RONNIE’S CHINESE TORTURE

RONNIE O’SULLIVAN reckons only radical change can help the UK keep pace with the conveyor belt of snooker talent from China.

The Rocket insists many of the 128 professionals are not good enough – and are learning nothing from regular drubbings at the hands of the big boys. Five-time world champion O’Sullivan says youngsters would benefit from a return to a tougher schooling in the amateur ranks.

That would require the sort of funding being poured into Chinese snooker – and O’Sullivan wants a ‘second division’ with clear promotion and relegation.

O’Sullivan (above) said: “A lot of the players you see on the tour are not actually good enough to be on the tour yet. They should be on a separate tour, fighting among themselves, getting results, learning how to play snooker. But they are coming into these tournaments as a lower-ranked player, getting drawn against a John Higgins or a Shaun Murphy, getting smashed 4-0, and not really taking anything from it.

“China is doing it the right way with their academies and they are backing their youngsters.

“I would like to see snooker doing much more for the amateur game, the grass roots, the kids. Let’s get snooker clubs busy again putting on tournaments.”