‘What a shame’ – Snooker star Kyren Wilson slams BBC as he REJECTS SPOTY invite
KYREN WILSON has slammed the BBC for snubbing snooker in their SPOTY shortlist.
Darts star Luke Littler, England footballer Jude Bellingham, cricketer Joe Root, Paralympic cyclist Sarah Storey and Olympic champions Keely Hodgkinson and Alex Yee are all up for the public vote.
Wilson, 32, won a maiden Crucible title last May and though he is away this week in Saudi Arabia for the 167 Gold Ball event, he feels he should have been part of the conversation.
Six-time world champion Steve Davis is the only cueist to earn the top honour back in 1988 but legendary Ronnie O’Sullivan has been constantly overlooked.
The Warrior told SportsBoom.com: “A lot of the time in sport it’s about if your face fits, not necessarily the achievements.
“I think snooker stands in that bracket as a whole, not just me missing out.
“It was only recently that Ronnie got shortlisted. What a sportsman he’s been and what incredible achievements he’s had over the years.
“When you compare yourself to that I’ve only managed to win one. He’s won seven and only been invited twice.
“When you look at darts, what a shame Luke Humphries hasn’t been nominated as world champion.
“He won his first World Championship around the same time I did.
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“I was invited to go along and participate in the event and celebrate my achievements.
“But I’ll be in Saudi Arabia for the 167 tournament so my attention is on that.“
Rocket Ronnie finished outside of the top three on both his nominations for Sports Personality in 2020 and 2022.
The seven-time world champion has previously accused the Beeb of treating snooker like a “nothing-type sport.”
O’Sullivan said in 2016: “You’re competing with Formula One, tennis, golf and the Olympics.
“They give [snooker] like 10 seconds on BBC Sports Personality – it’s a complete insult to the sport.
“But it’s what they think of it and what they believe it warrants, and that says it all really.
“Snooker is becoming a nothing-type sport – it’s a bit like a garage sale, but with other sports it’s like shopping at Harrods.
“They’re playing so much of it, it’s cheap TV. I think snooker has lost that respect among other sports – the Olympics are such a massive thing now as are sports like golf and tennis.”
Wilson meanwhile has enjoyed a superb 2024, recently getting the better of World No 1 Judd Trump in a one-sided final at the Northern Ireland Open.
The pair are willing to go head-to-head for the “next decade,” with Trump hailing Wilson’s rise over the past 12 months as “meteoric.”
Trump vs Wilson
SNOOKER's Class of '92 are fading away - with two English superstars ready to forge a new era.
Judd Trump has declared he’s ready to battle reigning world champion Kyren Wilson for “the next 10 years” or more.
Current world No 1 Trump admitted Wilson’s meteoric rise over the last twelve months has “pushed him forward” as a player.
The Class of ’92 refers to the legendary trio of Ronnie O’Sullivan, John Higgins, and Mark Williamson.
With 14 world titles among them, the three players have dominated UK snooker over the past three decades.
But as their powers begin to fade, Wilson and Trump appear ready to fill the rivalry vacuum.
Read more on snooker’s new big rivalry between Judd Trump and Kyren Wilson…
Trump said: “It’s nice to have someone pushing me and going away to give their all every single time.
“It is good to have that kind of rivalry when you reach the top and we are both really enjoying it.”