Ronnie O’Sullivan warns he will QUIT snooker unless the sport’s chiefs meet his demands with the game at a ‘crossroads’ in row over China events

Ronnie O’Sullivan has warned he will quit snooker if he is banned from playing in China.

Exhibition events in the Far East are becoming increasingly lucrative, but often clash with World Snooker Tour events. O’Sullivan and other British players are contracted to play in WST tournaments and could face sanctions if they miss events to play abroad.

The seven-time world champion says the sport is at a ‘crossroads’.

O’Sullivan said in an interview with the BBC to promote his new documentary: ‘If I can’t go and do what I need to do, which is play a lot in China, I will never play again. So we are now at a crossroads of sorts.

‘If it gets to the point where I can’t do that anymore, then I’m not allowed to do that, then I probably won’t play. I’m probably going to play Chinese 8-Ball because I still want to play snooker, I still want a cue in my hand.

Exhibition events in the Far East are becoming increasingly lucrative, but often clash with World Snooker Tour events. O’Sullivan is pictured here at the 2023 Wuhan Open

‘There’s just not enough here in Britain to justify the effort I’ve put into it.

“If someone is going to respect me and appreciate me more, why wouldn’t I go there? It’s like if you’re in an unhealthy relationship with someone, why would you have that?

‘I would love to continue playing snooker for the next five, six, seven, eight years, but if I find myself in a situation where that’s not possible, I’m not going to just do that. accept what 132 players also do, which is to play tournament after tournament, week in, week out.’

O’Sullivan has famously mocked the standard on the WST in the past, suggesting he would have to lose a limb to drop down the rankings.

He still holds that position and claims he is ‘rebelling’ against mediocrity.

‘I don’t think it’s very difficult to be a top 16 snooker player. I could probably get away with playing once a week for two or three hours a day,” O’Sullivan, 47, added.

The seven-time world champion poses for photos with his fiancée Laila Rouass at the premiere of his new documentary ‘Ronnie O’Sullivan: The Edge of Everything’

‘I find it difficult to put myself in their shoes, because I was in their shoes and I didn’t accept the top 50 as okay.

‘I’m not a great fan of mediocrity… I find it quite disgusting in some ways when I see people accepting that. That’s why I don’t hang out with snooker people at venues because I just don’t enjoy watching it.

‘I don’t think there are enough good matches. I think there are a lot of players that people don’t know, who don’t play the game the right way.”

Ronnie O’Sullivan: Amol Rajan Interviews airs on Wednesday at 7pm on BBC Two and will be available on BBC iPlayer