SNOOKER could feature in future Olympics.

As the UK Championship at the Barbican in York had a rest day, billiard sports launched its bid to become part of the Paris 2024 programme at a special ceremony at the Eiffel Tower.

Hosted by the Billiards 2024 Committee and supported by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association and World Snooker, the event represented a significant milestone the games’ bid for inclusion at the Paris Games.

Among those present were WPBSA vice-chairman Nigel Mawer QPM and former world champion Shaun Murphy, who ironically will not return to York after his shock exit this week.

Billiard sports previously applied to join the Olympic programme but is now in a stronger position to be successful as cuesports continue to grow globally.

The World Snooker Tour now comprises 27 major tournaments around the world, with a television reach of 1.6 billion homes. The sport, played in about 100 countries, was included at the 2017 World Games in Wroclaw, with England's Kyren Wilson winning gold.

WSF president Jason Ferguson said: “Today represents an important landmark in what is a serious bid for the inclusion of billiard sports at the Paris 2024 Games.

"With the levels of participation in our great sport consistently increasing and new opportunities being created by the WSF and its partners for people across the globe to be able to pick up a cue, the sport has never been in a stronger position to take its rightful place on the Olympic programme.”