Hearn threatens to move World Snooker Championship
The Peninsula
Sheffield: Promoter Barry Hearn has threatened to move the World Snooker Championship from its Sheffield home in favour of a rotation of host venues p...
Sheffield: Promoter Barry Hearn has threatened to move the World Snooker Championship from its Sheffield home in favour of a rotation of host venues potentially including Saudi Arabia.
The viability of Sheffield's Crucible Theatre to stage the World Championship came into question ahead of the latest edition of the tournament, which started last weekend.
Seven-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan suggested it should be moved to Saudi Arabia or China in order to maximise profit potential.
Underlining the issues with the ageing venue, Iran's Hossein Vafaei blasted conditions at the Crucible, calling it "smelly" and comparing practice room facilities to playing in a garage after losing in the first round to Judd Trump.
The Crucible's current deal expires in 2027 and Hearn said there should be no room for sentiment over the future of the venue.
