Reanne Evans has lashed out at snooker bosses for the lack of prize money on the World Women’s Snooker Tour.
The record 12-time world champion vented her frustrations after suffering defeat in the semi-finals of this year’s World Women’s Snooker Championship in Thailand.
Evans squandered a two-frame advantage to Chinese teenager Bai Yulu, with the 19 year-old winning the last four frames to secure a memorable 5-3 triumph.
While Evans was magnanimous in defeat to the up-and-coming star, she was more scathing in her assessment of the current state of the women’s structure overall.
A top prize of just £8,000 is on offer for the women’s world champion on Saturday, comparing to the £500,000 jackpot that Ronnie O’Sullivan received for winning last year’s world title at the Crucible Theatre.
In recent seasons, women players have been awarded main tour cards in an effort to promote the women’s game.
But current professionals Evans, Ng On Yee, Mink Nutcharut, and Rebecca Kenna have predominantly struggled for positive results on the main tour, and there’s an argument that throwing them in at the deep end when they are not ready is more detrimental to the cause.
Evans, who has long been regarded as the best and most successful player ever from women’s snooker, doesn’t understand why more prize money isn’t being funnelled in to that tour to greater enhance its prospects of further development.
“If I’m honest I would really like to see money put back into the women’s tour and have a proper professional women’s tour,” Reanne Evans said, as reported by the Mirror.
“I think that will do us more favours. Women playing women like my semi-final today, I think that was a good competitive watch.”
“So for me that is the way forward. But while that is not happening, the main tour is the only way.
“I have played in invitation events where the money just for turning up is more than what the world champion gets, and I think that is disgusting really.
“I just wish someone would put a proper women’s tour on and make us professional. The Mongolian lady (Bayarsaikhan) Narantuya who beat (Ng) On Yee – she is a really good player, and there are more out there.
“They just don’t get a chance because it is all behind closed doors. If there is more money and tournaments around the world, that’s where our tour will come from.
“I just hope to god they back it because I think we deserve our spot as being professional in our own right on our own women’s tour, and not having to mix it with the men.”
Meanwhile, Bai will face Thailand’s Siripaporn Nuanthakhamjan for the world women’s crown on Saturday at the Hi-End Snooker Club.
Nuanthakhamjan upset compatriot and defending champion Mink Nutcharut in the other last four clash on Friday in Bangkok.
Featured photo credit: WWS
first you want equality, then you don’t want to play against men.
this sport doesn’t require brute strength, but women have always fared badly against male opponents.
spectators love centuries, how many has been made by women?
i’m not against women, in fact i would love to see players like mink or the new chinese teenager shine bright but could you not be a karen?
don’t be so karen. ok?
Yes the prize money should be evenly distributed for the men and the woman’s snooker.
Incorrect. Hopelessly so in fact.
the female players need to up the quality and play at the same level as the men… and stop moaning, get there heads down and actually try and shoe if they deserve more money. Because as of yet they don’t have the quality nor have the talent to entertain the paying public. Period.
In effect, Reanne Evans is wrong, by her own arguments. The winner of the Women’s World Championship will receive only £8000 prizemoney, but will gain much more in terms of the opportunities it will bring. I’d estimate the winner of the match today will make about £50000 as a result. Whatever the finances, it’s a life-changing event. That makes it even more disappointing that the table conditions have been so terrible. Women can score more heavily than they have been, but the conditions have ensured that each frame is usually interminably scrappy, ending on the colours after around a hour’s play…
The main thing is that WST’s 128-player tour card system is too rigid to allow the ‘development players’ (women, continental qualifiers, junior winners) the most suitable path. Reanne Evans herself hasn’t won a match, but she will simply be awarded another 2-year tour card (as a result of her ranking on the Women’s list). Meanwhile, far stronger players battle over 8 places at Q School. There needs to be a serious debate about the structure of snooker going forward. Perhaps someone in the media can take the lead.
Every time you hear this nonsensical drivel about women getting paid the same as men for sports (no complaints in tennis I note where they only gave to play best of 3 sets as opposed to best of 5 for the men!) I ask myself who is that consumes sports on every level at a far, far higher rate? Oh yes, men do. And we don’t really want to watch women’s sports as, ultimately, it is simply inferior. Also, there is absolutely nothing stopping women going to watch women’s snooker, football, darts, boxing you name it. But they don’t go and ‘support the sisters’. Maybe if they did there’d be more money involved. Finally, if women apparently must/should/deserve to get the same money as the men in sports I have to assume the same should apply in say modelling for example? The male models such as they are should obviously get the same as the female supermodels? It’s only fair after all, isn’t it? No, of course not. It would be ridiculous. Female models are in far higher demand than males so they get paid more. Quite right too. But the same applies in sports but in reverse. None of this is difficult to grasp or understand. Sadly and predictably in this warped day and age we live in, none of this is put forward by our warped, myopic, deluded and simplistic mainstream media.
If ladies want equality, then all sports should be played with just one event, open to ladies and men. Put all entries into the hat and draw them out. How many ladies would ever beat a man at Wimbledon.