The 2019 World Snooker Championship

By Tony Matthews (Saturday, April 20 - Monday, May 6 ) Did you know that snooker was founded in the late 19th century by British Army soldiers stationed in India… and these were soon joined by players from Europe and the Commonwealth.

Nowadays, snooker is played worldwide, including the East and Southeast Asian nations like China, Hong Kong and Thailand. And, indeed, right now there are some terrific snooker stars in the Far East.

The annual world championship comprises 32 professional players who compete in one-on-one matches covering a single elimination format.

The participants for the event are selected through a mix of the world snooker rankings, and a pre-tournament qualification round.

The reigning champion is Welshman Mark Williams, who won the 2018 final against Scotland's John Higgins by 18 frames to 16. This was Williams' third championship, having previously won in 2000 and 2003.

Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Selby, Australian Neil Robertson, Mark Allen and Stuart Bingham, among others, will all be aiming to claim Williams’ crown when the action gets underway tomorrow in Sheffield.

This year the winner will collect £500,000, from a total pool of £2,231,000. The runner-up will win £200,000 while the two losing semifinals will each bank £100,000.

Fact File

The first world championship of 1927 at Camkin's Hall, Birmingham, was won by the legendary Joe Davis.

In 1977, the tournament moved to the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield where it has remained to this day.

Stephen Hendry has been the most successful player in modern times, having won the championship a record seven times.