The Marshall Arena has felt like ‘the safest place on Earth’ according to one of the snooker players competing in the Matchroom.Live Championship League, which is being held at the home of MK Dons.
A number of safety guidelines have been implemented to ensure that Stadium MK is Covid-secure for the tournament, which is due to run until 11 June in the Marshall Arena.
Matchroom Sport announced on Friday that all their 78 tests have come back negative and Chairman Barry Hearn, when announcing that snooker would return to Stadium MK in June, was full of praise for the venue.
“The feedback we have had this week from the players at the venue in Milton Keynes has been excellent,” Hearn said in a press release.
“Any concerns they may have had about their own welfare have been laid to rest – in fact one player described it as ‘probably the safest place on Earth.”
Hearn’s comments came in his announcement that Coral Tour Championship will also take place in the Marshall Arena, the week after the conclusion of the Championship League.
“We are delighted to confirm dates for this event, coming hot on the heels of the Matchroom.Live Championship League.
“This is a huge tournament with a stellar line up and massive prize money on offer. We are thrilled to be working with the Coral team as we come to the final chapter in the series with the Coral Cup still up for grabs for all eight players in the field. It’s another major event for the fans and players, ahead of the World Championship.
“And we appreciate the fantastic coverage from ITV and their commitment to working with us to provide many millions of fans with top class live sport.”
Marshall Arena to host snooker's Coral Tour Championship later this month
The Coral Tour Championship world ranking event is the third and last event in the Coral Series. It features the top eight players on this season’s money list, battling for a top prize of £150,000. The leading money winner across the three events will also receive the Coral Cup and a bonus of £100,000.
The draw for the event is:
Judd Trump v John Higgins
Neil Robertson v Ding Junhui
Mark Selby v Yan Bingtao
Shaun Murphy v Mark Allen
