Mark Selby hopes Ronnie O’Sullivan mental health chat leads to positive change
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Mark Selby hopes his eye-opening chat with Ronnie O’Sullivan on mental health can lead to more help for players who may be suffering. The two multiple world champions have been open about their struggles with mental health over their incredible careers.
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They may be old rivals on the baize, but after Selby’s first round win at the Masters the pair had a very open and honest chat on Eurosport about how mentally difficult top level snooker can be. They both recognise that other players will be suffering as well, with O’Sullivan calling for more direct help on the tour.
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‘I think World Snooker should have someone at a tournament employed for if someone is struggling, come off the table and needs to have 10 minutes with someone,’ said the seven-time world champion on Eurosport. ‘I’m not saying everyone would go in there. But a lot of players suffer in silence, I can tell, I just look at them, they’re struggling.
‘They should have someone to go to and talk to. You have coaches sorting your cue action out, but really you need someone to unload a bit. I think it would really help the players. ‘If he [Selby] is struggling mentally and I struggle mentally and John Higgins struggles mentally then the other 124 are a million per cent struggling mentally.’.
Selby’s Masters campaign came to an end on Thursday night, losing 6-2 to Mark Allen, but he hopes his chat with the Rocket has a lasting impact and O’Sullivan’s suggestion is taken seriously. ‘I was just being honest. I’m in a better place at the moment but I’m taking one day at a time,’ said the four-time world champion. ‘As I keep saying I’ll probably have a bit of a low again and hopefully I can deal with it better than what I dealt with it before.
