With most sporting events having been held behind closed doors for the past 12 months, sport fans will be glad to see a return to normality, as the World Snooker Championships becomes the first event of 2021 to be held in front of a live audience.
The World Snooker Championships has been held at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield since 1977, yet the tournament has been running since 1927. Players compete for the chance to win the coveted World Championship trophy, which was bought back in 1926 for £19 by snooker legend Joe Davis.
The trophy weighs 46 and a half ounces and is made from silver. The trumpet base sits on a plain black plinth, two Art Deco handles adorn the sides and the trophy is topped by a Greek figure shaped as a shepherdess.
Although there is one of the largest monetary prizes in sport awarded for the World Championship title, it is the triumph of lifting engraved awards such as this that players say brings the greatest joy.
The initial rounds, starting on April 17th, will commence with around 30 percent capacity, rising to 50 percent for the quarter and semi-finals, and the final in May being played before a full capacity audience.
Strict safety protocols will still be in place, including testing for audience members and the wearing of face coverings whilst in the arena, but the move is being seen as the first step towards a return of spectator sport as we know it.
