Snooker World Cup

Teenagers hits Glory for China's B team

Yan Bingtao (l) & Zhou Yuelong (r)

15 Years old Yan Bingtao and 17 years old Zhou Yuelong won the Greatest World Cup ever in a 4-1 defeat of Scotland in the Final becoming the first "B" team to win the World Cup.
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It was a very impressive finish for the youngest players of the Circuit, who both now guarantees a place in November's Champion of Champions. The Chinese duo beat Wales in a thrilling 4-3 Semi-Final, and as their match finished in the time of the Final they entered the arena to face John Higgins and Stephen Maguire still with the adrenaline in. And it worked, Yan Bingtao made a Century in the first frame against John Higgins and they controlled the match with Zhou Yuelong winning the 5th frame over Higgins to secure the trophy would keep in China for another 2 years at least.

Very few people should expect China B to do so well here, only for reaching the Quarter Finals coming out on Top in the toughest of the Group's was a great result from the kids. The "A" team fell in the Quarters and home hope for the defence of the title conquered in 2011 - by Junhui and Wenbo in Thailand - were all spent in the B team. Zhou Yuelong is on his second season as a Professional and Yan Bingtao, 15, is on his debut, and what can we say about a player whose aged only 15 is already a World Champion, a straight year after winning the Amateur World Championship. They're not even promises anymore, they are Champions of the World!
In Particular I've been very impressed with Yan Bingtao for one year now, I watched him in many Asian Tour and Chinese Ranking Events as a WildCard last season and he got some amazing results, he's nerveless, got an all-round game and always plays right shot in right time, however compliments aren't required for a player who has won the World Cup already. It's just crazy to imagine that in 6 years he will be 21 yet, I don't like to nominate anyone as a future World Champion because there are some players which you expect to win it at the Crucible and they never do, and some players you never heard of then win it but when something special is coming you can see, and he's really impressive, a bit like Ronnie O`Sullivan on his debut season in 1992. He's got plenty of time ahead of him and I'm sure he'll be one of the greats in the next generation.


There was a lot of discussion about China deserving or not to be the only country with two teams. Well, they host the event, they're current Champion and their B team proved everyone they are strong enough, simply winning it. They have two teams because they're host country, I personally think the choice of who deserves two team should be based on the last Champion for example, if England had won with Selby and Bingham, they should compose the England A team even if they didn't have the Ranking required positions, and then the B team should be made with the two highest Ranked players from the country, so you give a chance for the last winners to defend their title. I don't know if Yan Bingtao and Zhou Yuelong will be able to do that in 2017, however I should like to congratulate them once again and wish the best of lucky during the next season when both will be on the Professional Circuit and present in the Champion of Champions in November.

I have also to say well done to World Snooker and Jason Ferguson for giving us this year the Greatest World Cup ever made - in all sports in my partial opinion 😄. There are people asking for the World Cup to be made every year, but I don't think this way, being a biennial event will give it even more prestige, people will look forward for it, principally now, because the first edition was a complete success and people I'm already counting the days for the next edition.


With immense happiness I announce now that I'll make an exclusive interview with Anita Maflin who represented Norway as the only woman in the event, I will soon post it in the Blog.
The Australian Open is underway now, running from Monday June 29 to Sunday July 5 with home favourite Neil Robertson chasing his dream title, which he came one step short in the previous two years and Judd Trump aiming to defend the title he got by beating Neil in 2014.
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