Tatler+
The women’s world champion on life before her winning break
The lively, jostling district of Sham Shui Po in the heart of Kowloon has long been famed for its bargain tech goods and dai pai dongs—or traditional open-air food stalls. But it has also produced one of Hong Kong’s finest exports. Professional snooker player On-yee Ng is a three-time women’s world champion who has made her city proud.
“I live by a slogan,” says Ng. “If you believe it, you can achieve it.” Through talent and persistence, she rose to the top of her sport—and credits the city of her birth for giving her the driving force to succeed. “Growing up in Hong Kong has taught me not to give up. Just like snooker, Hong Kong is all about movement; [it has a] kinetic energy that pushes you forward.”
The other great inspiration for her remarkable journey to the world stage has been her father. “He taught me how to navigate the obstacles on the snooker tables and in my life.” One day during her formative years, her father took her to a club competition in his snooker uniform, complete with bow tie. She loved the look, and her passion for the sport began then. Little did she know at the time how far it would carry her.
On her way to conquering the sport, Ng has overcome challenges, not least of which is men’s competitions’ traditional domination of snooker. “As a woman in snooker, I have heard people say snooker is a man’s game. [But] gender, I think, is no longer a barrier to many things,” she says.
