Cue sports fear missing out on funding pot
Officials have warned that one of Hong Kong's biggest sporting success stories is at risk of losing 70 to 80 percent of its funding, with cue sports including snooker, billiard and American pool scheduled to lose the Tier A elite status they've held from the Hong Kong Sports Institute since 2009. Local snooker, pool and billiards players have established themselves as some of the world's best. Fans have seen the likes of Marco Fu and Ng On-yee regularly seal titles on the world snooker circuit. But the sports do not meet the criteria of being included in enough Asian and Olympic Games between 2010 and 2030, to pass for the Tier A level of support. As it stands, the sports would lose this support in mid-2025. Chairman of the Hong Kong Billiard Sports Control Council (HKBSCC), Vincent Law, is fearful young players will lose interest as the SAR withdraws the resources needed to develop the type of superstars and role models Hongkongers have become accustomed to seeing. "I don't think we will have another Ng On-yee, Marco Fu. They are our best players and have earned a reputation outside of Hong Kong," said Law. "But I can't see how we can produce players like that if we are no longer in the Tier A elite position." 24-year-old Cheung Ka Wai, a gold medalist in snooker at the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, says Ng was his idol as a teenager, when she won her first of three World Championships. Now he gets to train with her. “I think the most valuable thing for young snooker players is the opportunity to train at the Hong Kong Sports Institute’s elite training center. This would be the biggest loss.” Law argues the possible impacts of the demotion go even beyond sporting achievement.  "They [Fu and Ng] are like ambassadors in the international sport community and they bring a lot of intangible value to the city." Cue sports have been absent from the Asian Games since their last appearance at Guangzhou 2010. They have been confirmed to return at Doha 2030, but the recent announcement that they will not appear at Aichi-Nagoya in 2026 means cue sports will fall one competition short of qualifying for the Tier A bracket. "It's all about the policy. It's not about whether the athletes are doing a good job, or the coaches are training enough. We are at the mercy of the government." In 2022, the final of the Hong Kong Masters, held at the Hong Kong Coliseum, set a record for the largest live audience for a snooker match, with a crowd of around 9,000 spectators. "The Hong Kong Masters demonstrated to the Hong Kong people that billiard sports are an important soft power for the city. We should be proud of that and we should continue to be able to do so," said Law. "But we need the government to support us." RTHK has contacted the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau for a response.