**Mark Williams Upstaged as Ex-Snooker Pro Claims Massive Payday in China**
Welsh snooker veteran Mark Williams may have secured an impressive runner-up finish at this year’s World Snooker Championship, but his £200,000 reward for those efforts has been comfortably eclipsed by an extraordinary windfall earned by a former professional in a different cue sport.
Williams, known as an integral member of snooker’s celebrated ‘Class of ’92’, narrowly missed out on collecting a fourth world title earlier this month. The 49-year-old went head-to-head with Chinese talent Zhao Xintong in a fiercely contested final, eventually succumbing to an 18-12 defeat. That loss not only denied the Welshman glory but also saw the coveted £500,000 champion’s prize slip through his grasp.
However, while Williams reflects on what might have been, fellow former professional Niu Zhuang has been making headlines in Asia for quite different reasons. The 30-year-old, little known amongst Western snooker audiences but remembered for a brief stint on the global snooker tour between 2017 and 2019, has re-invented himself on the burgeoning ‘Heyball’ circuit in China.
Niu recently triumphed at the highly competitive JOY Heyball Masters, held in Chengdu, overcoming over 600 entrants in a marathon 22-day event. His 23-11 victory in the final against compatriot Zhang Taiyi secured him a remarkable £518,000—a payout that comfortably overshadows even what snooker’s world champion receives in the United Kingdom. This result demonstrates the growing financial opportunities emerging within alternative cue sports in China, a trend attracting greater international attention.
Heyball, a hybrid discipline that borrows elements from eight-ball pool and is played on a smaller snooker table, has risen rapidly in popularity. The discipline has managed to captivate both players and fans alike, with several high-profile figures from the world of traditional snooker—including the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan and Stephen Hendry—making appearances at JOY events. Such cross-over highlights the increasing fusion between snooker’s established order and the innovation seen in Asia’s cue sports landscape.
While Niu’s financial reward at the Heyball Masters has been much discussed, it is worth noting that Zhang Taiyi, as runner-up, pocketed a still substantial sum of £151,000. Although this mirrors in stature the money on offer at snooker’s most prestigious tournaments, it is Williams who took home the larger consolation payment from Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre, further illustrating the gulf between first and second prizes in different formats of the game.
Zhao Xintong’s victory at the World Snooker Championship, meanwhile, was remarkable for reasons beyond the financial. Competing as an amateur following a lengthy suspension, Zhao stormed through the championship, upsetting established stars including Chris Wakelin and the renowned O’Sullivan himself. He came through an astonishing 111 frames over almost a month of play, cementing his name in the sport’s history.
Yet Zhao’s story has not been without controversy. After serving a 20-month ban relating to betting offences—although he was cleared of actual match-fixing—some fans have questioned the legitimacy of his amateur status and the rapid ascent back into snooker’s elite. When the professional tour resumes later this year, Zhao is reportedly expected to climb into 11th position in the world rankings, adding fuel to ongoing debates about discipline and rehabilitation within the sport.
As for Niu Zhuang, his professional snooker career never quite took off, with his best tournament finish being a last-32 spot at the 2018 German Masters. Yet, by seizing opportunities away from the traditional circuit, Niu has proven the potential for reinvention and success when players are willing to embrace the evolving face of global cue sports.
The contrasting fortunes of Williams, Zhao, and Niu reflect the shifting dynamics of both snooker and its offshoots in recent years. As prize money and opportunities proliferate in new regions and alternative formats, players from across the spectrum will be watching closely to see where the next big breakthrough comes from. For Welshman Williams, it may be little comfort to know that sometimes, second place can truly be outshone by an unexpected rival from the shadows.