sportskeeda
A SNOOKER player once chose to participate in the World Snooker Championship rather than attend the birth of his child.
Noppon Saengkham found himself at The Crucible in 2022 while his daughter arrived in his home country of Thailand.
2
2
He had overcome Luca Brecel in the first round, setting the stage for a match against four-time world champion John Higgins, who ultimately won 13-7.
Nonetheless, Saengkham did not appear too distressed about missing his daughter’s birth, noting that he could video call his wife to connect with her.
He expressed during that time: “I’m very happy; my daughter was born yesterday at 7 am UK time. I communicate with my wife daily.”
“I’ll get to see my daughter through video call, so everything will be okay.”
At the age of 32, Saengkham went professional in 2010 but has only reached one ranking final—the 2023 Scottish Open.
Despite this, he has managed to defeat some prominent figures in the sport, including Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, and Kyren Wilson, along with one of his main inspirations, Mark Selby.
Saengkham even drew inspiration from Selby when naming his daughter, Believe.
Selby famously remarked “Believe, believe, believe” while trailing in the 2017 World Snooker Championship final—a match he eventually turned around to win.
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
Saengkham admired Selby’s unwavering spirit and believed that “Believe” would be a perfect name for his daughter.
He shared: “I was inspired by that moment when Mark Selby was down 10-4 to John Higgins in the 2017 World final.
Embarrassing moment snooker star Shaun Murphy throws ‘worst darts ever’ after claiming to have hit nine-darter
“He shouted ‘believe, believe, believe’ while the camera was on him—and then he came back to win. He knows I look up to him. I admire his style of play. It’s all about perseverance, which is why I respect him.”
