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Mike Chan

A former coach of Chinese snooker rising star Wu Yize said the reigning world champion was playing a “perfect” game and did not need to change anything going forward.
The Chinese youngster could also be considered a better player than a couple of other former world champions when they were at his current age of 22.
Well regarded as one of the most aggressive and offensive players, Wu was often labelled a scoring machine with few safety games to his credit, but Django Fung, who coached Wu for 13 months in 2024, did not agree.
“Wu didn’t have a safety game [when he came to me] because he didn’t know the aspect of it, but now he has got a very good safety game,” he said. “When Wu beat Mark Selby 13-11 in the second round, he didn’t win because he outpotted Mark, but [because] he made fewer mistakes in safety exchanges.
“Wu held his own against a very good defensive player, one of the best in the world, and he didn’t feel awkward playing against Selby; he looked comfortable.”
Hongkonger Fung, who manages top players such as world No 2 Neil Robertson and four-time world champions Selby and Shaun Murphy, also said his former disciple was playing his game perfectly at the moment.

“He’s got a very good attacking game, which puts his opponents on edge,” Fung said. “They actually had to try extra hard to get the cue ball safe because of how accurate Wu is with it.
“That is a weapon on his own. He has to let other players worry about him as long as he actually has a safety game. He doesn’t have to be like Selby and try to snooker people every time.
“As long as he can put the cue ball in a decent place, he will put pressure on other players to pot it. Because if you don’t pot it, Wu is going to clear up. And that’s a very good weapon to have.”
Having worked with the likes of Judd Trump, Luca Brecel and Jack Lisowski, Fung also believed that Wu was better than all three when they were aged 21.
“Wu’s safety game was better than Judd’s when Trump was 21, when he worked with me,” he said. “They’re both accurate, but I will say Wu’s breakbuilding is a little better at 21 years old than Judd was at the same age.
“I also worked with Luca, and Jack [Lisowski], one of the best with his cue in the game at 21, but Wu was the best at that age than the other two.”
Last week, Wu beat Murphy 18-17 at the Crucible Theatre to win the world championship in Sheffield. That prompted English player David Gilbert to blast the younger generations in his country as “lazy and refusing to work as hard” as their Chinese counterparts.
“Sadly, in this day and age, the kids don’t want to play snooker. It’s too hard and everybody wants to be a social Instagrammer, vlogger, whatever you call them,” said the 44-year-old from Leicestershire. “They want to make money from holding a phone. Nobody wants to graft for anything any more.
“So that’s quite sad … The Chinese guys are taking over. They work hard and they deserve all they get for it. It’s a tough game and you’ve got to put the time in, that’s the problem.”

Fung, however, disagreed and pointed to the difference between the two countries as the main factor.
“The population in China, and the facilities available to Chinese youngsters, are much greater than they are in the United Kingdom or Europe,” the Hongkonger said. “There are dedicated academies so the youngsters can sign up from a very young age, whereas in the UK, they have to be in school full time until the age of 16.
“They also have social media accounts in China, so I don’t think that’s the issue. I think for the youngsters, if they want to be somewhere, they will work hard. In China, they can hone their skills from 10, 11 or 12 years old, almost playing full time. That four, five years is a massive gap, and the facilities available in the two countries were just too different [numbers wise].”


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World Snooker

China’s Wu Yize has a very good attacking game that puts his opponents “on edge”, Django Fung says. Photo: Xinhua

Django Fung (left) manages world No 2 Neil Robertson, among others. Photo: Handout

Django Fung (right) says Wu Yize was better than Judd Trump (left) at age 21. Photo: Handout

China’s emerging football generation rising to the occasion gives fans glimmer of hope

Forward Wang Yudong (left), who plays for Zhejiang FC, is the 19-year-old poster boy of a talented and likeable emerging generation. Photo: Imaginechina

Hu Hetao (right) of China played an important role for the team at the AFC U23 Asian Cup. Photo: Xinhua

Supporters backed the young players at the AFC U23 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia. Photo: Xinhua

Online community attacks selection criteria for China’s Asian Games table tennis teams

Wang Manyu (left) and Sun Yingsha will almost certainly fill the first two places in China’s women team for the Asian Games in Nagoya in September. Photo: EPA-EFE

China’s mainstays, Lin Shidong (left) and Wang Chuqin, will probably lead the men’s team at the Asian Games. Photo: Xinhua

Many fans believe the spot for the player born after 2004 will go to Chen Yi. Photo: Xinhua

Japan are ahead in developing young players, such as Miwa Harimoto, fans say. Photo: AP

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China

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Fung, who coached the 22-year-old for 13 months in 2024, says youngster is better than other world champions when they were at the same age


Fung, who coached the 22-year-old for 13 months in 2024, says youngster is better than other world champions when they were at the same age.


Judd Trump

Neil Robertson

China’s world snooker champion Wu Yize playing ‘perfect’ game, says ex-coach Django Fung

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Fung, who coached the 22-year-old for 13 months in 2024, says youngster is better than other world champions when they were at the same age

Fung, who coached the 22-year-old for 13 months in 2024, says youngster is better than other world champions when they were at the same age