Chuan Leong is racing against time to raise funds to compete in his second season of the World Snooker Tour, which begins next month.
SINGAPORE: You’d expect newly-crowned double gold medallist Thor Chuan Leong to be on cloud nine after enjoying his most successful outing in his fifth SEA Games appearance.
Instead, the 27-year-old is a worried man.
He’s racing against time to raise funds to compete in his second season of the World Snooker Tour, which begins next month.
His maiden season on the prestigious professional Tour was wasted after he failed to raise sufficient funds to play in enough tournaments.
Chuan Leong earned a two-year Tour card by virtue of being Asian champion in 2014, but last season he only played in four out of the 18 events – including the World Championship in Sheffield, England, in April.
Although he failed to clear the first hurdle on all four occasions, he did give reigning world champion Stuart Bingham a run for his money during the Welsh Open in February – stretching the Englishman to the final frame before losing 4-3.
Now, Chuan Leong has to make his final year count if is he’s to continue being part of the world’s elite.
“The two SEA Games gold medals made me happy ... but only for couple of days,” said the three-time national champion, who is ranked No. 125.
“What next? I don’t even know if I can raise enough money to play in the World Tour events.
“There’s one year left and I must get into the top 64 of the world rankings by the end of the season (May 2016).
“But that won’t be possible if I don’t compete regularly.
“I wish I could play snooker full-time ... but I need to work to earn a living. I only earn about RM3,000 a month working in a snooker centre in Kuala Lumpur.
“And I spend it on my parents, car instalment and other living expenses.
“When I take part in competitions, I have no source of income. I had a few friends backing me last season, but they’ve made it clear that once I start earning my own prize money, they’ll stop sponsoring me.”
Chuan Leong hopes his four SEA Games gold medals, including those he won in Palembang in 2011 (men’s snooker doubles) and Myanmar in 2013 (6-red ball singles) will be enough to attract some sponsorship.
He applied for the RM150,000 grant from the National Sports Council (NSC) late last year “but there’s still no news about it until today”.
“I hope the NSC will reconsider my application. It will also be good if there are corporate sponsors willing to help me achieve my dreams,” he said.
Instead, the 27-year-old is a worried man.
He’s racing against time to raise funds to compete in his second season of the World Snooker Tour, which begins next month.
His maiden season on the prestigious professional Tour was wasted after he failed to raise sufficient funds to play in enough tournaments.
Chuan Leong earned a two-year Tour card by virtue of being Asian champion in 2014, but last season he only played in four out of the 18 events – including the World Championship in Sheffield, England, in April.
Although he failed to clear the first hurdle on all four occasions, he did give reigning world champion Stuart Bingham a run for his money during the Welsh Open in February – stretching the Englishman to the final frame before losing 4-3.
Now, Chuan Leong has to make his final year count if is he’s to continue being part of the world’s elite.
“The two SEA Games gold medals made me happy ... but only for couple of days,” said the three-time national champion, who is ranked No. 125.
“What next? I don’t even know if I can raise enough money to play in the World Tour events.
“There’s one year left and I must get into the top 64 of the world rankings by the end of the season (May 2016).
“But that won’t be possible if I don’t compete regularly.
“I wish I could play snooker full-time ... but I need to work to earn a living. I only earn about RM3,000 a month working in a snooker centre in Kuala Lumpur.
“And I spend it on my parents, car instalment and other living expenses.
“When I take part in competitions, I have no source of income. I had a few friends backing me last season, but they’ve made it clear that once I start earning my own prize money, they’ll stop sponsoring me.”
Chuan Leong hopes his four SEA Games gold medals, including those he won in Palembang in 2011 (men’s snooker doubles) and Myanmar in 2013 (6-red ball singles) will be enough to attract some sponsorship.
He applied for the RM150,000 grant from the National Sports Council (NSC) late last year “but there’s still no news about it until today”.
“I hope the NSC will reconsider my application. It will also be good if there are corporate sponsors willing to help me achieve my dreams,” he said.
The Star Online
No comments:
Post a Comment