Kyren Wilson says sacrifices worth it after snooker title win

Wilson said he had to miss his children's "first steps, first words and first holidays" on his road to becoming world snooker champion

Kyren Wilson said the "sacrifices" he made on his road to becoming world snooker champion had been justified.

Wilson, from Kettering, defeated Jak Jones 18-14 in the World Championship final in Sheffield earlier this month.

The father-of-two said he had missed "first steps, first words and first holidays", but it had "all been worth it" to "bring the trophy home".

He said having his wife Sophie and sons Bailey and Finley in attendance at the Crucible was "invaluable".

Speaking to BBC Radio Northampton, Wilson, 32, revealed that a family holiday before the World Championship had allowed him to "reset" after a frustrating 2023-24 season until that point.

"I went into it [the World Championship] really hungry and it all paid dividends," he said.

Wilson beat Welsh qualifier Jak Jones 18-14 to seal his maiden World Snooker Championship title

Wilson also praised the "awesome" club where he trained and worked before becoming world champion.

He said Barratts Club in Northampton - where he returned earlier this week - had been "so supportive" of him and provided him with bar work and a place to train when he was working towards turning professional.

"To have so many people in that club [at his homecoming] and take the trophy... it's been a constant party this week," he said.

Wilson had trained at the club under the tutelage of his Wellingborough-based mentor - 2002 world champion Peter Ebdon - who encouraged him to play snooker at an exhibition event aged six.

"He [Ebdon] taught me so much, and the biggest lesson of all was that you only get out what you put in," said Wilson. "I can only say amazing things about him.

"I really believe in manifestation and visualisation. One thing Peter said to me was to believe I can be a multiple world champion. I believe you have to set your goals very high and believe you can achieve them. It really paid off this year."

The World Championship was Wilson's sixth victory in a ranking event and his first in one of the sport's Triple Crown tournaments - the Masters and the UK Championship being the other two.

He said the coveted trophy - known as the Silver Lady - had become his "pride and joy", adding that the list of names of previous winners had brought home "how historical it all is".

Wilson, nicknamed The Warrior, said: "I believe it is now my duty to be as good an ambassador as I can be for snooker.

"It's given me and my family such an opportunity and such a great life."

There were emotional scenes after Wilson lifted the title, surrounded by his family at the Crucible