Snooker is a game of precision, focus, and patience. Over the last three decades, its profile has dramatically changed. While in the 1990’s it was a game dominated by the British, in the current decade it has seeped deep into Asia, pulling in new audiences from different territories. Even though soccer, cricket and even wrestling remain some of the more prominent sports, snooker has survived and made its way to the hearts of people at large as well. 

Harvey Chandler is one such name who has carved a niche for himself in the world of snooker from a very young age. Born in 1995, Harvey Chandler is an English professional snooker player from Raunds, Northamptonshire. He began playing when he was only 13 after getting inspired by a local coach in his hometown. What started as a means of fun changed his life for the best. That coach saw potential in Harvey and took the young kid under his wings, and began training him for professional snooker. 

The snooker genius recalls that his journey into the sport began quite accidentally. “It was all by accident, really. My dad used to take me to a snooker club in Peterborough once a month. I never really enjoyed the game, but it was just something to do. I was a football player, and my passion was football. But one day after school, my friend and I arranged to meet at our local snooker club, and that day I was spotted by the local coach Malcolm. He invited me to his junior coaching school, which he held every Saturday. And my journey continued from there,” Harvey shared. 

Like every other sport, snooker was not an easy feat. In fact, as an amateur, Harvey won many matches and reached the latter stage in every tournament he participated in. However, when he turned professional, it was a different ballgame altogether. He felt that he was a small fish in a big ocean because when he started playing professionally, Harvey didn’t win many matches. But he didn’t lose hope and kept working on his skills. In the following years, he started getting more comfortable and winning on a regular basis. 

Staying optimistic all the while polishing himself consistently at the game finally won him the European Champion trophy in 2018 in Bulgaria, marking the biggest achievement in his professional career. “Initially, to even get into the championship, I had to play in six qualifying tournaments across the country, which consisted of around 70-100 players in each event. I dominated the whole tour of qualifying and managed to finish in 2nd place. I would have finished 1st, but since I had already qualified for the European championship, I didn’t enter the last event,” Harvey Chandler shared, recalling his European Championship days. “I landed in Bulgaria without any expectations, as it was my first taste of a professional event. I managed to get through the group stages comfortably and dominated the knockout stages, winning comfortably every match. Eventually, I won the final – 7-2 – which was the most memorable moment of my life.” 

As far as the sport is concerned, Harvey takes snooker quite seriously and doesn’t indulge in going out or partying before a match, as it could hamper his concentration. That’s exactly what he urges aspiring sportspersons to do as well. “Stay dedicated to your game. Do not go out drinking and wasting time. Practice as many hours as you can and focus all your energies on winning,” Harvey asserted. 

For Harvey, snooker is not about minting money or being famous. He fell in love with the game at a very young age, and since then, he has been giving every ounce of his energy into becoming the best snooker player. It was never about money or trophies but just for the love of the game. Of course, being a pro snooker player came with its perks of traveling the world, performing on TV and being a celebrity, but none of these were the reasons why he started in the first place. 

Harvey Chandler has participated in a number of tournaments in various countries, defeating some of the strongest players in the game. Through his devotion, hard work and perseverance, he has proved that if you put your heart into something and be truly honest with your craft, you are bound to make it big in any field.