THE FIRST ANNOUNCED INVITATIONAL EVENT IN SAUDI WAS…
Eddie Hearn confirmed the event will feature the top eight players in the world including two wildcards and a prize pool of US$1 million.
Trump believes snooker heading to Saudi Arabia is “amazing” for the sport.
He told World Snooker Tour on X: “It’s amazing for snooker to be going to different places.
“It’s amazing to be going back to China and feel appreciated again.
“I think we are seeing snooker in new territories now with exhibitions popping up in different places and it’s amazing that Saudi Arabia want to get involved.”
Amnesty International urged snooker’s leading stars to seize the opportunity to speak out about human rights abuses.
Peter Frank ental, Amnesty International UK’s economic affairs director, said: “It was just a matter of time before Saudi Arabia’s huge sports washing machine sucked in snooker along with almost every other major world sport.
“If the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump play in Riyadh, they shouldn’t hesitate to speak out about human rights.” Arabian Peninsula, January 18, 2024
The inaugural Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker has been announced by HE Advisor Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), adding another thrilling event to Riyadh Season’s calendar of events this year.
The invitational tournament, which will be held for the first time in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is scheduled for March 4-6 at Boulevard Arena in Boulevard City, Riyadh. It will feature some of the best snooker players in the world, such as current World Snooker Championship holder Luca Brecel, 2019 World Champion Judd Trump, and record seven-time winner Ronnie O’Sullivan.
Every match will follow World Snooker’s rules and regulations, but a brand-new, creative idea will be introduced.
“The World Snooker Tour is extremely honored to collaborate with HE Advisor Turki Alalshikh to host an event in Saudi Arabia for the first time,” stated Steve Dawson.
We regard this as the start of a new chapter for our sport in the area. This is a significant breakthrough for snooker into a new territory.
We are excited to participate in this amazing new tournament, which will showcase the top players in the globe, throughout Riyadh Season. It will be our pleasure to introduce our sport to the magnificent city of Riyadh, and this will be the local fans’ first opportunity to witness some of the greatest snooker players ever.
The itinerary and confirmation for all 10 participants will be released in
The first World Snooker tournament in Saudi Arabia with a 167 maximum break
World Masters of Snooker’s Riyadh Season is expected to support the kingdom’s sports schedule even more.
The World Snooker Tour has announced Saudi Arabia will host its first ever invitational snooker event with the introduction of a new golden ball which could increase the maximum break to 167. The inaugural Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker will take place in March and seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan is set to feature in the ten-player field alongside 2019 world champion Judd Trump and current holder Luca Brecel. The tournament will see the introduction of a 23rd golden ball, known as the Riyadh Season ball, which will be worth 20 points. However, this can only be potted once a maximum break of 147 has been completed. The three-day event will take place at Boulevard Arena in Boulevard City, Riyadh, from 4th to 6th
Eddie Hearn confirmed the event will feature the top eight players in the world including two wildcards and a prize pool of US$1 million.
Trump believes snooker heading to Saudi Arabia is “amazing” for the sport.
He told World Snooker Tour on X: “It’s amazing for snooker to be going to different places.
“It’s amazing to be going back to China and feel appreciated again.
“I think we are seeing snooker in new territories now with exhibitions popping up in different places and it’s amazing that Saudi Arabia want to get involved.”
Amnesty International urged snooker’s leading stars to seize the opportunity to speak out about human rights abuses.
Peter Frankental, Amnesty International UK’s economic affairs director, said: “It was just a matter of time before Saudi Arabia’s huge sportswashing machine sucked in snooker along with almost every other major world sport.
“If the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump play in Riyadh, they shouldn’t hesitate to speak out about human rights.”
