Allen's Honest Assessment of Saudi Snooker Atmosphere
Northern Ireland's Mark Allen has delivered a frank assessment of the environment at snooker's Saudi Arabian tournaments, admitting that the crowds and atmosphere leave a lot to be desired. The world-class player, however, is advocating for patience, believing the sport needs time to build its popularity in the region.
Allen is in Riyadh this week as the defending champion of the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship, an invitational event now in its third edition. He secured the title last December by beating a formidable line-up including Mark Selby, Ronnie O'Sullivan, and Luca Brecel.
A Pragmatic View on Tournament Success
While proud of his victory, Allen is realistic about where it ranks among his career achievements. 'I'm not going to be stupid and talk it up like a UK [Championship] win or a Masters win or even a Northern Ireland Open win for me,' Allen stated. 'But I think it's always good to win any event that's just the top players in the world involved in.'
He emphasised the challenge of competing in an elite-field event, where every match is a severe test. 'You need to be on it from ball one,' he explained. 'And I know that if I go out there on Thursday and don't perform, I'll probably lose.' Allen begins his title defence on Thursday against either Ding Junhui, John Higgins, or Saudi wildcard Ayman Alamri, with the winner set to receive a £250,000 prize.
The tournament also features its unique $1 million bonus for the first-ever 167 break, achieved by potting a golden ball after a maximum 147.
Building a Snooker Culture in Saudi Arabia
The lack of spectators at the Saudi events has been a recurring topic, and Allen did not shy away from the issue. 'Yeah, I'm not going to lie. There's not many people that come to watch,' he conceded. 'The atmosphere hasn't been great for any of the matches so far.'
Despite the current situation, the 'Pistol' urged a long-term perspective, drawing a parallel with snooker's expansion into China. 'Whenever we first started going to China, the crowds weren't good. But look at how popular it is there now,' he recalled. With a 10-year deal signed for events in Saudi Arabia, Allen is hopeful that snooker can achieve similar growth, though he admits playing in near-empty arenas is 'not a lot of fun'.
Fellow professional Shaun Murphy, who played on Wednesday, offered a slightly different view. He predicted better attendances for his match against local wildcard Ziyad Alqabbani and a potential evening clash with Ronnie O'Sullivan. Murphy suggested criticism of the crowds has been 'unfair', attributing the sparse daytime attendance to the extreme heat and noting that sport is consumed later in the evening locally.
The Riyadh Season Snooker Championship continues throughout the week, culminating in the final on Friday evening.
