Should Hong Kong pay athletes more – or less? Snooker, which faces cuts, makes its case
- Players say less funding makes it hard to sustain careers, but their sport, which already had a stay of execution, fails Olympic criterion
Billiard sports, among the 33 sports subsidised by the Hong Kong taxpayer, faces significant cuts to its funding in 2025. In the first of a two-part series, we look at what it means for the players and the health of the game locally.
Fresh from winning the 21st ranking title of her career in Seattle this month, Hong Kong snooker player Ng On-yee’s thoughts returned to the future of the sport in her hometown.
Her triumph at the US Women’s Open gave her a chance of regaining the world No 1 ranking. Yet a question mark hangs over whether the three-time women’s world champion will extend a career that for the past 14 years has been subsidised by Hong Kong government funding.
An athlete can access funds and facilities if their sport has Tier A*, Tier A or Tier B status at the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI), which delivers elite sport training systems on the government’s behalf.
As things stand, billiard sports – snooker and pool – will be demoted from Tier A on March 31 next year, for not meeting the criterion of inclusion in three Olympic or Asian Games between 2010 and 2030.
