Snooker an olympic sport?

[s.h442]

Sorry if this has been mentioned before but should snooker have been included in the olympics? My view is that it should be in the olympics.

[Odrl]

It's a topic that comes around every now and then...

My opinion is that, no, snooker should not be in the Olympics. The Olympics should be reserved for sports where an Olympic gold is the most prestigious title that can be won. In snooker, that would not be the case, because there is already an established structure of events.

And from a more practical point of view... The two most important "snooker countries", China and the UK, have held the last two Olympics, so whatever chance there was for snooker, surely it's gone now. There is no way of telling how long it will be before the Olympics are held in a country where there is an audience for snooker again. :wink:

[ace man]

Currently it is a part of World Games along with 2 other cue games. Not all that well known.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Games

[Terry Davidson]

The WPBSA (under the old management) and the IBSF submitted an application to the IOC around 6 years ago to have snooker placed in as a demo sport with a view to making it permanent. I understand the submission didn't fly very well and it was turned down.

The other comment I have is snooker should be at least included in the Commonwealth Games as snooker is played in every commonwealth country. It is in the East Asian games and the African Games too, besides the World Games (Nigel Bond won it last time).

The comment by Odrl regarding an Olympic Gold medal not being as prestigious as winning the world championships may be valid but then again right now there is men's tennis final on for the Gold/Silver and Federer is there along with a top-ranked British pro. There are also a lot of other pro athletes now playing in the Olympic games and I think it should be included.

The reason it should be included is it would bring snooker to a wider world audience and also here in Canada there is no snooker coverage on TV and zero support for it from any sponsors but if it was an Olympic sport that would for sure increase the interest from both the public (we have all day coverage here of the Olympics) and the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC). For instance if a Canadian wins a gold medal he/she is granted $25,000 by the COC which is actually chump change compared to the Russians, Chinese and Americans who get much more.

I think this same thing would apply to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and a few other countries in the same boat as Canada, but the big one would be the USA. All of a sudden there would be major interest, sponsorship from the Olympic committees and also major corporate sponsorship. I've tried unsuccessfully to get sponsorship here in Canada and some of the responses I got were rediculous, like from Sport Canada who said they only sponsor Olympic sports where there is a lot of physical input. My response was to ask if they sponsored shooting and archery and of course they did.

When I see the friggin' TRAMPOLINE as an Olympic sport (Canada won a gold) I am amazed snooker is not there too.

Terry

[SouthPaw]

I think another factor is the fact not many nations would actually have any players good enough to compete, excluding the obvious nationalities you see on the tour etc

[Steve748]

I don't think snooker should be an Olympic event. We have football in the Olympics but not Rugby or cricket and you could say ten pin bowling or crown green bowling are more deserving before snooker!
What next shove 'apenny and threading a needle?

[s.h442]

Allot of excellent comments on this subject. I seem remeber a while ago maybe as long ago as 2000 they mentioned on the bbc that snooker could be in the olympics on either 2008 or by 2012. I guess it wont happen anytime soon.

[DeanH]

previous thread
http://www.thesnookerforum.com/board...-Olympic-Games

[vmax4steve]

The Olympics was fine when it was strictly amateur, once it went professional it lost all credibitlity in my eyes and some of the mickey mouse sports and games now allowed in are frankly ridiculous, grown adults racing each other on kiddies bicycles for example.
As for the football competition and the Olympic ideal, well if any of them were found to be using performance enhancing drugs they would be kicked out and yet that Brazilian Neymar is the biggest bloody cheat since Maradona. Diving around for free kicks and penalties or taking drugs to be faster and stronger, I don't see the difference myself. And no different to those badminton players kicked out for trying to lose to gain an easier match after the round robin stage, which should never have been implemented in the first place. Straight knockout and it wouldn't have happened.

If tennis is allowed in then why not golf ? basketball IMO just gives the big clumsy giants something to excel at, volleyball is fine by me but not beach volleyball, that's nothing more than an excuse to leer at women wearing skimpy knickers, getting sand stuck to their fit sweaty bodies OK it's fine then.
Cues sports though, and I've said this before, could well be represented by US pool which is played in far more countries than snooker and is far more popular worldwide. there is no reason why Britain could not be represented in an Olympic pool competition by Ronnie O'Sullivan, who excelled in the Mosconi cup, and Mark selby, who is an ex 8 ball champion, or any of the British snooker pros to be honest, and I'm sure they would enjoy it too. And if it gained good viewing figures then more cue sports could be introduced.

[Odrl]

The comment by Odrl regarding an Olympic Gold medal not being as prestigious as winning the world championships may be valid but then again right now there is men's tennis final on for the Gold/Silver and Federer is there along with a top-ranked British pro. There are also a lot of other pro athletes now playing in the Olympic games and I think it should be included.

Yes, tennis is the perfect example, along with football perhaps. There just isn't the same sort of anticipation and excitement as you would get before a grand slam. I actually think most people didn't even know who the defending Olympic champion was before these games started. To be honest, I still have no idea. :smile:

So if it was up to me, I wouldn't have tennis in the Olympics. I wouldn't have football either, u23 or otherwise. And I could do without boxing as well. :wink:

[Particle Physics]

I find the over the top gafawring of the 'bbc' Olympics tedious. Thank goodness I can immerse myself in snooker and pretend the rings isn't even happening. The other thing I find annoying is how a gym bunny on a bike can get this knighthood, that knighthood, and the most talented man to have ever held a cue gets diddly squat. Nice that.

We always get the muppets who hit an occasional pool ball down the pub saying snooker isn't even a sport. Yeah, practising for 8 hours a day isn't mentally and physically tiring.

[alabadi]

The Olympics should be reserved for sports where an Olympic gold is the most prestigious title that can be won. In snooker, that would not be the case, because there is already an established structure of events.

if thats the case, Football is played in the Olympics yet the world cup is considered more prestigious.

Alabbadi

[alabadi]

We always get the muppets who hit an occasional pool ball down the pub saying snooker isn't even a sport. Yeah, practising for 8 hours a day isn't mentally and physically tiring.

yeah i agree, a sport is any activity exerted that is physically and mentally challenging. snooker is both of these which makes it a tough sport.

Alabbadi

[Odrl]

if thats the case, Football is played in the Olympics yet the world cup is considered more prestigious.

Exactly. That's why you have the "dumbed down" version in the Olympics, and very little interest compared to the World Cup. I personally don't see the point in that.

There is some talk of basketball taking the same route, with an u23 competition in the Olympics and an extended World Cup type event. Fair enough, but why not just take it out of the Olympics in that case? No one would really care about it...

As I'm sure almost no one cares about a variety of obscure non-sports currently included in the Olympics. But at least winning the Olympic gold medal is the most one can achieve in those sports. It wouldn't be in snooker. :wink:

[ace man]

Cues sports though, and I've said this before, could well be represented by US pool which is played in far more countries than snooker and is far more popular worldwide. there is no reason why Britain could not be represented in an Olympic pool competition by Ronnie O'Sullivan, who excelled in the Mosconi cup, and Mark selby, who is an ex 8 ball champion, or any of the British snooker pros to be honest, and I'm sure they would enjoy it too. And if it gained good viewing figures then more cue sports could be introduced.

Shooting is represented with several disciplines (gun, pistol, etc...), and so should cue sports. I don't agree that pool should be a sole representative. If that were the case, you wouldn't see Ronnie O'Sullivan or any other snooker stars because Britain already has US pool champions who play the game full time. Current World 9ball and US Open champion is a Brit.
US pool is played in more countries, yes...but what game? Believe me, most play some funny obscure bar rules 8ball. You could go through all of Europe's pool halls, ask any casual player about 9ball and they would not know most of the rules, let alone house hold names. They wouldn't have a clue. They would however most likely know who Ronnie O'Sullivan is and what game he plays!