Association (PSPA), which has a four-time world championship, is a director who says it is “championing the sport.”

According to Higgins, “We feel as though we haven’t been as heard as we should have been in recent years.”

“Compared to other top sports, the game has not advanced with the times.

The association also claims that players’ opinions should be taken into account when governing snooker.

In order to advance the sport’s future, it has pledged to work with the sport’s authorities, including the WPBSA, the current WPBSA Players’ Board, and the World Snooker Tour, while protecting player welfare and business interests.

Judd Trump, Kyren Wilson, Mark Selby, Barry Hawkins, Shaun Murphy, Ali Carter, Gary Wilson, Stuart Bingham, Jack Lisowski, Stephen Maguire, Mark Allen, Ryan Day, and Joe Perry are members of the PSPA’s players board, according to the organization. Matthew Selt, along with Mark Kenkre and Ben Rees, has been appointed as a director.

Ronnie O’Sullivan, a seven-time world champion, is reportedly a member along with Chinese stars Xiao Guodong and Ding Junhui, according to the association.

Higgins said, “I’ve had a lot of conversations with Ronnie.” He’s very excited about it, so the next step is “full steam ahead.”

Some players feel they do not have enough influence over the World Snooker Tour’s (WST) management, especially on the commercial side, given that so many of the top players are currently playing for the new body.

The talk of a potential breakaway tour dominated the headlines at the Crucible during the 2024 World Championship. Following a request to play in lucrative events in China and North America as part of a potential breakaway circuit, the game’s top players were offered the opportunity.

Professional players must agree to a contract that prohibits them from competing in any outside competitions while WST tournaments are being held, unless they are events that have been sanctioned by the WST, despite recent negotiations for more flexibility.

However, the WST has increased the prize money available for the game and is gearing up to stage the sport’s “fourth major” in Saudi Arabia with a prize pot of more than £2 million. Later this week in Jeddah, the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters will take place.

The WPBSA’s own players’ body was established in 2020, and the governing body claims that it has been given the “separate mandate to act in the collective best interest of members in relation to welfare and issues affecting the professional game.”

It states that the WPBSA Players Board “as a platform where member concerns can be raised at the highest levels and as a forum for discussion.”