Another top snooker player has joined Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump in leaving the UK and becoming a Hong Kong resident. O’Sullivan set the tone by going through the residency process last year, citing the region’s low tax rates as a key factor. Foreign nationals still have to pay income tax in Hong Kong, but the rates are among the best in a developed economy.
Trump followed suit two months later, passing through the same ‘quality migrant admission scheme’ as O’Sullivan. The man from Bristol is dating Maisy Ma, a figure skater and TV presenter from Hong Kong. As a result, he was already spending plenty of time in the former British colony before securing residency.
Now, another high-profile player has joined the growing trend. Former world champion Neil Robertson has announced on Chinese social media platform Weibo that he and his family have also become residents of Hong Kong.
In a post, which was written in simplified Chinese, he said: “I am very honoured that my whole family and I have obtained Hong Kong identity cards. This is not only a significant moment for me personally, but also an honour for our entire family.
“Hong Kong has always been my blessed land. I have achieved many great successes here and have forged a deep friendship with this city.
“This identity will make it easier for me to travel to Hong Kong more frequently and expand business cooperation. Regarding future development plans in Hong Kong, I have made full preparations and will share them with you soon.”
Robertson is one of only 11 players who have managed a career Triple Crown. He won the World Snooker Championship in 2010 before securing Masters glory in 2012 and the UK Championship a year later.
In recent years, the 43-year-old has been based in Cambridge with his wife and their two children. He was born and raised in the Australian city of Melbourne but relocated to the UK during the 2001/02 snooker season.
Despite taking up residency in Hong Kong, Robertson will not be involved in next week’s exhibition event in the city. The upcoming Greater Bay Area Snooker Cultural Challenge will be headlined by Trump and fellow British player Jack Lisowski.
Also involved will be Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, who won the Snooker Shoot Out in 2019, and the Chinese duo of Zhang Anda and Chen Qien.