6 March 2014 Gazette 29
Gazette
The world his oyster for snooker’s Ken Dublin green baize legend Ken Doherty has seen massive changes in the sport since he first won a ranking title in 1993. We speak to him about his love of the game and where it is going
Dublin snooker star Ken Doherty says that he is as hungry as ever in his third decade at professional level in the sport, one which has radically changed from the game he started playing as a young man in Terenure. A year after the 20th anniversary of his first ranking tournament win at the Welsh Open in 1993, Doherty was back in Dublin after bowing out of the 2014 vintage of the same event, losing out to eventual semi-finalist, John Higgins. Speaking to GazetteSport at the Mansion House launch of the Dublin City Gazette, Doherty was upbeat and looking forward to his next tournament in China this week. “I have great affinity with the Welsh Open. It’s a bit weird going back
ROB heigh rheigh@gazettegroup.com
and playing it again after so many years, but it’s just one tournament and you forget [the defeat] in a couple of days, and look forward to the next one.” The next events that Doherty faces are back to back tournaments in China, a territory that has helped to change the face of the sport over the last 20 years. “When I was starting in the 1990s, there might have been one tournament in China,” said Doherty. “But now there are eight tournaments in China and that is rising. It’s massively popular over
there because of the likes of Ding Junhui who is one of the top sports people in the whole country. When you think there are over 1.4 billion people in the country, and he is in the top five or 10 sports people in the while country, it’s pretty incredible.” As a result of the expansion of the sport into new territories, Doherty has seen snooker evolve for the players involved. “We have the luxury of so many tournaments. Before Barry Hearn took over, there were only about six ranking tournaments. We now have almost 20 ranking tournaments which makes a huge difference to us. There is a lot more travelling, and most players are travelling to as many as they can, they can’t get enough of it. But I think it will get to the stage where
Ken Doherty with Minister Frances Fitzgerald and Ken Egan at the launch of the Dublin City Gazette in the Mansion House last week
they can pick and choose which ones they play in. It will go to a money list instead of a ranking list, so the bigger the tournament, the more prize money you’ll win.” Although he travels extensively as a player on the world stage, Doherty remains a proponent of the game at home, and
His career as a pundit and as a radio presenter has taken off in recent years, something that he is delighted to be able to do alongside his day job. “I’m also involved with the BBC and their snooker coverage, and also doing the sports show on Sunshine on a Saturday morning. I love all sports
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‘At this stage in my career, I’m enjoying my snooker. I am still as hungry to win as I was back in 1993’ - Ken Doherty --------------------------------------------------------
was recently involved in a TV show for Setanta Sports which showed him the depth of interest in the sport in Ireland. “I did a show on Setanta, Lucky Break, which was searching for up-andcoming snooker prodigies in Ireland. I was surprised to see there was so much talent. We went down to Cork and 65 kids turned up, 95 turned up at my own snooker club in Terenure. I was pleasantly surprised to see the level of talent in the country. There was one kid, aged 12, from Cavan, and he has so much talent. I told him he reminded me of Ronnie O’Sullivan at that age, and that’s how good I rated him. He didn’t win the competition, but his name is Aaron Goldrick, and you should keep your eyes open for him.”
and I love talking about them, particularly soccer. I love talking about them and interesting characters in different sports, and their experiences in their sports. You have to be on the ball, but I absolutely love it. There is a correlation between them all. “ In spite of his other interests and commitments, snooker remains at the centre of Doherty’s focus and his desire to win is undiminished. “At this stage in my career, when I win some good matches, I know there is something good on the horizon. I’m just really enjoying my snooker at the moment. I think that’s the key at this stage in my career. That doesn’t mean I’m not trying to win, I’m still as hungry as I was back in 1993.”