The world is full of sports with each one requiring a differing skill set for the athletes. Some require speed and strength to succeed but not all. Snooker is one sport that doesn’t require great speed, strength, or agility but rather a keen mind. Initially invented in 1875 by a British officer stationed in India, snooker is a beloved English sport. It has grown in popularity and expanded into different nations, including China, Thailand, Pakistan, and many more. In this article, we will discuss the top snooker nations based on world snooker country rankings. Let’s get started!
1. England
It is no surprise that the UK dominates international snooker competition. More than half of the world snooker tournaments are held in the UK and Ireland. In the last 40 years 78% of the players featured in the top 32 rankings have been British and Irish.
There are many professional snooker players from England who have won titles and world championships, including Alfie Burden, Ian Burns, Stuart Bingham, and more.
Alfie Burden initially wanted to be a footballer but had to give up on his dream due to a bad leg injury. He later realized his snooker talent and qualified for the World Championship in 1998. In 2009, he won the World Amateur Championship in India. He also played in the quarter-finals of the Gibraltar Open in 2017. Soon after, in 2020, he announced his retirement but returned in 2021 to Q School and won a two-year Tour Card.
2. Thailand
Besides China, another country in Asia that has great interest in snooker is Thailand. The southeast Asian nation had a quartet of players participating in the 2018 World Championship. Popular names like James Wattana and Thepchaiya Un-Nooh are considered some of the best snooker players in Thailand history.
James Wattana, nicknamed “Tong Sit Choic” in Thailand, is a former Thai professional snooker player. He won his first major tournament at age 16, the Thailand Masters. His career peaked in 1994-1995 when he reached #3 on the world snooker ranking list. At the age of 48, he is still in the top 100.
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh is also a Thai professional snooker player and has won the 2019 Snooker Shout Out ranking event. He is the second player in Thailand to win a ranking event and is considered one of the fastest snooker players, with an average of less than 17 seconds per shot.
3. Scotland
Scotland is 2nd in the world snooker country rankings. There is a long list of professional Scottish snooker players like Graeme Dott, Scott Donaldson, John Higgins, and more.
Graeme Dott is a professional snooker player and has won 2 ranking titles: the 2006 World Snooker Championship and 2007 China Open. In 2018, he became a finalist in the German Masters and Shoot Out but lost to Mark Williams and Michael Georgiou, respectively. In 2020, he played the finals of the World Grand Prix but lost to Neil Robertson.
Scott Donaldson won the 2012 EBSA European Snooker Championship. In 2017, he reached his first ranking event semi-finals at Welsh-Open and won 5 matches. Finally, in 2020, he won the Championship League by beating Graeme Dott in the finals and earned a spot at Champions of Champion.
4. Wales
Wales is another top country in the world snooker country rankings. It has emerging talent and professional snooker players like Jamie Clarke, Ryan Day, Dominic Dale, and more.
Ryan Day has ranked #6 globally and has won 3 ranking titles. In the 2000-2001 season, he was named the “Young Player of Distinction of the Season” by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA). In 2017, he won his first ranking title at Riga Masters and his second ranking title in 2018 at Gibraltar Open. In 2020, he won his third ranking title at Shoot Out.
Dominic Dale is a professional snooker player and commentator on BBC. He has won two ranking titles at the Grand Prix (1997) and Shanghai Masters (2007). In 2014, he won the one-frame Shoot Out in Blackpool and reached the quarter-finals of the World Championship but lost to Berry Hawkins.
Conclusion
Based on the SDB ranking, England stands at the top, followed by Scotland, Wales, China, Thailand, and Ireland. The globalization of snooker has revolutionized the sport in Asian countries, and the chances of Thai snooker players becoming World Champions continue to grow.
