Snooker star stuns fans with outfit at Saudi tournament in near-empty arena

04 March 2024 , 20:29

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Jack Lisowski decided to wear some traditional Saudi attire (Image: Eurosport)

Snooker fans were surprised to see Jack Lisowski wearing a thawb, a traditional Saudi outfit, at the World Masters of Snooker in Saudi Arabia.

The 32-year-old was part of DAZN's broadcast team at the much-talked about event, and decided to dress in local attire for the occasion. When the games started, people were more interested in what he was wearing than the actual snooker itself.

Fans quickly took to social media to comment on Lisowski's appearance.

"I guessed that @JackLisowski would show up - but I didn't expect that he would be dressed like this," one fan laughed on Twitter, after posting a picture of him. Another added: "Jack Lisowski is getting into the spirit of it all."

Snooker fans were baffled by Jack Lisowski

A third person added: "Just spat out my tea when I saw that." While a fourth chose to address the paltry size of the crowd, adding: "And where is the crowd?"

Jack Lisowski vows to play until he's a pensioner after win over Jimmy White

The World Masters of Snooker has earned itself plenty of publicity with the addition of the new 'Golden Ball'. The special addition can be used when a player nails a 147, giving them a chance to get 167 points instead.

Nailing the 167 will earn whoever does it a huge £400,000 prize. That's just shy of the prize money claimed by the winner at the World Championship at the Crucible. As such, players aren't turning down the opportunity of difficult blacks when easier colours are more easily potable.

Weirdly, when a 147 is no longer possible, the golden ball gets taken off the table and placed on a little pillow.

The excitement kicked off on Monday afternoon when Ding Junhui faced local hero Omar Alajiani. Ding easily defeated his opponent with a 4-0 victory, securing his place in the next round.

Ronnie O'Sullivan is in action on Tuesday night. Ahead of his bow, he said: “It's a great event, brilliant venue. Obviously (the organisers have) done a fantastic job so all the players are excited to get going.

“I love the Middle Eastern culture so it's great to be here and enjoy your time away from the table, that's always important and makes you enjoy the event much more."

Will Schofield