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World Snooker Championship postponed due to coronavirus

The World Snooker Championship is the latest major sporting event to be postponed due to the coro...



World Snooker Championship pos...
Other Sports

World Snooker Championship postponed due to coronavirus

The World Snooker Championship is the latest major sporting event to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Qualifiers were due to get underway at Sheffield's English Institute of Sport on April the 8th with the main tournament at the Crucible between April 18th and May the 4th.

They're now likely to be pushed back to July and August of this year instead.

"We are awaiting feedback from the BBC and our other principal broadcasters before dates are confirmed and we hope to make a further announcement in the coming days," the World Snooker Tour confirmed in a statement.

"When new dates are confirmed, tickets for the final stages will be automatically transferred and we will also outline the policy for refunds at this point. All ticket holders will be contacted and the Crucible website and social media will be updated – we respectfully ask that ticket holders don’t contact the Crucible Box Office at this time."

Tour chairman Barry Hearn says it's a "tough time" for the sport but that they're "determined to get through it:

"Fans around the world – as well as the 144 players involved – are anxious to know if and when the World Championship will go ahead. I can assure everyone that we are doing all we can alongside our broadcasters, the venues and other partners to confirm new dates as soon as possible.

"Snooker players are self-employed, they need opportunities to earn prize money so we have a responsibility to them. We are currently exploring the potential to stage tournaments behind closed doors to keep the circuit alive, with more details to follow next week.

"Live televised coverage of the biggest sporting events can be an inspiration to people around the world in these challenging times so it is important that we strive to find solutions for our tournaments.”

 

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