Snooker news – World Snooker Championship rearranged for July 31 start

ByEurosport

Updated 22/04/2020 at 13:46 GMT

The World Snooker Championship has been rescheduled for a July 31 start at the Crucible Theatre.

Judd Trump celebrates as he wins the 2019 Betfred World Snooker Championship final between John Higgins and Judd Trump at Crucible Theatre on May 06, 2019 in Sheffield, England

Image credit: Getty Images

The event was due to start on Monday but was among the major events postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"Our sincere hope is that we are able to play the tournament with a full crowd as usual," World Snooker Tour (WST) chairman Barry Hearn said in a statement.

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"This event means so much to the fans who have a golden ticket for the Crucible experience, and to the people of Sheffield.

"The players will desperately want to compete in the atmosphere that only a packed Crucible can generate. However if that is not possible then we will give careful consideration to each scenario."

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If advised by the government, WST added they would consider the following scenarios:

Playing the event with a reduced crowd
Playing the event behind closed doors
Postponing the event to a later date again

Judd Trump, who has won a record six ranking titles in 2019-20, will defend his title in Sheffield. The tournament will run from July 31 to August 16, with dates yet to be set for the qualifying rounds.

"The world is going through a very challenging period but live sport can be a massive inspiration for the public and can boost morale. This gives fans of top class sport something on their calendar to look ahead to and enjoy for 17 days," added Hearn.

"It is crucial for our 128 tour players to know that we are doing everything we can to get our circuit going again as soon as it is considered safe to do so by the government. The players are self-employed and they need opportunities to earn, while we keep the health and safety of everyone involved in an event of this scale as a priority."