一 | (ECNS) -- The 2026 China Open Snooker has returned to the World Snooker Tour calendar after a six-year absence, highlighting the rapid growth of snooker in China. With a total prize fund of 1.205 million pounds ($1.38 million) and the world’s top 16 players competing, the tournament has once again become one of the most important snooker events in China. This year, 12 of the 32 players in the main draw come from China, the highest number of Chinese competitors in the tournament’s history. China’s surge is reflected in recent results. In 2025, Zhao Xintong became the first Chinese player to win the World Snooker Championship. In 2026, a record 11 Chinese players qualified for the championship’s main stage. Women’s snooker has also advanced, with Bai Yulu winning the World Women’s Snooker Championship for the second straight year and topping the world rankings. A new generation of Chinese players, including Zhao and Wu Yize, is shifting toward a more aggressive style, supported by a growing talent system from youth training to overseas programs. China has become a hub for international snooker, with the Shanghai Masters, China Open and Wuhan Open forming a “China season” on the tour. The sport’s popularity is further fueled by a vast domestic market — more than 245 million active billiards players, 200,000 venues and an industry worth about 800 billion yuan ($118 billion). During the China Open, snooker-related cultural products and themed activities also attracted strong public interest, showing the sport’s growing popularity beyond professional competition. (By Intern Liu Shuangjing, Zhang Dongfang) 。
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