Judd Trump, a British-born ace in the world of snooker who recently obtained Hong Kong residency, expressed his enthusiasm to represent the city in a world-class tournament next month.
“I am very excited to have everyone’s support on my side, cheering me on as a home favorite,” he said on Tuesday at a news conference for the World Snooker Grand Prix 2025, revealing that he passed through the city’s border using his Hong Kong identity card for the first time two days ago.
Trump took up Hong Kong residency last year through the city’s Quality Migrant Admission Scheme.
READ MORE: Judd Trump wins second Snooker Masters title
Scheduled to run from Mar 4 to 9, the snooker tournament will feature 26 matches between the world’s top 32 players.
Distinctly remembering Hong Kong crowd as “the best ever”, Trump, who took part in the Hong Kong Masters invitational event in 2022, said that he felt even more motivated this time as a representative of the city. “I hope I can carry myself, pay everybody respect, and make Hong Kong proud,” he said.
Still a newcomer to the city, Trump shared his excitement to “spend a lot of time experiencing everything” the city has to offer.
Ronnie O’Sullivan, a seven-time snooker world champion who adopted Hong Kong residency under the same scheme last year, will also join the competition. Trump said that he would love to meet O’Sullivan in “a perfect finale for this tournament”.
READ MORE: Snooker ace Judd Trump becomes HK resident
Public tickets are on sale on the HK Ticketing and Damai websites, with prices ranging from HK$80 ($10.3) to HK$2,580.
Two exhibition matches will also be held during the tournament. On Mar 8, Hong Kong snooker star Marco Fu Ka-chun will face off against English legend Jimmy White in a men’s exhibition. A women’s exhibition will take place the next day between Hong Kong's Ng On-yee - currently ranked second in the world - and Thailand's Mink Nutcharut, the reigning world number one.
Tickets for the exhibition matches will be available for free, with more details to be provided later.
Contact the writer at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com
