Should snooker be part of the Olympic Games?

[Blondie]

Hi guys,

......and I think it should, and maybe London 2012 would be an ideal venue to bring it in, or Beijing 2008?

I've never really understood why snooker is not part of the Olympics, although we have snooker at the Asian Games.

I used to think the reason was because certain sporting governing bodies did not consider snooker to be a sport, but snooker has rules, it's physical, one person v another person, or sometimes team v team, so still don't know the reason why. Not unless the Olympic Committee, or ruling body, has specified criteria/rulings that the sport of snooker does not meet? Does anyone know?

It's a shame though as snooker is a great sport, and I hope it will be part of London 2012, or Beijing 2008.

What do you think?

Lol....xx

[elvaago]

If you add snooker, you'd have to add pool, darts, bowls, and a lot more sports that are basically very similar.

I dunno, I never really saw snooker as an olympic event. It could work, of course. But I don't think snooker players will value it as much as, say, the World Championship, or any of the major tournaments.

Take football. Who knows (or even cares) who the current Olympic Champion football is? Or the olympic champion tennis? Some sports have already got a tournament cycle that will pretty much supecede anything olympic in terms of recognition, prestige and not the least important, prize money.

[Blondie]

If you add snooker, you'd have to add pool, darts, bowls, and a lot more sports that are basically very similar.

I dunno, I never really saw snooker as an olympic event. It could work, of course. But I don't think snooker players will value it as much as, say, the World Championship, or any of the major tournaments.

Hi Elvaago,

.............and must admit I didn't think about the other similar sports, who to be fair, have an equal right to, if they want to, to compete at the Olympics.

For me though as well, I've always seen the 'Olympics' as the greatest accolade, but as you say, maybe the players may not value it as much as the World Championship?

And interested to know, more from a ruling perspective, if snooker could take part in the Olympic Games as a sport?

Lol.....xx

[Nina]

Apparently a sport is not only chosen on a basis of popularity or a definition of whether it's a sport or not... There are 33 criteria for the choice, according to the olympic.org so I don't think it is easy...
I tried to find the questionnaire but couldn't, hope somebody else does, I'm curious now!

[PaulTheSoave]

Though I love snooker to bits, I dont think it should be an olympic sport as it is only played on a professional level in a couple of countries. If it were the case 3 cushion billiards and pool should also be in the olympics as these are played much more globally.

[Blondie]

Apparently a sport is not only chosen on a basis of popularity or a definition of whether it's a sport or not... There are 33 criteria for the choice, according to the olympic.org so I don't think it is easy...
I tried to find the questionnaire but couldn't, hope somebody else does, I'm curious now!

Hi Nina,

.......good to hear from you , and thanks for website. Just had a quick look and yes, there is an evaluation questionnaire, which contains 33 different criteria for completion, which is reviewed by the Olympic Programme Commission. There is also a report which has been published, on findings/evaluation, but couldn't find it, and also couldn't find questionnaire. Will keep looking though....

And dying to know what the 33 criteria could be?

Lol.........xx


Hi Nina,

.........and just had another look on the website, and think this maybe the 33 criteria we discussed yesterday...

http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_813.pdf

.....although at work, so hope insert url works, but really interesting listing, and criteria includes things like:

- history of sport;
- date of first World Championship;
- results of World Championship;
- number of affiliated national federations etc etc ..
.....[and gets a little more complicated as you go through the pages, a little bureaucratic maybe....]

Lol.....xx

[Blondie]

Though I love snooker to bits, I dont think it should be an olympic sport as it is only played on a professional level in a couple of countries.

Hi Paul,

........thinking about it, maybe that's one of the reasons why snooker is not part of the Olympic games, ref: Nina's earlier e-mail on the 33 criteria selection process.

Lol.............xx

[imy147]

Yh i think snooker should be at the olympics! there are far worse sports being played! the popularity of snooker is growing hugely i.e china! i think it would be very enjoyable and entertaining! Defo at london 2012 at the masters arena!

[Blondie]

Yh i think snooker should be at the olympics! there are far worse sports being played! the popularity of snooker is growing hugely i.e china! i think it would be very enjoyable and entertaining! Defo at london 2012 at the masters arena!

Hi Imy,

.......and wouldn't it be great? And it's nice to see that the popularity of snooker is growing, love to see it as a worldwide sport, but that's me dreaming again...

Lol.....xx

[Nina]

.........and just had another look on the website, and think this maybe the 33 criteria we discussed yesterday...

http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_813.pdf

.....although at work, so hope insert url works, but really interesting listing, and criteria includes things like:

- history of sport;
- date of first World Championship;
- results of World Championship;
- number of affiliated national federations etc etc ..
.....[and gets a little more complicated as you go through the pages, a little bureaucratic maybe....]

Thank you for the link Blondie, much appreciated.

It seems to me that a lot of the criteria has to do with money (sponsors, advertisement, attendance of Championships -thus income from tickets etc).
Considering the fact that snooker is always in need of sponsors, and the number of ranking tournaments had decreased in the recent years, I don't see it ever becoming an Olympic sport...

[Blondie]

Thank you for the link Blondie, much appreciated.

It seems to me that a lot of the criteria has to do with money (sponsors, advertisement, attendance of Championships -thus income from tickets etc).
Considering the fact that snooker is always in need of sponsors, and the number of ranking tournaments had decreased in the recent years, I don't see it ever becoming an Olympic sport...

Hi Nina,

........I agree, money is a key driver, and at least they didn't mention it in the first couple of pages...

Lol...xx

[chasmmi]

Cue sports will not be an Olympic s\port till at least 2016 as the events have already been decided up to and including London.

In theory cue sports should be high on the list of potential new sports as they are played in a lot of countries, already play a part in the Asian games and would be cheap and easy to accomodate arena and time wise.

The only event that immediately springs to mind arguably more deserving than snooker is Squash which would have been in London if not for American bitterness at losing Softball and Baseball.

[Blondie]

Cue sports will not be an Olympic s\port till at least 2016 as the events have already been decided up to and including London.

In theory cue sports should be high on the list of potential new sports as they are played in a lot of countries, already play a part in the Asian games and would be cheap and easy to accomodate arena and time wise.

The only event that immediately springs to mind arguably more deserving than snooker is Squash which would have been in London if not for American bitterness at losing Softball and Baseball.

Hi Chasmmi,

..........many thanks for confirming, and that's great, if they can be included in 2016. Here's hoping, and didn't realise that events had been decided upon up to and including London.

And great too that snooker is already part of the Asian Games.

Lol....xx

[Nina]

The only event that immediately springs to mind arguably more deserving than snooker is Squash which would have been in London if not for American bitterness at losing Softball and Baseball.

I'm a little lost here chasmmi... Squash seems to have a very good chance, and what was that about the Americans losing Softball and Baseball? I may have misunderstood but if what you meant is they are not Olympic Sports then that is not true.
Baseball has been an Olympic Sport since 1992 and softball since 1996. I distinctly remember them both being played in Athens in the last Games (in fact Greece made teams especially, as these sports are not normally played here).

[Lee Vilenski]

My Sport is a member (the long one only) As I play Bowls (The short mat veriaty) for the U18 England team.... Lawn Bowls is an olympic sport...