Pigeon invades World Snooker Championships as ref tries to grab hold of cheeky bird
THE WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIPS may need to revisit their security protocols.
A pigeon caused quite the stir at the Crucible on Friday with the World Snooker Championships forced to briefly stop play. Mark Selby was facing Yan Bingtao while Zhao Xintong and Stephen Maguire were midway through their second round match when a commotion in the arena caught everyone's attention.
A pigeon had somehow found it's way into the Crucible and was caught up in the theatre's lights. And the pigeon then chose to steal the limelight even more as it made a beeline for the edge of the table Selby and Bingtao were playing on.
Bingtao flinched as the pigeon flew directly past him before it landed on the table by the corner pocket. Commentator Rob Walker then said: "We have seen some things at the Crucible before but we have never seen that. Well I never.
"How on earth are they going to get it out?"
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������ There is a pigeon on the snooker table ������
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 22, 2022
You read that right. Think it wants a game.#BBCSnooker
The crowd cheered as the referee began following the pigeon in a bid to chase him off the table. Bingtao clearly saw the funny side of the bizarre incident as he cracked up laughing as the pigeon flew away.
Play quickly resumed after Bingtao and Selby were given the greenlight to continue. The pigeon was ushered out of the arena by taking an exit through the players' entrance, where Selby was returning to the arena at the time.
It is believed to be the first time a pigeon has made its way into the Crucible Theatre for the World Snooker Championships.
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Selby and Bingtao's match got back underway with the game level at 4-4 before the end of the session. Maguire meanwhile held a 11-5 lead over Xintong before the session ended, which restarts this evening.
Mark Williams has already booked his place in the quarter-finals after comfortable beating Jackson Page on Thursday. He will face either Selby or Bingtao in the next round while the winner of Maguire and Xingtong takes on Ronnie O'Sullivan or Mark Allen.