888.com WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP
Dates: Sat 19 April to Mon 5 May Venue: Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
Coverage: Watch live on BBC One, BBC Two, BBCi and the BBC Sport website; listen on BBC Radio 5 Live
By Saj Chowdhury
A Hollywood movie star, red carpet for the competitors and a lavish opening ceremony?
The event in question was not this year's Super Bowl, but April's China Open.
Yes, snooker went big time last month - Beijing style.
The ranking event was treated to an opening ceremony at the Water Cube Olympic venue, where the players were paraded like Oscar nominees.
And inside, among the press throng, the 2007 China Open champion Graeme Dott and homegrown superstar Ding Junhui were sharing a laugh and a joke with Hollywood martial arts star Jet Li.
Ding was also mobbed for autographs at a special snooker training camp for children.
In China, snooker is second only to basketball in the nation's sporting affections, and the country is intent on stamping its own mark on a game that has long been the understated preserve of Britain and Ireland.
That popularity has been propelled in no small measure by the emergence of Ding, who started the season ranked 27 in the world but is now established in the top 10.
"Who's to say we won't see eight players from China at The Crucible in the future"
In recent seasons, he and 30-year-old Marco Fu of Hong Kong, who won the 2007 Grand Prix, have led the South Asian contingent, but this year the pair have been joined by two more Chinese at The Crucible - Liu Chuang and Liang Wenbo.
It is the first time a country outside the British Isles has been represented by that number of players.
Six-time world champion and BBC analyst Steve Davis believes that figure will grow in the next few years.
"Seeing four or so Chinese players in ranking events will soon become a common trend," Davis told BBC Sport.
"Liu Chuang and Liang Wenbo have done well in the qualifiers and who's to say we won't see eight players from China at The Crucible in the future.
606: DEBATE
"The sporting mentality over there has always been to work very hard and if players show promise then they will get support from the government.
"That will have a positive knock-on effect for snooker because China will want to host more events."
Approximately 50m people play snooker in China and in Beijing alone there are 300 venues.
With statistics like that, Davis's prediction is not outlandish.
"I think the public would like to see the World Championship in China one day"
Li Li, a journalist for China's Xinhua News Agency, says snooker is playing second fiddle to the Olympics at the moment, but that the interest is still feverish.
"Snooker is in first place among the non-Olympic sports," she told BBC Sport.
"I know Chinese businesses are interested in sponsoring events and I know the public want to see more hosted in their country.
"I think they would also like to see the World Championship in China one day."
A few years ago that suggestion might have been greeted with bemusement, and a fair degree of derision.
But with World Snooker's deal with hosts Crucible Theatre set to end in 2010, the sport's governing body may consider taking advantage of the new fanbase by relocating the calendar showpiece.
Snooker is enjoying a mini revival, following a stale period towards the end of the last decade, with innovations like the Premier League and Championship League proving a hit with players and fans.
And if the growth in China continues apace, the sport can look forward to a very healthy global future.
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