Meet China's new breed of snooker champions rising in Sheffield

"We've not come here to holiday. You need to work. You need to win. You need to win the tournament. That's the big challenge here."

The stirring words of Tian Pengfei, one of 15 snooker players who train at the Ding Junhui Academy having sacrificed their comforts in China and made the UK's northern city of Sheffield their home for eight months of the year.

The academy is just a five-minute walk from The Crucible Theatre which will host snooker's most prestigious tournament from Saturday - the World Championship. It's every player's ambition to be there and they will often train seven days a week in this dimly-lit work place. No windows, but it's clear their dreams are burning bright.  

Tian might be only 37, but having moved to Britain and turned pro in 2006, he is regarded as one of the seniors at the academy where he helps friend and China's most famous snooker star Ding Junhui nurture their country's rising stars - on and off the table.

One of those players enjoying their wisdom and advice is Fan Zhengyi. He started snooker aged five in Harbin in Heilongjiang, became U21 World champion in 2017 as a teenager and turned pro in 2018.  

"I liked table tennis as a child but there was a snooker table next to our house. When I was four, I saw the snooker match between Ding Junhui and Ronnie O'Sullivan on TV. I tried it once and liked it very much," Fan told CGTN Europe. 

"I played every day and the coaches in China said I was very good and talented. We chose this path and my family were very supportive."

Fan, nicknamed 'Fan-tastic', revealed it took him around two years to adapt to UK life.  

"Now I'm getting familiar with the simple life of going out to buy things and be in hotels," Fan added. "There's no big problem.

"In fact, life in the UK is rather boring. Most of my time is focused on training and not particularly on many amateur activities. I actually spend most of my time here cooking. I like steak very much. Plus of course I eat Chinese food. 

"I felt that I had a talent for cooking. Maybe it was because my family opened a restaurant before and my family cooked well."

Snooker remains very popular in China with around 50 million people playing the game. On the professional tour, England aside, China has the most players in the top 100 world rankings. 

The academy in Sheffield is home to several of these Chinese professionals, but they also come from Thailand and India. Having the advice and support from his country's greatest ever player has been a huge boost for Fan as he continues his climb up the rankings. 

"I see Ding quite a bit," Fan said. "When we're in Beijing we often have dinner. He guides me. Maybe we can learn from each other in the confrontation, because not every professional player will teach others to play. You can watch videos to learn but when you fight with him personally, you feel more clearly how he handles the balls."

Even Ding, who has won 15 ranking titles, has, so far, not been able to win the World Championship. For Fan, this is a target that drives him to work so hard every day, 8,000km away from his hometown. 

"The goal must be to be world champion," Fan said. "But it must be a long-term goal, and I hope it can be achieved slowly."

The academy based in the heart of Sheffield has 15 snooker tables, 12 foot long by 6 foot, plus two training tables and one table in Ding's private practice room. Bags of snacks and crisps and energy drinks are scattered on low tables surrounded by players and their support team talking quietly in Chinese. 

But anyone believing this is a place - or indeed a sport - confined to nurturing just young male players then they should think again. One female player, scurrying around the table in the corner, effortlessly potting balls, is Bai Yulu. 

The 21-year-old from Weinan, Shaanxi, came to the academy last June, just after becoming the first Chinese player to be crowned the women's World champion. 

She's a superstar and slowly getting used to seeing her face on billboards at home. She heads to Dongguan in May to defend her title, and she has been back in the UK to face the best male players hoping to qualify for the World Championship in her adopted home city.

"Sheffield is a special existence in the hearts of every snooker player," Yulu said. "It has the Crucible Theatre and it's where our World Championships are held. 

"So every player very much hopes to get to the Crucible to compete. It's so special for snooker fans and for every snooker player."