Stephen Lee hails Barry Hearn for recent changes in snooker calendar – Snooker News
Winner of the 2011-12 Players Tour Championship (PTC) Grand Finals, England’s Stephen Lee performed convincingly in the previous season claiming a couple of minor ranking snooker tournaments. Despite the fact that the Englishman was unable to win any major
event, he still managed to stay in the Top 16 and participate in the 2012 World Snooker Championship.
Meanwhile, the chances for him to win the major ranking snooker events has increased because the World Snooker Chairman, Barry Hearn announced that the snooker governing body, World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association has added some more events
on the yearly calendar. Hearn made this announcement during the final proceedings of the 2012 World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
Due to Hearn’s initiatives, the game of snooker has drastically changed in the past couple of years and has rapidly evolved. He wants to bring more money into the game so that all potters can pocket something at the end of the season.
Lee appreciates Hearn for his impressive work in the management and believes that increased number of tournaments will surely help potters to not only improve their game but also earn handsome money out of the calendar.
Speaking to the local media, Lee said, “Snooker is a proper sport now and Barry Hearn's done a cracking job with the game. He's turned my life around. A few years back, I was getting six tournaments a season and when you got beaten, you had a five or six-week
wait and that is too long in professional sport. You need momentum in sport.”
He added, “But now, with more tournaments and with regular PTC events, the standard is so much higher now and this is a great time for them to get involved, without a shadow of a doubt.”
He recently visited Rileys Cueball Snooker Club, Mansfield Road where he met the young potters. He spent some time with them and gave them many useful playing tips. He was feeling very happy to see young talent emerging with each passing day. Lee reckoned
that the youngsters have got a great career ahead and can become top players in the future.
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