Ricky Walden to return NEXT WEEK after being rushed to hospital with life-threatening illness… and still needs surgery
Ricky Walden to return NEXT WEEK after being rushed to hospital with life-threatening illness… and still needs surgery
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RICKY WALDEN hopes to play a qualifying match in South Yorkshire next Thursday despite his worrying illness scare. The snooker star, 42, was rushed to hospital in Berlin on Wednesday evening with internal pains, which turned out to be pancreatitis – inflammation of the pancreas. The world No.38 stayed overnight under medical supervision and withdrew from a Last-16 clash the next day with Barry Hawkins in the German Masters.
![[Ricky Walden playing snooker.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/4bf7c950-e286-41ac-9116-194cf3e173d3.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Walden remained in hospital on Thursday and Friday and is aware he needs his gallbladder removed at some point upon his return to the UK. But his team are hopeful the Chester-born cueist may play a Welsh Open qualifier in Barnsley on February 6 – provided he is fit to do so. Agent Lee Gorton said: “Ricky had been feeling unwell for a couple of days. “He played his game on Wednesday against Dylan Emery and was in quite a lot of pain during the game.
![[Ricky Walden of England reacts during a snooker match.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/10381646-3732-4f63-bb13-b32a2aba8a6d.jpg?strip=all&w=645)
“We were hoping it would subside but it didn’t. We went back to the hotel and he started getting progressively worse. “We took him to the emergency room in Berlin hospital. After about a six-hour wait, we decided to keep him in. “Give him some fluids. He has pancreatitis. He has got a bit of an issue at the moment. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS. BELOW is a list of snooker World Champions by year.
The record is for the modern era, widely considered as dating from the 1968-69 season, when the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) took control of the sport. The first World Championships ran from 1927 - with a break from 1941-45 because of World War II and 1958-63 because of a dispute in the sport. Joe Davis (15), Fred Davis and John Pulman (both 8) were the most successful players during that period.
Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan share the record for the most titles in the modern era, with seven each. Most World Titles (modern era). “He needs his gallbladder removed and that is in plan at home. This is a flare-up with the same condition. “He may have a gallstone in the wrong place or whatever. He is going to be in hospital for a few days. “We hope we can bring him home and then he will have the surgery.
