THE LADY IS RIGHT ON CUE
World champion Ng On-yee of Hong Kong is out to prove a point, as Agence France-Presse reports
Snooker world champion Ng On-yee made history in March by becoming the first Asian to top the women’s world rankings.
Now the Hong Kong pioneer, who embarks on her world-title defense in Malta this week, wants to change the image of the male-dominated game and enable more women to follow in her footsteps.
Instantly recognizable with her large round-rimmed spectacles, Ng, 27, is coy about her achievement, describing her ascent to No 1 as “a surprise” after being informed of it by her coach, Wayne Griffiths.
The milestone came after a record 2017 when Ng won her second world championship and six other titles. But she has no intention of stopping there — now she is striving to make a mark on the men’s circuit.
In 2016 Ng became the first Asian woman to be invited to the men’s world championship and, although she lost in the first qualifying round, she saw it as a valuable learning experience.
She is keen to dispel the image of snooker as a maledominated sport, saying that physical strength does not matter.
“It is a mind game,” Ng said. “To play the best game is to forget about winning and losing and try to apply what I’ve learned from my daily training.”
Overtook rival
In February she finally overtook long-standing world No 1 Reanne Evans of England — who held top spot for a decade — after reaching the semifinals of the British Open.
“Reaching No 1 is one step, maintaining the ranking is another,” Ng said, pointing out the narrow points gap separating the top players.
“I try not to focus too much on it, because whether I’m the world No 1 or not, it shouldn’t affect my game,” she added.
She is part of a growing band of female snooker stars emerging in Hong Kong — there are remarkably three other women from the southern Chinese city occupying spots in the world top 15.
Hong Kong’s best-known men’s player remains veteran Marco Fu — one of Ng’s idols. He is ranked 10th in the world and is a former world championship semifinalist, but the 40-year-old has been forced to take a break while he recovers from an eye problem.
The sport’s popularity is also exploding on the China mainland, which now hosts half a dozen men’s world ranking events.
China’s Ding Junhui, currently ranked fourth, was the first Asian to reach world No 1, in 2016.
Ng said 40-year-old Fu is an inspiration and she sent a message urging him to rest after hearing he had undergone surgery for retinal degeneration in his left eye.
Bow tie and specs
Her own trademark glasses are due to a stigmatism in both eyes and she said the round lenses help her perfect her aim from a variety of angles.
Ng spent her early years running around the snooker hall her parents managed in the working-class Hong Kong district of Sham Shui Po, stacked with high-rise buildings and known for its bustling street market.
Smoke-filled snooker halls are often portrayed as shady dens frequented by triads, but Ng always felt at home there and enjoyed watching her father, who was an amateur player.
She particularly loved his snooker outfit, a sleek vest and bow tie — a look that Ng herself has adopted.
“I wished one day I could wear the same things,” she recalled and started learning the game from her dad when she was 13.
Her father traveled with her to overseas tournaments and would comfort her when she cried after losing.
Burger breaks
“If I practised well, my dad would make a mark on a blackboard. When there were 10 marks, he would reward me with hamburgers and fries,” Ng said.
Her strict eight-hour daily training schedule covers shot selection and fitness at the Hong Kong Sports Institute, although Ng still finds time to play with her dad at his snooker club.
It was a difficult transition from teen student to professional for Ng, who quit school at the age of 17 to choose what she describes as a “different path”.
“Sometimes I felt quite empty when speaking to some of my friends, especially with the topics outside of snooker,” she said. But with the support and understanding of her peer group, she managed to adapt.
Ng returned to studying last year to complete an advanced accounting diploma, but snooker is still her priority.
She sees herself as ambassador for the sport.
“Hopefully I can let people know snooker is a healthy sport and ladies can also play snooker — even with glasses,” she said.
I try not to focus too much on it, because whether I’m the world No 1 or not, it shouldn’t affect my game.” Ng On-yee
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