Snooker - Game or Sport?

With the World Championship beginning, once again the old battle of identifying snooker as a game or sport has emerged.

The label of "game" carries the negative connotations that a certain sport is trivial. This seems to be levelled at snooker for two reasons. Firstly, the lack of physical prowess and stature required for snooker seems to place it outside the realm of sport. However, the skill and intelligence required to form and carry out an intricate snooker strategy must be considered in the same vein. One may not have to train their body, but the honing of the mind required for snooker is the same process in a different sphere.

Secondly, elements of snooker have placed it as a more elitist form of entertainment. While it is true that there is a more calm and reserved atmosphere at a snooker match, this certainly does not make it any less of a sport. The level of control and decorum is indicative of the respect between players, not a heightened level of haughtiness. But this is a false image in any case, with snooker clubs across Europe allowing people to play the sport regardless of social standing.

Overall, snooker has many parallels with sporting events such as tennis and golf and yet does not suffer the frivolity of false labels. If these absurd reasons for labelling snooker as a trivial "game" are placed aside, snooker will finally be able to take its place alongside other great sporting activities. This would expand the sport and encourage greater participation and competition.

When this years contest in The Crucible comes to a close we will have a new World Snooker Champion. I do hope that they will be rightly considered among sporting legends.

-The English Student