Jimmy White announces big change as he attempts to end World Championship absence | Other | Sport
Jimmy White has banned himself from using his mobile phone as he bids to reach the World Snooker Championship for the first time in 20 years. The six-time Crucible runner-up last appeared in the final 32 of the tournament in 2006, when he was knocked out in the first round by David Gray.
The 63-year-old, who remains on the World Snooker Tour, has spent years attempting to return to that stage, only to fall at the qualifying hurdle. White has started his latest bid, facing Chinese star Gao Yang in the opening round of qualifying at Sheffield’s Institute of Sport. By his own admission, the Whirlwind is considerably more professional these days compared to his glory years in the 80s and 90s. Having enlisted his youngest son’s help, he insists his preparations, including keeping his phone out of reach, could not have gone better.
He told The Sun: “I’m going with my son this time, only because he’s been getting the balls out. I’ve got no distractions. I’ll have no phone, nothing.
“I’m going up there the best prepared I’ve been for probably 25 years. I know that sounds crazy, but it really is the truth.”
White says having his own club, the Jimmy White Sports Lounge in Woking, which opened in 2024, has given his game a boost. He added: “Since I’ve opened the club, I’ve been practising more than ever.
“I’m there every day. What I was doing previously, when I’d go to my club in Epsom, I’d have a couple of hours practice with my son, then maybe go back and do another hour and a half.
“But with Jimmy’s Lounge, I’m there all day and without even knowing, I’m playing like six or seven hours. It’s really brought me on, you know, leaps and bounds.
“I hope I can keep this form up. I’ve got to win four matches, which is like winning a tournament because you have to win four best-of-19 frames. But my game has never been in better shape. I’m really excited.”
Ranked 123rd in the world, White enters at the opening round of qualifying, which runs until April 15. Only the top 16 players in the world advance directly to the Crucible, while higher-ranked players join qualifying at later stages.
Should White fail to make it through qualifying, he will still feature at the Crucible this spring, having signed up for the World Seniors Championship, which gets underway on May 6. White, who claimed the World Seniors title in 2023, will be joined at the 2026 edition by Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Williams and Ali Carter.
