Ronnie O’Sullivan has been nominated for Sport’s Personality of the Year, but has been scathing about the awards in the past.
The Rocket was nominated this year after winning his seventh world title in May, but he has previously said the award is a popularity contest with winners based on what sport they play.
O’Sullivan has been nominated alongside footballer Beth Mead, England Test cricket captain Ben Stokes, gymnast Jessica Gadirova, athlete Jake Wightman and curling’s Eve Muirhead.
O’Sullivan previously felt snooker wasn’t big enough to be nominated for the award, let alone have a winner, and that is why he didn’t agree with it.
“You’re competing with Formula One, tennis, golf and the Olympics,” he said in 2016. “They give it like 10 seconds on BBC Sports Personality – it’s a complete insult to the sport [snooker]. But it’s what they think of it and what they believe it warrants, and that says it all really.”
“I’m so happy I don’t get nominated because I never would want to go,” he claimed a year later. “It’s not my type of thing – standing around at some gathering. It’s not my scene and I really hope I never get nominated.
“I won’t ever get that one. I don’t know why. I don’t think I’ll be in the hunt. I don’t think so. It’s not one I want to win. I’m not bothered about awards, trophies or accolades.”
Steve Davis is the only snooker player to win the award and that was in 1998.
It took until 2020 for O’Sullivan to get his first nomination, but he failed to finish in the top three.
“I can’t think of any other British sportsman that’s been as successful as I have,” he told Eurosport’s feature Seventh Heaven in October. “There probably is one but I can’t quite think of one.
“Breaking the major record, 21 majors, equalling Stephen Hendry’s seven world titles, I think that resonates with people. I’ve been around a long time and the British public have supported me really, really well.
“It would be nice [to win SPOTY] but obviously I understand that there are other sportspeople out there that maybe come ahead of me in the popularity stakes. It’s probably more of a popularity contest and what type of sport you play.”
He is not the only British sporting great who has an issue with the awards.
Tyson Fury famously threatened legal action against the BBC if he was nominated in 2021 – the year of his trilogy with Deontay Wilder.
“It means nothing to me, and I don’t need it or want it,” Fury told The Daily Telegraph.
“In fact, they will hear from my solicitors if they do put me on the list. Give it to someone who needs it. I don’t. “We know who the sports personality of the year is anyway – it’s me.
“Who does what I do, goes through a war in Las Vegas, entertains the fans, and then sings to the audience?”
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