Rocket Ronnie O'Sullivan deserves gold: Why the Olympics should have snooker at the front of the cue

As another thrilling world championship comes to a close, surely it's about time snooker was recognised as an Olympic event.

The popularity of the sport, although perhaps concentrated in Britain and the Far East, is huge, with far more of an audience than other Olympic "events" such as shooting and the ridiculous synchronised swimming.

It also would provide more global competition than one-sided events like basketball and softball, which the USA have walked for years. Having said that, it doesn’t hurt that British snooker players would have a great chance of medals. Earlier in the year, some appealed for tug of war to be brought back, mainly on the basis that Britain were damn good at it back in the day!

Cynics would argue that snooker doesn’t involve the sweat and brawn of an Olympic event, and it has often been labelled as nothing more than a "pub game". But snooker is a sport which requires skill, stamina and strategy. I ask anyone who disagrees to ask Ronnie O’Sullivan or Ali Carter whether there was any skill involved in their stunning 147 breaks last week.