Ronnie O'Sullivan won the inaugural edition of the Riyadh Snooker Championship
Ronnie O'Sullivan raised eyebrows with his unusual answer to the question.
Ronnie O'Sullivan delivered a surprising response when asked how he would spend the prize money on offer at the Riyadh Snooker Championship. The man from Essex won the inaugural event last year, beating Luca Brecel in the final to land the £250,000 jackpot. He was unable to defend his title at the second time of asking, though, with Mark Allen prevailing in December.
O'Sullivan was dumped out by the Northern Irishman in the semi-finals, ensuring that he would not be coming away with another trophy. In addition to the £250,000 prize at the Riyadh event, there is an even bigger sum available to any player who can complete an extraordinary feat.
The Rocket gave an unusual answer when asked how he would spend the prize money
The unique addition of a Golden Ball gives players the opportunity to complete a 167 break, the biggest in snooker history. It can only be potted at the end of a 147 and players who manage it are entitled to a huge bonus payout of £792,000.
Before the second edition of the tournament at the end of last year, O'Sullivan was quizzed on how he would spend that money and gave a surprising answer.
Speaking in a World Snooker Tour video, The Rocket laughed: “I couldn’t spend a million dollars, [but I would buy] a school."
O'Sullivan's answer was certainly unexpected, but he is no stranger to educating the next generation having recently opened his own snooker academy in Saudi Arabia.
The venture was launched back in October with the aim of developing the sport’s best talents from around the world. O'Sullivan has taken a hands-on role with the academy, making regular trips to the Gulf state to offer his expertise to budding professionals.
Speaking at the launch of the facility, which was opened by Saudi events kingpin Turki Alalshikh, he said: "This is a fantastic new facility and I am excited to be working here alongside the best talent in the Kingdom.
"In snooker, like most sports, there is no substitute for hard work, and this academy will give players an opportunity to practice in a great environment. I would love to see tour players and even world champions from Saudi Arabia one day.
It will give me great satisfaction to play a role in their development. It’s a pleasure to be working with His Excellency Turki Alalshikh on our shared ambition to bring through new players and grow the sport in the region."
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