World Snooker Championship at Crucible postponed

The World Snooker Championship has been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Judd Trump had been due to defend his title at the tournament, which was scheduled to take place from 18 April to 4 May.

Organizers hope to reschedule it for July or August.

The championship, the 17th, and final ranking event of the season, has taken place for 43 years running at the Crucible in Sheffield.

World Snooker Tour chairman Barry Hearn said: "These are tough times for everyone but we are determined to get through it.

"Fans around the world - as well as the 144 players involved - are anxious to know if and when the World Championship will go ahead.

"I can assure everyone that we are doing all we can alongside our broadcasters, the venues and other partners to confirm new dates as soon as possible."

World Snooker says they hope to be able to announce rearranged dates for the tournament 'in the coming days' after talks with broadcasters. On Tuesday, the Tour Championship in Llandudno - scheduled for 17-22 March - was postponed until 21-26 July. Hearn says he hopes to keep tournaments running to allow players to continue to earn a living.

"Snooker players are self-employed, they need opportunities to earn prize money so we have a responsibility to them," he said.

"We are currently exploring the potential to stage tournaments behind closed doors to keep the circuit alive, with more details to follow next week."

Trump became the first player to win six ranking titles in a single season by taking the Gibraltar Open on Sunday. The world number one beat fellow Englishman Kyren Wilson 4-3 in the final, which was held behind closed doors.