Last year, more people in China watched the final of the World Snooker Championship than Americans watched the Super Bowl. Yet few Americans even know the game exists.
This is from an article by Julian Waddell in the Paris Review of Books. Because I have spent twelve years in England, I’m familiar with snooker, and I vaguely understand why it’s attractive to the British. Like darts, it’s part of the culture. What I don’t understand is what the Chinese like about it. As Waddell politely implies, it’s also boring to watch for those who aren’t familiar with it, and getting familiar takes some time. Unlike its cousin pool, it’s a game with a stepp learning curve. And yet:
In China, however, the sport has grown exponentially over the past decade. Three hundred thousand snooker halls now line city streets across Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou.
Nehaveigur 