ENGLISH SNOOKER player Shaun Murphy has said sorry for his remarks after his defeat to Chinese amateur Si Jiahui in the opening round of the UK Snooker Championship earlier this week.
The world number six said he regretted the timing of his comments. Murphy came under fire for the rant from fans and fellow players in the game.
He lost 6-5 to Si and followed up the defeat with a remarkable rant on why amateur players should not be allowed to compete against professionals. He believed that the inexperienced players don't have any pressure
Shaun Murphy tells the BBC he regrets the timing of his comments over amateur players and apologises to Si Jiahui.
— Nick Metcalfe (@Nick_Metcalfe) November 27, 2021
"I think if I could go back in time I perhaps wouldn’t have said what I said, having just lost to Si Jiahui,” Murphy told BBC.
"I think it took the shine off his victory and I regret that, and I’d like to apologise to him for that.
"It was a great win, he played really well. He played better than I did, and he deserved his victory."
Murphy however has not changed his stance and firmly believes that the professional game is no place for people like Si,
Murphy said "I stand by my point of view."
"I don’t think amateur players should be allowed to play in professional events," he added.
"Ultimately the powers that be, [CEO] Steve Dawson and his team at World Snooker Tour, they’ve been very clear on the commercial reasons why we allow amateurs and top ups into the game."
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