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John Higgins says Ronnie O'Sullivan advising children not to play snooker is a disgrace
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John Higgins says Ronnie O'Sullivan advising children not to play snooker is a disgrace

SNOOKER PLAYER, John Higgins has said that Ronnie O'Sullivan's comments about telling young children not to take up snooker a "disgrace".

The comments come after O'Sullivan's victory at the Scottish Open. He said he would not like his children to take up the sport professionally.

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND - APRIL 23: Ronnie O'Sullivan (R) of England interacts with Anthony McGill . (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

"I'd rather he played golf, football or tennis. Maybe 20-25 years ago it was a sexy sport but it has kind of fallen behind other sports, somewhat.

"If you have a child you'd want them to get into a sport like Emma Raducanu, she's doing fantastic. You look at the golfers like Rory McIlroy and the footballers, it's just lovely sports to be in."

"It’s just timing I suppose. Maybe in another 25-30 years, snooker might be back on top but at the moment I’d be like, ‘go and get a job mate, forget playing snooker’.”

Higgins ,a six-time world champion said that the Rockets comments were "terrible" given his name in the sport.

“I heard Ronnie, which I thought was a disgrace what he was saying, that he’d be saying to young kids ‘don’t play snooker’," the four-time world champion told Eurosport.

“I thought that was dreadful for someone as good as that to sit there and say that.

"I think it was terrible of Ronnie saying that, he should know better."

Higgins did however also 46, agree with O'Sullivan's comments on prize money

"But he was right in what he was saying about first-round prize money, I agree with that if you're a professional."