After the conclusion of the 2024/25 snooker season, scores of players will be heading to Q School in an attempt to join the professional tour for the upcoming campaign.
Zhao Xintong capped off a memorable month in Sheffield by becoming the first Chinese winner of the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre.
The 28 year-old’s 18-12 triumph over Mark Williams saw him collect the £500,000 top prize and a spot back among the world’s top 16 in the rankings.
Q School entrants will be dreaming of such riches when they vie for the 12 total World Snooker Tour tickets that are available across the next few weeks.
The first stop on a busy schedule in May is Thailand, with the Asia-Oceania Q School taking place in Bangkok from May 13th to May 24th.
There will be two events with two players set to graduate from each.
Players from Thailand, China, Pakistan, India, and Iran dominate the entry list for these competitions.
Chinese duo Tian Pengfei and Ma Hailong are among the players who are hoping to immediately bounce back to the pro tour having dropped off at the end of the last term.
Thor Chuan Leong, Soheil Vahedi, Hamza Akbar, and Xing Zihao are more familiar names who are set to challenge.
A couple of other interesting entrants include Pankaj Advani and Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon.
The latter was a professional from 2010 until 2016 and is known as the youngest player to compile a competitive 147 break, however was banned for match fixing in 2022.
Advani is a multiple world champion at amateur level and one of India’s biggest cue sports starts, with the 39 year-old attempting to rejoin the main tour for the first time since 2014.
The first event at Asia-Oceania Q School concludes on May 18th with the second event ending on May 24th.
Click here: Asia-Oceania Q School 1 draw
Click here: Asia-Oceania Q School 2 draw
European Q School, meanwhile, will commence on May 21st at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester.
As the original Q School tournament and still the biggest, there will be eight places available from the two tournaments that will be held.
Familiar names in the entry list include Anthony Hamilton, Peter Lines, Ian Burns, James Cahill, Alexander Ursenbacher, and David Grace.
Recent Word Seniors Championship winner Alfie Burden is also in the field, along with fellow veterans Barry Pinches and Gerard Greene.
Indeed, with so many experienced competitors in the draw mixed with aspiring youngsters who are trying to make their way up the ladder, it’s bound to be one of the toughest editions of Q School ever.
The first Q School event in Leicester concludes on May 26th with the second tournament ending on June 1st.
A full review of the Q School graduates will be published on SnookerHQ.com after the tournaments end.
Click here: Q School 1 draw
Click here: Q School 2 draw
Featured photo credit: Monique Limbos
