Ng On-yee eyes fourth world women’s snooker title with defending champion Reanne Evans and Thailand’s Mink among the favourites
- The tournament at the Ding Junhui Academy returns for the first time since 2019 and acts as a pathway event for the mainstream tour
- Ng’s participation was in doubt because of the coronavirus pandemic but she was eventually given permission to travel to the UK
Hong Kong’s Ng On-yee will be aiming for her fourth World Women’s Championship snooker title when she lines up at the Ding Junhui Academy in Sheffield, England.
Ng won the last of her three world crowns in 2018 and was beaten in the quarter-finals by Thailand’s Nutcharut “Mink” Wongharuthai in the 2019 tournament in Bangkok.
The tournament was cancelled in 2020 and last year because of Covid-19, but the top players are all gathered in the academy launched by Chinese star Ding for its long-awaited return.
“I’m really glad to be here for the world championships and the rest of my pro tour events for this year, despite the Covid-19 situation around us,” Ng told the Post. “We are almost getting a full house this year with most of the top players from around the world flying in, so it should be an exciting event.”
This year’s tournament takes on added significance with snooker’s world governing body raising its status to become one of the pathway competitions for the mainstream tour.
Among the favourites in the 50-player tournament is England’s 12-time world champion and top-ranked Reanne Evans, who Ng beat in the final of last year’s Eden Championship. However, Mink goes into the tournament on a high having beaten five male players in pro tour qualifying matches.
Ng opens her campaign on Saturday morning (HK time) against England’s Elizabeth Black in Group B, which also features two other Englishwomen, Louise Cothier and Jan Hughes. Evans faces compatriots Mary Talbot-Deegan and Laura Killington, as well as Scotland’s Sophie Nix in Group A.
Group C features Mink, Jamie Hunter (England), Australia’s 13-year-old Lilly Meldrum and China’s Lynn Shi while Rebecca Kenna, winner of the Hong Kong Masters in 2019, plays England’s Laura Gillett, Japan’s Miina Tani and Kate Le Gallez, of Guernsey, in Group D.
Ng’s participation in the event was in doubt until the last minute, with the UK still enduring high Covid-19 infections fuelled by the Omicron variant. There were around 68,000 new cases on Wednesday.
She was given permission by the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) and snooker governing body (HKBSCC) to travel to the UK, where she will be based for two months before returning to the city in April.
“We are so pleased that On-yee has been able to return to the UK to compete again after a short break to visit family and take the booster vaccine in Hong Kong,” Wayne Griffiths, HKSI head snooker coach, said.
“After two months away from competition we hope that rest, relaxation and some good practice with Hong Kong’s top men will have her ready to give her best once again.
“She is very grateful to HKSI and HKBSCC for supporting her in her latest challenges. Her focus now will be on her final preparation as she uses her experience from the WST Tour as a platform to try to overcome a very strong international field over the next four days.”
