Jimmy White has announced plans to leave the UK and relocate to Hong Kong, becoming the latest top snooker player to do so after Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump. The 64-year-old, who has just begun his 47th consecutive season as a professional, has gained residency in Hong Kong through a talent scheme.
White's Career and Plans
White, nicknamed 'The Whirlwind', has claimed 10 ranking titles during his career and finished runner-up at last year's British Senior Open. He rose to fame in the 1980s and lost his first World Snooker Championship final to Steve Davis in 1984. He is regarded as one of the best players never to win the world title, having lost in the final on six occasions.
White now plans to pass on his wisdom to the next generation of snooker players in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Immigration Department announced his residency, and White discussed his intentions.
"My plan in Hong Kong is to maybe open a snooker academy and find the snooker talent of Hong Kong, promote snooker as much as I can," he told the Hong Kong Immigration Department's Instagram account.
Following in the Footsteps of O'Sullivan and Trump
White is not the first British snooker star to become a Hong Kong resident. Judd Trump and Ronnie O'Sullivan both went through the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme in 2024. Trump, who won the world championship in 2019, travels back to Hong Kong but is primarily based in Dubai. O'Sullivan chooses to spend his time between Dubai and Dublin.
White also mentioned a personal connection: "Now I have become a Hong Kong resident, I am going to try looking for my old friend – legend of the dragon." This was a reference to Legend of the Dragon actor Stephen Chow Sing-chi, with whom White appeared in the 1991 film. He added: "This is a snooker hub – snooker in Asia started in Hong Kong and now it's looking as big as ever."
Uncertainty Over Time Spent in Hong Kong
It remains to be seen how much time White will spend in Hong Kong after gaining residency. The situation was addressed by Hong Kong's director of immigration Benson Kwok last year regarding O'Sullivan. "As far as I understand, a lot has been happening for him in the past few months, and it's hard to say if his immigration plans will change," Kwok said. "However, he also hasn't given up on Hong Kong. He really likes Hong Kong, so if there are things here that can entice him to stay, he might just choose Hong Kong as his place of residence."
