Snooker and Billiards join the UK Parliamentary Commonwealth Games Group
The UK Parliament’s All-Party Group for the Commonwealth Games has today announced support from the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), the global governing body for snooker and billiards worldwide. As well as overseeing the professional game through a number of national and international bodies, it is responsible for grassroot development of the sport and has seen significant growth in participation in recent years.
Snooker was played in the International Stoke Mandeville Games, the forerunner to the Paralympics, and there are an estimated 120 million registered players around the globe including an estimated 60 million in Commonwealth Games countries.
On announcing the WPBSA’s support Group Chairman and MP for Dudley South, Mike Wood MP, said “we are grateful to the WPBSA for their support. The All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Commonwealth Games is here to support all those involved in Commonwealth Games, and particularly the 2022 Games in Birmingham. Although not a Commonwealth Games sport – yet – the WPBSA and snooker certainly exhibits the spirit of the Commonwealth Games and Members of Parliament are keen to more about the global game of snooker, how it breaks down barriers wherever it is played, and how it is growing participation in the UK, in the Commonwealth, and elsewhere.
WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson “we’re honoured to join the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Commonwealth Games. Snooker is a truly global game and allows men and women to play alongside and against one another without any barrier. We not only share the Commonwealth Games Federation’s values of humanity, equality and destiny we make sure our sport delivers against them. We do not shy away from playing tournaments in areas with geopolitical and religious unrest and as we see from those who take part, snooker is a sport enjoyed by all. We’re very much looking forward to being a part of this body, and ensuring MPs and Peers see the great work that Snooker does throughout the Commonwealth.”
