LONDON:  When Ding Junhui took to snooker, he never expected to become a world champion, a prodigious millionaire, a national icon and a phenomenon.

By now, the 19-year-old Chinese "wunderkid" has won three world titles the China Open, UK Open and Northern Ireland Open to become the second player in history after Ronnie O'Sullivan to pull off such feat before the age of 20.

"For me it's not a dream that has come true, since I never dreamed I could do that when I began to play snooker," Ding said.

When Ding was 11, he quit school to play snooker, which was anathematic to the traditional Chinese belief that children should get good education to ensure a bright future. Even his mother, Chen Xijuan, opposed the move.

"Junhui was an excellent and promising student at that time," she said. "I thought it would put his future at stake if he quit school to play snooker. But his father thought otherwise. He said Junhui could go to university to get an education after making his mark in snooker."

His father's view prevailed and the couple spent more than what they had to finance Ding's career.

"We soon went bust because it took so much money to fund him," Chen recounted. "We were saddled with huge debts and life became increasingly hard. But we never wavered in supporting him because we were confident that he would one day succeed."

Ding usually spent eight to 10 hours every day in the poolroom playing snooker alone. He said snooker occupied all his life.

"I sometimes got bored. I also wanted to stop and go out to frolic with other children. But I couldn't. My parents had given up everything for me, so I had no option but play snooker. I had to play."

Their tremendous sacrifice finally paid off in April 2005 when Ding claimed the title as wild-card entrant in the China Open. He caused a sensation last December when he beat Nuggets Steve Davis to win the UK Open.

These two world titles made him a household name in China and sponsorship began pouring in.

"Ding Junhui is now a national icon and rated in recognition only behind NBA player Yao Ming and world hurdle record holder Liu Xiang," said Fan Rongjian, vice president of Beijing Star Group which is the leader of China's snooker industry.

"After he won the UK Open, my company was swamped with calls asking how to make the next Ding Junhui," Fan said.

Ding's success in the arena also salvaged China's withering snooker and billiards industry, according to Gan Lianfang, vice president of Chinese Snooker and Billiards Association.

"The industry faced a meltdown at the beginning of this decade as people became disinterested in billiards and snooker, and a lot of companies and clubs folded," Gan said.

"But after Ding made his mark in snooker's international arena, he resurrected the industry almost single-handedly. We call this the 'phenomenon of Ding Junhui,'" he said.

Snooker and billiards clubs mushroomed throughout China thanks to Ding's success, Gan said.

Ding is now No 5 in world snooker rankings and is poised to become No 1, according to insiders.

"He is a fantastic player with surprising talents who enjoys the game and is always learning. He will definately become No 1," O'Sullivan said.

O'Sullivan's view was echoed by the chief editor of Snooker Scene, Clive Everton. "Ding has all it takes to be the world's No 1. I think he will reach that spot this year or next year," the pundit said.

But Ding isn't looking to become the world's top player.

"I never dreamed of becoming the world's No 1 and even now I don't think about it. I am a doer instead of thinker. What I should do is improve my skills," he said.

A clinical hitter in the arena, Ding acts like a child at home.

"If you ask him, 'What was your childhood like,' he can say nothing about it because he had no childhood. He gave all of it to snooker; maybe that is the price he paid for success," his mother, Chen Xijuan, said.

"Though he is 19-years-old, he has not grown up. When at home, he likes to play video games and adores teddy bears. He is still a child now making up for what he lost in his childhood," Chen said.

(China Daily 09/23/2006 page11)