Wu Yize strikes mum to tears with emotional actions after World Snooker Championship win
Wu Yize left his mother in tears with a heartfelt speech dedicated to his parents after being crowned World Snooker Championship winner at the Crucible – the second-youngest champion in history
Wu Yize celebrates victory as he poses for a photo with his parents(Image: Getty Images)
Wu Yize had to pause mid-speech during his victory address as he honoured his parents after clinching the World Snooker Championship title.
When BBC host Hazel Irvine asked him to share a few words about his mum and dad, who backed his move into a one-bedroom flat in Sheffield to chase his sporting dreams, Wu took a moment to compose himself before answering.
At 22, Wu becomes the second-youngest player ever to lift the trophy, trailing only Stephen Hendry, and is the second Chinese champion in as many years following Zhao Xintong’s triumph last year. He overcame Shaun Murphy in a nail-biting 18-17 final-frame decider, maintaining his cool to secure the win.
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After a significant pause, Wu addressed his parents: “My parents are the true champions.”
It was at this point that his mother had to dab away tears, as the champion continued: “Since I made the decision to drop out of school, my dad has been by my side.
“My mum has also gone through a lot over the years, they are the source of my strength. I love them so much.”, reports the Mirror.
Regarding his growing fan base, who had been chanting “Wuuuu!” throughout his matches, the player admitted he initially thought they were jeering him.
He said: “At the beginning I had a misunderstanding, I thought people were booing me. But the staff told me they were cheering me on and I can’t thank you all enough. No matter who you support, I think the love of snooker is mutual.”
When pressed by Irvine about his celebration plans, Wu disclosed he was simply eager for a “good sleep”.
Wu continued: “Since the first session I was feeling nerves all the time. So right now I just want to go to bed. I have been trying to go for the strength for ages. For the past month I have been leading the same life, I am so happy I could get this done today.”
Murphy, who had been pursuing his second title following his 2005 success, was equally gracious towards Wu in his runner-up address. “I’d like to be the first to congratulate Wu Yize and his family,” the Magician said.
“And everyone around him for being a wonderful world champion. I hate being right, I said sometime earlier in the season, we had a great game out in China somewhere, and I managed to win that one.
“I came out afterwards and said that he would be world champion one day, it’s just a real shame that it was today, but I couldn’t have given it anymore, I couldn’t have tried harder. I played the best shots I could have played and I didn’t get my chance. I couldn’t do any more than that.”
