Snooker: Long pots his way to the UK

There was more to the smile that lit up Jin Long’s face after beating Indian Aditya Mehta in the final of the 24th Asian Snooker Championships at the Dubai Police Officers’ Club than just the jubilation at winning a trophy.

The 7-3 victory earned the 26-year-old Chinese a glorious second opportunity to play in the professional Premier League in the UK.

And having endured an unhappy stint abroad in 2005 after sealing his first Asian crown, Jin is looking up to his compatriots who have broken into the biggest stage to inspire him to a more successful outcome on this occasion.

"I was there before but I didn’t give it my best because I felt homesick and missed my family," he told XPRESS shortly after his win in the final.

"But after watching players like Liang Wenbo and Ding Junhui, I realised that if they can do it, I can do it as well. So I’m going to give it my 100 per cent this time.

"Whether I make it to the top 16, I don’t know. But I’m just going to try and give it my best effort.

"It is my dream to play in the top 16 and to play in matches that enjoy wide television coverage."

Jin also believes Asian snooker players are getting better but still have ground to cover to match the level of the pros.

"Asian players can achieve more in the top snooker championships.

"Liang Wenbo entering the top eight of the world championships is an example of that.

"But snooker has a 100-year history in the UK whereas in Asia, it is just about 20 or 30 years old.

"The UK players are more professional when it comes to skill, technique and the mental side.

"They train strictly and don’t allow other commitments to distract them. In this aspect, Asian players don’t control themselves very well," he said.

Former world champion sees bright future

World No 9 Peter Ebdon commended the standard of Asian snooker and the tournament’s two finalists in particular for dishing up a quality contest.

"I think the standard has been very good," said the Dubai resident, who watched the final.

"I saw the start of a wonderful break in the second frame and there were back to back centuries in frames two and three. Towards the end, it got a bit scrappy as the players were under quite a lot of pressure. The standard was pretty high.

"I think it’s a wonderful advert for Asian snooker," added Ebdon, who reached the quarter-finals of the recent World Snooker Championships in Sheffield.

The 2002 world champion added: "I told Jin that I look forward to seeing him on the main tour next year. He’s a nice lad. I know Jin and the Indian lad very well. I told [Mehta] his game has improved in leaps and bounds since I last practised with him at the Snooker Academy in Sheffield.

"Jin probably went into the final with a little more experience and perhaps the experience showed."