Zhao Xintong's World Championship triumph can help snooker's bid to enter the Olympic Games, says the sport's chair Jason Ferguson.

Snooker's hope to be included in the 2032 Brisbane Olympics is realistic and will be enhanced by China's growing power in the sport, according to one of the men behind the bid. Zhao Xintong became the first Chinese world champion when he beat Mark Williams in the final on Monday,

The crowning of Zhao Xintong as Asia’s first world snooker champion will have come as a surprise to many unfamiliar with the sport, who will have also been unaware of its vast popularity in China.