Welsh snooker ace Mark Williams has delivered a straightforward explanation for why he won’t be copying Judd Trump and Ronnie O’Sullivan by moving to Dubai. The 50-year-old also announced on Monday that he has withdrawn from the International Championship due to illness.
Next month, the snooker tour will head to Nanjing, China. Taking to social media to announce his absence from the tournament, Williams revealed: “Man down. No International Championship for me. Respiratory infection. Another week, then doing nothing. Champion of Champions next stop, fingers crossed.”
A supporter on social media suggested Williams should relocate to warmer destinations like Dubai to prevent winter ailments. Replying to the fan’s proposal on social media, Williams made it clear that ‘it’s too late now,’ saying: “If I could go back 20 years [I] definitely would, too late now at 50.”
Two of snooker’s biggest names, Trump and O’Sullivan, have recently abandoned life in the UK and settled in Dubai, coinciding with an increase in Middle Eastern tournaments. The current world number one discussed his Dubai lifestyle during his journey to the Northern Ireland Open final, confessing Belfast had made him feel rather unwell.
Trump said: “Practice early on, and the rest of the day, try and be outdoors as much as possible. So, probably the opposite of here, but to be honest, it can be quite difficult coming back when you’re outside so much and there’s a lot of time inside when the weather is not good.
“I’m happy the weather is a bit better so I can spend a bit more time outside. I feel a little bit ill today, probably from a lack of sunlight but I’m hoping now on I can get some healthy food and drink and feel better for my next match.”
In an interview with The Sun, O’Sullivan commented on his new life abroad. He said: “It’s really good. I’ve got a great practice facility there, which was one of the main reasons for going. I was struggling to find somewhere to play.
“It was either get a train up to Sheffield or try to move to Sheffield. But my wife wasn’t too keen on Sheffield. So she said we either go to Spain or Dubai…
“And I thought, well, Dubai is nearer China. Obviously, it’s in the Middle East. All the tournaments I play and all the work that I do is there. It just made sense to go to Dubai.”
