The 2024/25 snooker season commences on Monday, however who’re the rookie gamers who shall be cueing up for the primary time this time period?
The rating occasion model of Championship League Snooker is open to all professionals competing on the principle tour, and there shall be loads of new faces on the circuit throughout the upcoming marketing campaign.
To date, there are 125 confirmed spots on the principle tour, and whereas not all of them shall be competing in Leicester subsequent week, we should always anticipate to see every of them play sooner or later over the subsequent eleven or so months.
The nomination from the ABSC African champion remains to be to be decided whereas no resolution has been made concerning invitational tour playing cards as of but.
Nevertheless, forward of subsequent week’s match on the Mattioli Area, there are 15 rookie gamers on the 2024/25 snooker season roster.
Here’s a temporary overview of who they’re and the way they gained skilled standing.
Cheung Ka Wai
Cheung Ka Wai emerged because the 2024 champion on the World Snooker Federation (WSF) Open, the distinguished international worldwide occasion for newbie gamers.
The 24 year-old from Hong Kong thrashed Gao Yang 5-0 within the closing to safe his first two-year card.
Bulcsú Révész
Bulcsú Révész grew to become Hungary’s first skilled snooker participant by capturing the WSF Junior Championship in Albania.
Aged simply 17, Révész overcame Gong Chenzhi within the closing and later mentioned: “It’s simply wonderful. I didn’t anticipate something earlier than the match.”
Robbie McGuigan
Robbie McGuigan triumphed on the EBSA European Newbie Championship, beating Craig Steadman 5-4 within the closing.
The 19 year-old Northern Irishman was as soon as a stepson to world primary Mark Allen, who was married to McGuigan’s mom till 2020.
Liam Davies
Liam Davies received the EBSA European Beneath-21 Championship with a 5-3 defeat of Antoni Kowalski in Sarajevo.
The Welsh teenager, who turns 18 on the finish of June, is extensively being tipped as a possible star of the longer term.
Jonas Luz
Again in October, Jonas Luz grew to become one of many first gamers to ensure his skilled standing for the 2024/25 marketing campaign.
The 37 year-old edged fellow Brazilian Fabinho to raise the 2023 Pan American Snooker Championship in Rio de Janeiro.
Bai Yulu
The most recent nominee from the World Girls’s Snooker Tour is China’s Bai Yulu.
The 20 year-old captured a maiden girls’s world crown on dwelling soil this 12 months and is considered a generational expertise.
Artemijs Zizins
Artemijs Zizins produced a tremendous show to emerge from Q College, changing into the primary participant from Latvia to safe professional standing.
Having simply turned 18, Zizins is one in every of quite a few younger gamers from Europe who’ve damaged by this 12 months.
Haydon Pinhey
Haydon Pinhey (pictured) would have been forgiven for changing into disillusioned with the sport of snooker having failed on the closing hurdle of Q College annually between 2020 and 2023.
However the Englishman, 27, made it fifth time fortunate and eventually obtained over the successful line on the qualifying competitors this 12 months.
Antoni Kowalski
Having narrowly missed out on a foremost tour ticket by his defeat to Davies on the European under-21s, Kowalski excelled at Q College.
The 20 year-old from Poland counted James Cahill amongst his conquests as he gained promotion to the professional scene for the primary time.
Lim Kok Leong
Malaysia’s latest skilled is Lim Kok Leong, who efficiently got here by the Asia-Oceania leg of Q College in Bangkok.
Leong beat Gao Yang 4-3 within the closing spherical and at 29 represents one of many older rookies this season.
Haris Tahir
Snooker is well-liked in Pakistan, however the nation remains to be ready for its first notable star to actually breakthrough and transfer up the ranks.
May or not it’s Haris Tahir? The 24 year-old graduated from Asia-Oceania Q College, beating Lan Yuhao of China within the closing spherical.
Kreishh Gurbaxani
India is on the lookout for gamers to emulate the likes of Pankaj Advani and Aditya Mehta from a decade in the past.
Kreishh Gurbaxani is the large nation’s newest hope after the 21 year-old additionally got here by Q College in Thailand.
Amir Sarkhosh
Amir Sarkhosh turns into Iran’s latest skilled, and at 33 he’s the oldest of all of the rookies competing on the 2024/25 circuit.
Sarkhosh received one of many three spots that had been out there by the Q Tour International Playoffs.
Gong Chenzhi
Considerably surprisingly, there are solely three rookie snooker gamers from mainland China this season and two of them come from the CBSA China Tour.
Gong Chenzhi, nonetheless solely 17, made headlines final season by beating Jordan Brown within the Wuhan Open.
Huang Jiahao
The opposite nominee from the CBSA China Tour is 29 year-old Huang Jiahao.
Huang has been round for a number of years and even reached the ultimate of the 2021 Haining Open, however this shall be his first marketing campaign as an expert participant.
Featured photograph credit score: WST