|
Ding's star shines ever brighter
(China Daily)
Updated: 2006-01-05 06:39
Audacious Chinese teenager Ding Junhui has his sights set on becoming the
world's No 1 snooker player.
Achieving that would bring him
superstar status alongside the likes of Yao Ming.
Companies are already falling over themselves in the scramble to sign up the
18-year-old as an ambassador for their products, conscious that his star is only
going to get brighter.
There is growing belief that Ding can make his dream come true after beating
six-time world champion Steve Davis to win the UK championship last month,
moving him up to 31 in the world rankings.
Just 18, he showed a steely nerve to take a title that is considered second
only to the world championships, which is now in his sights.
"This is the second most important tournament in the world and it gives me
great joy to win here," Ding said after his win over Davis.
"It will give me a lot of confidence to go to the world championships in
Sheffield next year. This is a big step."
Ding, who hails from eastern Jiangsu Province, has been credited with
professionalizing snooker's image in China, where it is often played on
sidewalks in cities, especially on hot summer days.
His victory over Davis is expected to fuel even more interest in a sport that
is played by an estimated 50 million people in China.
And it has the potential to turn Ding into a one of China's few true sporting
superstars, alongside the likes of NBA star Yao Ming and 2004 Olympic 110m
hurdles champion Liu Xiang.
When he won his home tournament last season, he was watched by a staggering
100 million TV viewers across China. Wily companies want to build on his success
and are queuing up to use his name and image.
|
