Ferguson Eyes 2032 Brisbane Olympics as Snooker Bids for Its Biggest Stage Yet

The Chairman Makes His Case

Jason Ferguson isn't a man who does things quietly. The WPBSA Chairman has spent years pushing snooker's case on the world stage, and in a wide-ranging interview with Jojo's Cross Borders published on 3rd July 2026, he laid out his ambitions in characteristically blunt terms. The message? Brisbane 2032 is the target, and he believes snooker has never been better placed to get there.

Why 2032 Could Be Snooker's Moment

Ferguson's argument is a compelling one. Snooker is watched by hundreds of millions of viewers globally, with China alone representing a market of extraordinary scale — the sport routinely fills 10,000-seat arenas in Shanghai and beyond, and Chinese players like Ding Junhui and the emerging generation have turned the country into one of the sport's true powerhouses. Add to that the professional tours across Europe, Asia and the Americas, and you begin to understand why Ferguson is so bullish.

"Snooker is a huge sport," he said, "it might be the biggest sport which is not in the Olympics." That is not an idle boast. Estimates suggest snooker commands a global audience of around 500 million, placing it comfortably ahead of many sports that already feature at the Games. The lack of Olympic inclusion has long been a sore point for the sport's administrators, but with the Brisbane 2032 Games still six years away, there is genuine runway to make it happen.

Ferguson acknowledged the scale of the task. Getting a new sport into the Olympics is notoriously difficult — the International Olympic Committee has tightened its criteria in recent years, placing greater emphasis on youth appeal, global reach, and television value. Snooker can tick the latter two boxes with confidence. The youth angle is increasingly credible too, with players like Si Jiahui and Pang Junxu already competing at the highest level before their mid-twenties. Still, Ferguson was clear-eyed about what is required: "We need to streamline our efforts, join forces and go forward."

Robertson Factor and Australian Advantage

One detail in Ferguson's interview that stands out is his specific mention of Brisbane — and it is no accident. Australia hosting the 2032 Games gives snooker a genuine geographical hook, and Ferguson was quick to deploy it. Neil Robertson, the Melbourne-born world champion who lifted the trophy at the Crucible back in 2010 and remains one of the sport's most decorated players with multiple ranking titles to his name, represents exactly the kind of ambassador a sport needs when lobbying for Olympic inclusion on home soil.

Robertson has been one of the most consistent performers on the World Snooker Tour for nearly two decades. His presence — recognisable, respected, and Australian — gives snooker a ready-made narrative for the Brisbane Games that few other sports competing for a spot could manufacture so neatly. Ferguson clearly knows this, and you suspect Robertson's profile will be central to any formal lobbying push in the years ahead.

Paralympics: Ten Years in the Making

Perhaps the most underreported aspect of Ferguson's interview is his discussion of snooker's Paralympic ambitions. While Olympic inclusion tends to grab the headlines, the WPBSA has been quietly constructing a full para sport infrastructure for the better part of a decade, and Ferguson confirmed it is now "fully operational worldwide."

The organisation's team was recently in Thailand for the World Disability Championship, a tournament that underlines just how seriously the governing body is taking this pathway. Building a credible Paralympic programme is not simply a matter of goodwill — it also strengthens snooker's overall case with the IOC, demonstrating that the sport is committed to the full Olympic movement rather than merely chasing the prestige of the main Games.

For context, sports like boccia and wheelchair fencing have long demonstrated that disability categories can be every bit as compelling as their able-bodied counterparts. If snooker can bring that same level of competition and visibility to a Paralympic stage, it would represent a genuinely historic moment for the sport.

What This Means for the Sport

Ferguson's interview is a reminder that snooker's ambitions extend well beyond the ranking event calendar. The day-to-day business of world-class professional snooker — the Masters, the UK Championship, the World Championship at the Crucible — is in rude health. But the longer game, the one Ferguson has spent a career playing, is about securing the sport's place in the global mainstream for generations to come.

Olympic inclusion would transform snooker's commercial landscape overnight. Broadcast deals, sponsorship revenues, player participation in developing nations — all of it would shift dramatically. Whether 2032 proves achievable remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the campaign starts now, and Ferguson is not the sort of man to walk away from a locked door.

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