After a punishing 5-1 first round defeat at the China Open, Li
Hang was puzzled to find himself the center of media attention.
However, aged just 16 and beaten by an opponent of the calibre
of world number 1 Ken Doherty, perhaps it was understandable that
Li should be in such demand.
"I played quite a good game, didn't I?" he told reporters.
"Playing against him was simply unbelievable. I'm used to watching
him on television.
"I made some good pots, I mean, I think my boss was watching the
match on TV and I don't know if there is any chance he can send me
to the UK just like Ding Junhui. The match really gave me a lot of
confidence."
Adding to the joy, his performance was hailed by his hero
Doherty.
"Li is obviously impressive, he is young and talented," said
Doherty. "I hope I can remember this match and have some more great
matches like this in the future."
Li was not the only beneficiary.
The tournament, now in its third year, plays a crucial role in
snooker's development in China. It is helping the sport switch from
the back alleys to the mainstream, and at the same time it is also
helping young talent like Li find a way into the professional
ranks.
"The China Open is a door for Chinese players," said Zhang
Xiaoning, director of the Multi-ball Games Administrative Center,
the governing body of the sport in China. "Playing against the big
names helps them know where they are going to go and how good they
can be. They are on their way to becoming professionals."
Five out of eight Chinese wildcard players beat their pro
opponents to reach the event's main draw, something that delighted
Zhang.
"Everybody sees their improvement, it has given us the
confidence to increase investment in the sport and import more
international tournaments to China."
Before 2006 the State General Administration of Sports didn't
give any financial support to this non-Olympic sport, and most
teenage hopefuls would opt for jobs like coaching in local amateur
clubs.
But Zhang said the Center has put one million yuan (130,000 U.S.
dollars) into snooker in 2007, including supporting players in
overseas events and developing the sport at the grassroots level.
The budget is set to be increased next year.
In a bid to give home players more top-level experience, the
Center will stage another top tournament the Shanghai Invitational
at the end of the year. Negotiations are also underway with the
World Snooker Association for some other small international
events.
"We are working on bringing 10 Main Tour stages to China," said
Zhang. "In this way, our players are able to win more ranking
points and experience without paying that much."
Snooker's big names are behind the direction the sport is
taking.
"China has made a strong impact on the sport, not only on its
players but also on the growing atmosphere," said former world
champion Jimmy White. "Everybody is learning to appreciate snooker,
from fans, media, sponsors as well as officials."
Stephen Hendry echoed this point of view, saying the country is
set to become a major player in the snooker world.
"I think China will become a major snooker base in the near
future," he said. "They are getting more professional year by year,
and I've seen great improvement.
"The tournament is great for the sport and great for Chinese
fans. The idea to give local players eight wildcards is very good
and the boys also proved they could play as well as their British
counterparts."
Challenges, however, remain. After Ding Junhui was eliminated in
round one, attendances at the Beijing University Students Gymnasium
plummeted. During the final between Graham Dott and Jamie Cope on
Sunday, only about 30 percent of the seats were taken.
The World Snooker Association, the global governing body of the
sport, said they had learned from the tournament.
"The Chinese market has great potential, but it's a hard market
and not easy to get involved," said Simon Leach, who heads the
organization's Beijing office. "We want to help China promote the
sport, and we are also learning to do it in the right way through
the China Open."
He added that the England-based World Snooker Association is
branching out to help promote the sport in China, including setting
up its first overseas office in Beijing in 2005.
"We get to know more Chinese players, the national training
system, the market, and now we are taking steps to improving," he
said.
(Xinhua News Agency April 4, 2007)
