Jimmy White

In a sleepless night, i tried to finish the last few chapters of a book that i had left behind for a while -- a memoire of Jimmy White. For all times, White is a legend in the snooker world, but a tragedy figure, i hate to say it. Imagine you compete all the way up to the final round of the World Championship tournament and lose it. White did it, not once, but for six times. In 1994, he got the closest chance there against Stephen Hendry. He led the final frame and all he needed to do was just a few pots, but he missed an easy chance.

White, dubbed the Whirlwind, dropped out school in an early age and dashed around under snooker tables in a ruin English town. Born to the times when vodka was part of the game, he got drunk before matches started. He dared do trick shots in serious matches, enjoyed the matches and made sure that the audience knew that. Together with Steve Davis and Hendry, White brought the English game to a worldwide event. He had its part to lure a generation of Hong Kong teenagers into snooker clubs. He acted in a 周星馳 comedy, playing Jimmy White, himself, whom the comedian finally defeated. The Whirlwind gave us so much wonder, but he owed himself just a few shots -- he badly deserved.

"Life - like snooker - is not like, "I'm sorry I'll read that again", and it never be when you miss a shot.... No, the last shot you played is consigned to history.... The past belongs to the pundits and the statistics boys. There is only 'tomorrow' to deal with, which is as it should be. Look to the next shot. It might rain tomorrow, and it might not. But that's why people who live by duckin' an' divin' always say, 'Be lucky.'" Jimmy tells the story of an easy guy who bears the bitterness of life.