Snooker leader Ronnie O’Sullivan would rather see the world championship in his sport in Saudi Arabia or China instead of in the Crucible Theater in Sheffield. “I think it would be a wise decision to take the tournament away from Sheffield,” the 48-year-old Englishman told the tabloid The Sun.
Every World Championship has been held in the venerable Crucible since 1977. “The Rocket”, as O’Sullivan is known, has won all of his world titles there and is aiming for his eighth trophy at the World Cup starting this week (April 20th to May 6th).
“A huge circus”
O’Sullivan’s main criticism is the limited space. There are only 980 seats for spectators in the Crucible Theater. “It’s a huge circus and you need a huge amount of space to accommodate it,” O’Sullivan said.
The world number one from England has two alternatives ready: “I think Saudi Arabia would be great. They have the resources and would do great. If you want to give it to China, you would have to take it to Shanghai. Or another big city like Shenzhen or Guangzhou.”
China has been an integral part of the snooker tour for years. Saudi Arabia hosted the World Masters of Snooker in March, which O’Sullivan won. The 48-year-old Brit is considered a person of changeable character and also extremely opinionated. In the past he has repeatedly made controversial statements.
