Ronnie O'Sullivan pays tribute to 'George Best of snooker' who 'starved to death'
Ronnie O'Sullivan made an emotional tribute to one of snooker's biggest legends.
Snooker legend Alex Higgins would have turned 75 on Monday, but it has been over 13 years since his unfortunate passing. The two-time world champion made one of the biggest impacts on the sport and Ronnie O’Sullivan has described him as the man who “made snooker sexy” in a heartfelt tribute.
Higgins died in 2010 aged just 61 as one of snooker’s greatest characters. Aptly dubbed the Hurricane, Higgins stoked fear into his opponents and left destruction in his wake, as a flawed genius who became the first qualifier in history to become world champion at the age of 22.
He became snooker’s first superstar but in 1998 was diagnosed with throat cancer after admitting to smoking and drinking heavily, passing away 12 years later through multiple contributory health-related causes.
Higgins is looked up to by those who were able to watch him play, including O’Sullivan. The Rocket, who was out in China this week for the World Open, describes in new book Goody Two Shoes how the Northern Irish star helped put snooker on the map.
“He (Higgins) made snooker sexy,” O’Sullivan said. “He was our George Best, and every sport needs a character and snooker was lucky to have Alex Higgins. All I know is that Alex is still remembered.
“Some people might win the World Championship two or three times and you ask most people on the street their names and they'll go 'Who?'. But Alex was different, he was special. And he'll never be forgotten."
Higgins had lost his teeth after battling cancer and survived his final few weeks by drinking Guinness and pureed food, as his close friend and snooker rival emotionally spoke out shortly after his passing.
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“He died from lack of nourishment,” White said. “We’ve lost a genius and one of the greatest champions of the game. I was crying all yesterday. I’m absolutely devastated. I was in awe of him. I didn’t always agree with what he did but I loved him. I have lost a friend and I will remember him forever. Alex took snooker in the 1970s to the heights which it reached in the 80s – that was all down to him.
“In the end it wasn’t cancer that killed him, the cancer had gone, he died from lack of nourishment, how sickening is that? Unfortunately Alex was his own man and he just wouldn’t listen to anyone. He was a very picky eater, one sandwich a day, he never ate much.
“His sister Jean would bring food round, make a roast dinner and put it in a blender, but it was hard work to get him to eat anything. Higgins was in a catch 22, he didn’t like food very much and couldn’t eat because he had no teeth.”