A great snooker player talks about the World greatest sport and its biggest event: World Cup.

FIFAworldcup.com: Where do you watch the matches?
Now that the snooker season has ended, I’ve returned to China. Football is poles apart from snooker; it’s a more intense struggle, a more passionate spectacle. I adore my snooker, but I’m getting more and more into football these days.

Which team do you like best?
Perhaps because I’ve played snooker in Britain, I have a soft spot for the England team. England are not having an easy time of it lately; just as Rooney returned to fitness, Owen got injured again. It doesn’t matter, they still have Gerrard, Lampard and Beckham, as well as Peter Crouch and Joe Cole, who are playing in their first ever World Cup tournament. I still believe that England could go all the way.

What did you think of the match?
It was a decent showing, England came up against a tough defence and their first half performance in particular made me nervous. Perhaps it was the fact that Rooney was still not at his best, having just come back from injury. Fortunately, England finally broke through the Ecuador defence with Beckham’s second-half free-kick. I leapt out of my seat when they scored the goal!

What was the first ever FIFA World Cup match you ever saw?
I don’t remember too well, but when I was very young I recall finishing snooker practice and seeing some other children getting very excited in front of a TV screen. I vaguely remember someone telling me this was the World Cup and it left an impression in my mind like, “Oh, so this is what the World Cup is.”

Any predictions about which teams will meet in the Final?
I don’t know, the cruel thing about sport is that you can never predict the final result, you can only rely on your own hard work to achieve your dreams. Of course, I hope England will be there, but I wish all the teams good luck.

Has their been anything regrettable about this World Cup?
Of course, the fact the China aren’t taking part!(laughs) I hope that China can make it through to the next World Cup.

Which club team do you usually support?
My training schedule is fairly intense when I’m in the UK, so I never get time to watch any matches. I’ll be moving to Sheffield in time for next season so I’ll probably get to watch the local teams (Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday).

What are your plans now?
I’m gearing up for the next snooker season, and I’ll be heading for England in July. There’s not much time left, all I can do is make sure I’m in peak condition when the new campaign begins.

Source: WCoffsite