‘rok Star’ Ronnie Marks Return With New Deal
Ronnie ‘The Rocket’ O’Sullivan has markedhis return to snooker by signing a personal endorsement deal with consumerproducts company Rok Stars. The four-time world champion held a pressconference, sponsored by Rok Stars’ Oval Vodka brand, at a London hotel onTuesday to confirm that he will return to defend his World Championship title at The Crucible in Sheffield in April.
The former world number one, believed by many within the sport to be the mostnaturally gifted player in the game, announced in November 2012 that he hadwithdrawn from the rest of the snooker season and may never return to thesport.
However, O’Sullivan said in a statement: ‘I’ve missed snooker, but the breakhas done me good and I’m really looking forward to playing again for me, myfamily and the fans.’
O’Sullivan continued: ‘Three or four monthsago I was sitting thinking that I would rather be losing 10-0 in Sheffield tobe back playing, rather than going for lunch, dinner and chilling out. I had toget back to playing, winning or losing, and it shows how big a part of my lifesnooker is.’
‘I certainly feel refreshed. I was neverout of juice. I don’t find snooker hard mentally or physically. It is your joband you get used to it. I needed to take time out for other things.’
The Rocket joins fellow snooker great JimmyWhite as a global brand ambassador for Rok Stars, which was founded by USbillionaire John Paul DeJoria and UK entrepreneur Jonathan Kendrick.
Kendrick added: ‘We are delighted to have teamed-up with Ronnie and to havehelped encourage him to defend his World Championship title as a global brandambassador for Rok Stars.’
‘Ronnie is a tremendously good bloke and is widely recognised as the mostnaturally talented player in the history of snooker and, along with his friendand fellow Rok Stars ambassador, Jimmy White, we can all look forward to somegreat performances in the future.’
O’Sullivan has provisionally dropped to 24th in the rankings but, as defendingchampion, he will qualify for the World Championship and be the top seed.
During a BBC Radio 5 live show, chairman ofthe World Snooker Association Barry Hearn described O’Sullivan’s return as ‘greatnews’ for snooker.
Hearn commented: ‘Ronnie’s a one-off. Thereare a lot of great players out there but Ronnie brings more to the table thanmost of them. Snooker is a buzzing sport globally. If we’ve achieved what we’veachieved in the last 12 months without Ronnie, goodness knows what we canachieve with him. He’s the cream on top of the cake.’
Hearn will also be the first speaker atthis year’s Nolan Partners Sport Industry Breakfast Club, to book your placeand find out more, click here.
