Talk of China ruling snooker after Zhao's title

Zhao Xintong's historic World Snooker Championship title is set to spur the game to even greater heights in China, and sparked predictions the country could come to dominate the sport.

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BEIJING - Zhao Xintong's historic World Snooker Championship title is set to spur the game to even greater heights in China, and sparked predictions the country could come to dominate the sport.

The 28-year-old left-hander beat three-time world champion Mark Williams of Wales at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre on May 5 to become the first Asian to clinch snooker's biggest prize.

Zhao celebrated by draping the Chinese flag over his shoulders and, back home, he has been hailed as a national hero - his victory going viral on social media in the country.

His 20-month suspension in 2023 for his minor involvement in a betting scandal, with nine other Chinese snooker players also banned, has been largely forgiven.

"My phone hasn't stopped ringing with calls from media and parents," Zhang Dongtao, head coach at the Beijing-based World Snooker Academy - which has trained most of China's stars, including Zhao - told AFP.