Ding Junhui, Chinese professional snooker player, known as the "prodigy". He began playing billiards at the age of eight, won the third place in the Asian invitation at the age of thirteen, and since then, the title of "prodigy" has quickly spread in the billiards world. In May 2002, at the age of 15, Ding Junhui won China's first Asian championship, becoming the youngest Asian champion.
On August 31 of the same year, he won the World Youth Snooker Championship, becoming China's first billiards world champion. This year was significant for Ding Junhui, who not only made history, but also rewrote China's history of goldless billiards at the Asian Games. In recognition of his contribution, the Chinese Billiards Association presented him with the "China Billiards Special Contribution Award".
Since becoming a professional snooker player in September 2003, Ding Junhui has achieved great achievements in his career. To date, he has won a total of 14 ranking tournaments, including five major ranking tournament titles in a single season between 2013 and 2014, equalling the record set by billiards emperor Hendry. In addition, he has won 2 PTC races and 1 Wembley Masters. Ding Junhui scored a total of 147 goals on six occasions, creating a shocking feat of 2-par 147 in three days. These achievements led the British media to hail him as the "Star of the East".
On December 3, 2014, Ding Junhui became the 11th player in the history of the World Billiards Federation, and the first player in the Asian region. In May 2018, he was inducted into the World Snooker Hall of Fame, further demonstrating his preeminent position in the snooker world. In December 2020, he was elected to the World Snooker Commission.
However, Ding Junhui's achievements are more than glory and honor. He was a huge promoter of the promotion and reform of snooker, breathing new life into the sport. As the famous snooker player and Australian player Neil Robertson said: "Ding Junhui is a very great professional player, both in terms of achievements and contributions to snooker. He broke the British Isles' domination of Britain's traditional three major tournaments. There is no substitute for his value in terms of his contribution to snooker. Because his appearance led to an influx of sponsors, the treatment of every professional player was also improved. In the past, many low-level professional players did not have a good life, but today, all this has improved tremendously. Therefore, we should all be grateful to Ding Junhui. ”
Ding Junhui's influence is not limited to the snooker world, he has also become the pride of Chinese sports. His success has inspired more young people to pursue their billiards dreams, and his efforts have made outstanding contributions to Chinese sports.
Whether as an athlete or as an individual, Ding Junhui has shown outstanding ability and extraordinary charm. He proved the competitiveness of Chinese players on the world sports stage with his own strength. His story has inspired countless people and become a role model for many who pursue their dreams. Ding Junhui's legendary story will continue to influence and inspire more people, and he will always be remembered in the history of snooker.