Ronnie O’Sullivan Initiates Public Strike Against Snooker Authorities

Ronnie O’Sullivan, the seven-time world champion in snooker, has recently declared that he is “on strike” when it comes to achieving 147 maximum breaks, igniting yet another dispute with the sport’s governing bodies. Throughout his illustrious career, O’Sullivan has often clashed with snooker authorities, frequently threatening retirement and voicing grievances about various aspects of the game, including playing standards, venue quality, and prize money.

His latest contention revolves around the perceived inadequacy of the rewards for hitting snooker’s ultimate break, despite his own remarkable record of 15 maximum breaks. O’Sullivan, aged 48, asserts that the current prize for achieving a 147 is not commensurate with the achievement, thus discouraging players from attempting it. He contends that he could have amassed even more maximum breaks if he had not intentionally ceased trying to achieve them.

Speaking during his punditry duties for Eurosport at the Welsh Open, O’Sullivan responded to Gary Wilson’s 147 break in the semi-final by suggesting he could have achieved five or six more himself but chose not to due to his ongoing strike. He insists that he will continue this stance until the prize money for a maximum break is significantly increased, proposing £147,000 as an appropriate reward.

O’Sullivan’s dissatisfaction with prize money for maximum breaks is not new. In 2016, during the Llandudno tournament, he famously opted to pot a pink to end a potential 147 break prematurely, citing the meager £10,000 bonus as insufficient incentive. He expressed similar sentiments at the UK Championship, where the prize was £15,000, indicating that such amounts were not worth the effort for him.

Despite disappointing fans by withdrawing from the Llandudno event, O’Sullivan remains a dominant force in the sport, with numerous tournament victories to his name, including four wins at the Welsh Open. Gary Wilson emerged victorious at Venue Cymru, defeating Martin O’Donnell in the final, but O’Sullivan’s stance on prize money for maximum breaks continues to spark debate within the snooker community.