JOHN HIGGINS HAS described Ronnie O’Sullivan’s comments telling young children not to take up snooker as a “disgrace”.
Six-time world champion O’Sullivan said that he would not recommend children pursue a career in snooker and suggested they play golf, football or tennis instead.
Higgins, a four-time world champion, told Eurosport at the Scottish Open: “I thought it was a disgrace what he was saying about the young kids should not play snooker.
“I thought that was dreadful for someone as good as that to sit there and say that.”
Reflecting on his own snooker career, Higgins said: “I would only think of myself if my dad had heard Steve Davis or Jimmy White say that – don’t get your kids into it and I was wanting to play snooker.
“And my dad saying ‘Steve Davis said you shouldn’t be playing snooker. So you’re not getting the money to go down and practice’. It was terrible Ronnie saying that, he should know better.”
O’Sullivan also spoke of the difficulties that lower-ranked players face with lack of prize money, adding that expenses should be covered for first-round losers.
Higgins said: “He is right what he’s saying about the first-round prize money. I agree with that if you’re a professional.
“I don’t think the top players would miss it off the winning cheque. Judd beat me in the Champion of Champions and won £150,000. I won £60,000.
“If you’d say maybe take £20,000 off Judd he wouldn’t miss that and that could funnel down into the youngsters.”
Cheating the first time is difficult but it’s get easier every time. If world athletics bodies are serious there should be a lifetime ban for every offender, no excuses.
@EK:
Exactly, This can be easily done by making it too risky to cheat with illegal performance enhancers, a lifetime ban is the only way for proven cheats.
It’s a pretty big jump to drag Justin into this story other than for clickbait….and if I was offered 250,000 dollars I’d get my hands on some performance enhancing drugs for you too.
@Markonline: ah do you not think the PEDs made that jump a bit easier ??
@Limón Madrugada: it’s his coaches, not Gatlin.
@Markonline: Fair play, its all about the way you were brought up i suppose….
@Minom Pnnomm: so he did win a gold on drugs.
Hgh is everywhere..athletics and most sports at the highest level are a game of not getting caught
“Why always me?”
What a dope
How does this implicate Gatlin? Surely this applies to the BBC sports personality Of The year.
@Darren Egan: good point on the double standards. Plenty of potentially dodge English athletes. Farah and Kelly Holmes at the top of the list
Sir Bradley Williams…sky cycling in general
Who honestly gives a crap. So he runs one hundred metres really fast. Who gives a crap. I still have to go to work in the morning
Gatlin should have never been allowed to compete after the first time. Cheats have destroyed genuine competitors lives and taken the accolades deserving to them, Sonia O’ Sullivan comes to mind.
Seb Coe – what a clown
@Shane Gleeson: disaster of a tenure in his job generally.
And still the British press ignore the stink surrounding Mo Farah.
Anyone on a TUE from Waa is a cheat in my book, I think they are ALL on drugs but that is my personal opinion?