Wuxi's snooker future in doubt as World Cup gets underway

Australian snooker star Neil Robertson (right) sign autographs for fans in Wuxi on July 2.[Photo by Pan Qi/China Daily]

This year's World Cup will feature 24 teams representing 23 different countries, a sign of snooker's increasing global reach.

When the sport's first World Cup was held in 1979, just six teams were involved.

China has high hopes of winning the tournament for the third consecutive time.

As hosts, it is the only nation to enter two teams. An A'team featuring world number four and Wuxi native Ding Junhui and 12th-ranked Liang Wenbo will fly the flag for China alongside the defending champions Zhou Yuelong and Yan Bingtao.