Iranian snooker star Hoseein Vafaei had some strong words for arguably the sport’s greatest ever player Ronnie O’Sullivan. Last night, the 27-year-old wrote his name into the history books by becoming the first person from the middle-eastern nation to qualify for the World Championship.
He is relishing the opportunity to represent his country on the global stage next week and hopes to be a catalyst for the growth of the sport in Iran. However, O’Sullivan has not always had the kindest of words to say about the game he has mastered, which has left a bad taste in Vafaei’s mouth.
“I like him a lot, I am his fan, I love what he does but sometimes he’s disrespectful, he’s not good for the game”, he told the Metro. “I think he should retire, to be honest with you. He should retire and then the younger generation make the game bigger.
“A lot of things he says frustrates me. What kind of legend are you if you call people numpties? I was and am still good friends with him, but I don’t like that. Maybe he likes it and gives him a good feeling but I think people should treat him like that as well. I treat him like he deserves.”
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In recent months, the six-time world champion claimed he would not encourage children to play snooker and suggested lower-ranked stars are wasting their time. In a brutally honest appearance on The Disruptive Entrepreneur podcast last June, the snooker legend said: “I always say to young kids, their parents, ‘Don’t let them play.’ My own kids, I say, ‘You’re not playing snooker.’ If they decide to play snooker they’re on their own, I’m not supporting that. It’s a bad sport, it can cause you a lot of damage. Unless you’re Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis, John Higgins, Mark Williams, me, Judd Trump, [Mark] Selby, [Neil] Robertson…forget it. The others, it’s just a waste of a life.“
This was slammed by fellow player John Higgins, who branded ‘The Rocket’ a disgrace and Vafaei shared a similar point of view. “That was very bad words, very bad for our sport,” said the Iranian when asked for his reaction to O’Sullivan’s controversial view. “Listen, he doesn’t need to remind us he’s won 20 major tournaments. I think someone who is beside him should remind him that he is Ronnie O’Sullivan.
“To be honest, Ronnie O’Sullivan without his team, without the people who are around him, he wouldn’t be here at all. He wouldn’t be here at all. He’s comparing himself with someone else. He’s comparing me with someone else. I don’t like that. We don’t have to compare ourselves to others.
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“He’s saying you are poor, I am rich, I am Ronnie O’Sullivan. I don’t like that. I have money, my people in Iran have money, but we have to respect human beings as well. I don’t want to get involved in that kind of conversation.” Vafaei overcame Chinese star Lei Peifan in his qualifying match, winning the deciding frame 10-9 to take the spoils.
During the match, he made six half-century breaks, including a clearance of 54 and took advantage of a mistake by his opponent while trailing by 61 in the final frame. The snooker star, who is also the first Iranian to become a professional player, was delighted with his latest achievement.
“I’m so happy I have made my people proud,” said Vafaei. “I was so nervous today, all of my body was shaking. I was eating a lot of chocolate to try to calm myself down but it wasn’t working. I forgot how to hold the cue. I promise I will play better than that at the Crucible, I can’t wait to get there. I hope this will inspire more people back home and make them start playing snooker, and make it as big as I can.”
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