Ronnie O’Sullivan has been no stranger to controversies during his long and glittering career at the Crucible. But the latest one to hang over the snooker legend is not of his own making – for once. It’s the fault of some small-minded critics who believe it was wrong for O’Sullivan to compete in the World Seniors Championship at the same venue.
Certain critics suggested it was inappropriate for O’Sullivan to be competing against rivals who couldn’t hold a torch to the seven-time world champion. Do me a favour. This might be true, but it’s not O’Sullivan’s fault he’s been blessed with more talent than the rest, is it?
Had O’Sullivan chosen to go back to London to enter a competition in the Romford & District Snooker League against a load of amateurs, then the above argument would hold some water.
A bit like when double Olympic champion sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Price decided to compete in the 100m race at her son’s school sports day – and won by a country mile.
But O’Sullivan is now 50. He was just as entitled to enter the Seniors Championship as all the others. For the record, he also beat a former world champion (Ken Doherty) en route to winning the title, following a thumping of Joe Perry. Perry is 51, by the way.
While the likes of Ali Carter, Matthew Stevens and Stuart Bingham, who won the world title in 2015, all took part in the seniors event, but failed to get past the quarter-finals.
Perhaps O’Sullivan fancied the chance to win £30,000? Perhaps he wanted to play more competitive snooker, having been knocked out in the quarter-finals of the World Championship?
Or perhaps he wanted to take on a battle against himself – to prove he still has the motivation to win more prizes to add to the unrivalled legacy he will one day leave behind? But those who love the sport should be grateful he took part. Because it provided some kudos and gravitas to a tournament few would otherwise have been interested in?
He puts bums on seats – and all of his matches were sold out. O’Sullivan takes from the sport – but he also gives back to one which faces a constant battle to be taken seriously.
So how can we now find ourselves living in a world in which the participation of one of Britain’s greatest ever sportspeople in a sport he makes his loving from, is questioned? Snooker has become woke. And who’d have thought it?
Will these people be saying the same thing when Tiger Woods joins the senior PGA Tour, or if Roger Federer decided to do something similar in tennis?
We should learn to treasure these sporting icons while we still can. Not berate them for taking on and beating those who want to do the same thing – but just aren’t good enough to win.