Snooker has become more and more popular lately. Now, this sport is getting closer to being added to the Olympic program. Cue sports have not yet been included in the program of the 2020 and 2024 Olympics. Despite that 500 million people around the world already watch the competitions in this discipline, and they are played in more than 100 countries.
The growing popularity of snooker does not go unnoticed by bookmakers. Betting on this competition is also becoming more interesting. Almost every betting operator, including Sportingbet, whose review can be found at https://bookmaker-ratings.com/review/obzor-bukmekerskoy-kontorysportingbet/, offers a wide list of the most common events.
Like any sport, snooker faces some challenges along the way. Judd Trump, the ex-world champion in snooker, focuses on them. The athlete leads the world ranking. He has achieved incredible success over the past three seasons, winning his first World Championship and a title at Masters, and has earned more than £ 5 million in prize money throughout his career.
The 31-year-old player does not stop there. He admits that he has many ideas on how to promote snooker. According to the professional, the sport has lagged and does not keep pace with the times. Therefore, changes that will help attract a younger audience are needed now. Otherwise, the discipline might be left far behind other sports.
The main issues
Judd Trump identifies two main issues which relate to how the game is presented to the audience.
Firstly, snooker has an old-fashioned look. The ex-champion thinks the players look completely unattractive to a younger audience. Judd says that snooker is stuck in a rut and lagging behind some other sports, while the image needs to be maintained. Clothes must change, be suitable for the younger generation. In addition, the change of image will allow attracting more sports sponsors.
Secondly, unhealthy nostalgia. The expert believes that snooker is obsessed with the past. Veterans are shown on television, while the focus should be on younger talents. According to Trump, you cannot promote young snooker players by continuing to broadcast footage of players from past eras. Future stars should be advertised, not athletes who have not performed for 10-15 years. Spectators should see young talents not only in the semi-finals of the World Cup but much earlier so that they can choose their favourites and root for them throughout the tournament.
Trump sees an unhealthy view of the past in unpassionate voices too. He criticizes elderly commentators who tell stories from the distant past. The expert believes that modern, exciting voices covering the game will be more pleasant.
What needs to be done
However, the current situation can be reversed. You don’t have to look back to do this. We need to keep up with the times, discover new stars, so that the popularity of snooker, not only in the UK but throughout the world, reaches a new level.
To do this, according to Judd Trump, it is necessary to make changes to the dress code of snooker players, rotate or even update the staff of commentators, launch more TV broadcasts and develop marketing.
The athlete also referred to his colleagues, because everyone can contribute to making snooker more attractive. Trump asked players to reveal their position, to play fast. He believes that this will make snooker understandable and interesting for the audience, which means it will help attract sponsors and increase the prize money.
The expert also believes that increasing funding and attracting people who know how to develop talents will help get out of the dead-end, make snooker more attractive for sponsors on an ongoing basis, including bookmakers.