China hails 'our era' as Wu Yize's world snooker triumph goes viral / Photo: © AFP
China hails 'our era' as Wu Yize's world snooker triumph goes viral
Trailblazer Ding Junhui called it "our era" as Wu Yize's World Snooker Championship victory went viral back home in China with tens of millions celebrating the country's latest landmark in the sport.
Wu beat Shaun Murphy 18-17 in a nail-biting final at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre on Monday to become the second Chinese player in two years to win snooker's premier event.
It was more evidence of China's rise in the sport, following on from Zhao Xintong's historic breakthrough win in 2025.
"This is Chinese snooker, congratulations Wu Yize," Zhao, who crashed out of this year's tournament to eventual runner-up Murphy, said on social media.
"This is not just a breakthrough, rather our era is approaching now!" Ding, the beaten world finalist from 2016, wrote on social media platform Weibo.
"Happy for you and proud that Chinese snooker can make it to this day," he wrote.
For years Ding was the lone Chinese player in top-tier tournaments, but now the country has six players ranked in the world's top 20 and a host of young talent breaking through.
"Now we're welcoming the golden age of Chinese snooker," one Weibo user commented.
Snooker's popularity in China has surged over the past two decades, fuelled by the success of Ding, who served as an inspiration to Wu and many budding Chinese snooker players.
The hashtag "Wu Yize wins the World Championship" had more than 40 million views on Weibo by Tuesday morning, briefly topping the platform's list of trending topics.
The Dongguan Billiards Association, where Wu trained in 2019 and which has helped cultivate top Chinese players, including Ding, also sent congratulations.
"Your growth from a young dreamer to a world champion is... a testament to the vigorous rise of a new generation of Chinese snooker strength," the association wrote in a statement.
The official Communist Party newspaper People's Daily also congratulated Wu, who draped himself in the Chinese flag after his victory.
- Family sacrifice -
Fans also hailed the sacrifices Wu's family made to support his journey to the top.
A hash tag referring to Wu's father selling the family home in Lanzhou, in China's northwest, to invest in his son's snooker career had 18 million views by midday Tuesday.
Wu's father also closed his antique shop so he could accompany his son as they travelled the country and then moved to Sheffield together.
"This regular family gave up everything to go professional," one user wrote on social media.
Wu hailed his parents as the "real champions" in an interview after his victory at the Crucible.
Meanwhile, a 2012 photo of an eight-year-old Wu with Stephen Hendry in Lanzhou resurfaced online, with a related hash tag gaining 2.9 million views.
At age 22 Wu became the second youngest player to win the world championship, behind seven-time champion Hendry, who won it at 21.
L.Fischer--BP
