Ssb - ali carter: An uncertain future

[ferret]

When Ali Carter tweeted that he was considering retirement after losing in this season’s UK Championship his words were treated with widespread scepticism, the kneejerk response of a player disappointed by defeat and frustrated with the vagaries of form.

However, Carter has withdrawn from next week’s World Open and ongoing issues with Crohn’s disease raise a question mark over his professional future.

Ali has fought this condition largely in private, never using it as an excuse for poor results. He has played in tournaments even when not feeling fit.

He told The Times recently of how Crohn’s disease affects him: “When things are really bad you can be curled up on your bed, in excruciating pain, with stomach cramps and spasms.

“I have felt like that out in the arena and all you can do is suffer it. Your stomach bloats and it has been so bad that it was hard to bend down over the table. You take painkillers but then you feel washed out.”

Carter has been one of snooker’s more industrious players, not relying solely on his playing career for income and future security.

He owns a snooker club, has invested in property and is a qualified pilot.

Results have dried up of late and he has a big chunk of points to come off after the World Championship having reached the semi-finals at the Crucible two years ago, which means his top 16 place is under threat.

It would be very disappointing to lose a talent such as Carter from the game but he has to decide what is best for him and his family.

His plight is a reminder that players are not commodities but human beings with human frailties which can and do intrude on their professional lives.


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[Neil Taperell]

Good luck to him with his Health issues...... hope he manages to play on .

[ryanc147]

he always beats me when I play him always knocks in sizable breaks

[ADR147]

i would be very saddened to lose ali from the tour.

[LittleMissAlexa]

the only person who would be ok with Alister retiring would be whoever finishes the season 65th

[cueman]

I actually thought that he got over Crohn's and that he was alright. Now that he has said he still suffers with it and by the sounds of it during matches, its no wonder he's contemplating giving it up. I think diseases like this normally can flare up when you are under pressure, so the very nature of competition could be something that makes his condition harder to live with.
I'd say it would be sad to see him pack it in but if his health is going to suffer for it then its just not worth it.

[merlin1234]

yeah, I mean, I assume everybody knows how excruciating bad guts/trapped wind can be. Having to put up with that sort of discomfort for long periods while trying to play world class snooker under massive pressure can't be much fun.

Good luck to the guy. Sad to see such a fine, fine player give the game up but from the sound of it it might be the right thing for him to do.

Any chance of his getting a wildcard onto the pro tour if he were to take the game up again in a few years if his condition improves?

[FerruleFox]

Ali's such a talent, it would be a real shame to see him retire just because he lost his top 16 spot. But it's his health and his decision so all the best to him.

[platt]

I have someone very close to me who suffers from this problem as well, when you see the effects this disease has on the person and there is nothing you can do for them to ease it for them its terrible. Ali has done so well over the years to be even able to play i take my hat off to him...