The 7-time world champion attended the launch and played the first shot on the academy’s main table RIYADH: The Ronnie O’Sullivan Snooker Academy opened in Riyadh’s Boulevard City on Monday, with the seven-time world champion on hand to play the first shot on its main table. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport Widely regarded as one of the greatest snooker players of all time, O’Sullivan was joined at the launch by leading figures from the Saudi sports sector, including Faisal Bafarat, CEO of the Kingdom’s General Entertainment Authority, and Nasser Al-Shammari, president of the Saudi Snooker Federation, who oversaw the inauguration ceremony. The academy’s founders say it will offer snooker enthusiasts a dedicated space in which they can hone their skills and compete in local and international tournaments, with the wider aim of boosting the profile and development of the sport in the Kingdom. The opening of the academy is in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 relating to the development of sport and youth development in the Kingdom, by helping to provide local players with the coaching and experience that can prepare them to compete on a global stage.