Snooker’s first Asia-Oceania Q School to open in Bangkok
The first ever AsiaOceania Q School will take place in Thailand in June, giving new opportunities for the most talented players in the regions to graduate to the professional tour, organisers said.
Asia-Oceania Q School 2022 will be held in Bangkok, starting on June 1. Two tournaments will be staged, with the finalists from both earning a two-year card to the World Snooker Tour.
In total, four players will be awarded places on the professional circuit for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons.
The event will be open to anyone who is resident in Asia or Oceania, with an entry fee of £400 (approx B17,000). Players cannot enter both Q School events.
“We are absolutely delighted that the WST (World Snooker Tour) and WPBSA (World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association) have given us the opportunity to be the host country for this first ever Asia-Oceania Q School,” Sunthorn Jarumon, president of the Billiards Association of Thailand, told a press conference on Apr 1.
“This will enhance the chance of young players in these regions to earn the spots for the main [professional] tour without having to travel all the way to the UK and can also save a lot of expenses in doing so.
“I strongly encourage players who have always dreamed of becoming professional to take this golden opportunity to earn their tour card right here in Thailand for the next two seasons. We will be looking forward to seeing you soon.”
WST chairman Steve Dawson said: “This is a very significant moment in terms of providing opportunities for the best talent in key growth regions to qualify for the elite World Snooker Tour.
“For the first time now we are staging a Q School event in Asia. Snooker is not a UK sport, it is a completely inclusive sport which belongs to the world. So it is important to provide development pathways for all young players.”
A separate Q School event will be staged in Sheffield, open to anyone in the world, from May 16 to June 5.
Meanwhile, women’s world champion Nutcharut “Mink” Wongharuthai is looking forward to her place on the World Snooker Main Tour next season.
She will compete on the pro circuit tour for two years after winning the women’s final at the Sheffield tournament in February, the first Thai to do so.
Mink now has the opportunity to prove that she is capable of competing with the star names of the sport dominated by men.
“Snooker is for everybody… and now that I can finally play against men, I’m determined to raise my level to be as good as them,” she said.
“These next two years are a great opportunity to show what I can do.”