WORLD SPORT

I Missed My Daughter’s Birth to Compete in the World Snooker Championship—Her Name Was Inspired by One of My Rivals

sportnow

A SNOOKER player once opted to compete in the World Snooker Championship instead of attending his child’s birth.

Noppon Saengkham was at The Crucible in 2022 when his daughter was born in his homeland of Thailand.

Noppon Saengkham missed his daughter's birth to participate in the 2022 World Snooker Championship

2

Noppon Saengkham missed his daughter’s birth to participate in the 2022 World Snooker ChampionshipCredit: Getty
He took inspiration from Mark Selby for his daughter's name

2

He took inspiration from Mark Selby for his daughter’s nameCredit: PA

He had triumphed over Luca Brecel in the initial round, setting up a match with four-time world champion John Higgins, who defeated him 13-7.

Nevertheless, Saengkham was not overly disheartened about missing the birth of his daughter, mentioning at the time that he could video call his wife to see her.

He stated at that time: “I’m very happy, my daughter was born yesterday at 7am UK time. I communicate with my wife daily.”

“I’ll connect with my daughter via video call, so everything will be alright.”

At 32, Saengkham turned professional in 2010 but has only reached one ranking final—the 2023 Scottish Open.

Despite this, he has defeated some of the biggest names in the sport, including Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, and Kyren Wilson, along with one of his greatest inspirations, Mark Selby.

Saengkham even found inspiration from Selby for naming his daughter, Believe.

Selby famously said “Believe, believe, believe” when he was behind in the 2017 World Snooker Championship final—a match he ultimately came back to win.

CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS

Saengkham admired Selby’s relentless spirit and felt that “Believe” would be a fitting name for his daughter.

He explained: “I was inspired by the moment when Mark Selby was down 10-4 to John Higgins in the 2017 World final.

Embarrassing moment snooker star Shaun Murphy throws ‘worst darts ever’ after claiming to have hit nine-darter

“He exclaimed ‘believe, believe, believe’ while the camera was focused on him—and then he came back to win. He knows I admire him. I love the way he plays. His style is all about perseverance. That’s why I admire him.”