Hong Kong Set To Stage World Grand Prix

Hong Kong will hold its first ranking event in 35 years, when it welcomes the top players on the planet for the World Grand Prix from March 4th to 9th in 2025.

The event is set to take place at the brand-new Kai Tak Sports Park, which is a state-of-the-art facility set to open next year. When completed, the park will be the largest integrated sports and entertainment landmark in Hong Kong.

The Grand Hall, Kai Tak Arena for the World Grand Prix will have a capacity of over 4,000, with the ambition to play host to snooker’s biggest ever live audience for a ranking tournament. The World Grand Prix is the opening event in the prestigious Players Series, where only the most successful 32 performers of the season will earn a place.

Prize money for the tournament will be boosted by a massive 84% compared to last year’s total fund, rising from £380,000 to £700,000. The top prize jumps from £100,000 to £180,000.

In 2022, the Hong Kong Masters saw the world’s best players congregate for a prestigious invitational event. Ronnie O’Sullivan defeated Marco Fu 6-4 in the final, which was played in front of a world record crowd of over 9,000 in the Hong Kong Coliseum. The only previous ranking event in the city was way back in 1989, when Mike Hallett defeated Dene O’Kane 9-8 in the final of the Hong Kong Open.

WST CEO Simon Brownell said: “We are hugely excited to be taking such a massive event to Hong Kong. This is a move which is in line with our strategy to have a greater distribution of snooker’s biggest tournaments around the world and further globalise the sport. Hong Kong is a territory and market of particular significance for us, and we are delighted to be utilising this new world class venue.

"Having a long-term ranking event in such a prominent global city is fantastic news for the tour. We were impressed by the levels of support at the Hong Kong Masters in 2022. The 9,000 fans in attendance for the final created a magical atmosphere. We would like to thank F Sports Promotions for bringing us back to Hong Kong and we look forward to working again with the Billiard Sports Council of Hong Kong China in this prestigious event."