China's cue kings cooking up a storm in England

Down-at-heel snooker king Ding Junhui celebrated his 22nd birthday on Friday with a simple on-line wish: by praying for better luck this season.

Ding, who has single-handedly carried the Chinese flag on the international stage since moving to England in 2002, told local portal Sohu.com that he was happy to have sparked a battery of Chinese up-and-comers but that he is not done winning despite a recent dip in fortunes.

"I'm so glad to see more young Chinese players coming up," he told the portal, which organized his virtual birthday bash. "We train and live together. It's great. England has the best players and the best atmosphere for training and competing."