SNOOKER/Countdown to World Championship: Former world champion Ken Doherty, Fergal O'Brien and Michael Judge yesterday blamed the governing body of their sport, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) for the current parlous state of the game.

The three players, in Dublin before departing for the World Championship at the Crucible next week, expressed deep concern and anger over the current lack of sponsors in the game to take over from the tobacco companies, who will shortly have to withdraw from sports sponsorship, and the diminishing number of ranking events.

Next season there may be only six world ranking tournaments, not nearly enough to keep most players in the professional game.

"It is frightening to see what's happening in the sport," said Doherty. "We could be down to four ranking tournaments when Regal and Benson and Hedges go. There is nothing in place and looking at the WPBSA's books they could become insolvent soon and that's a joke. They are making a mess of the game and they are bringing in no sponsors.

"It's okay for the top 16 or the top eight players, and I'm up there, but other players will have to find part-time jobs. They won't be able to be professional players. We don't know what next season holds for us."

O'Brien expressed anger over what he sees as the refusal of the WPBSA to explain to players exactly how and why money is being spent in the organisation.

"The situation is not good at all. The board has changed. But there are the same problems. You ask questions and you don't get answers.

"They expect players to get sponsors. You don't ask Seve Ballesteros or Nick Faldo to go and get golf sponsors like they do in snooker," said the Dubliner.

"I've had six weeks off twice this season. I think we play about 90 days out of 365. What do we do the rest of the time? You look at golf and you look at tennis and they can play every week if they want to. It would be great to be able to say 'oh, I don't feel like playing this week'. It is very worrying. What are we going to do? We've had the same crap for 10 years."

Judge, who reached the last 16 at Sheffield last year, could be one of the Irish players to lose out most if the WPBSA don't find investment quickly.

They recently turned down a £3.3 million sponsorship deal for four tournaments a year from management company 110sport and declined an offer that 110sport become the WPBSA's internet partners, 110sport bearing all the costs and the WPBSA taking 45 per cent of the profit.

Doherty, O'Brien and Judge as well as many of the top players are contracted to 110sport, headed by Glaswegian Ian Doyle.

"Things aren't looking as rosy for me as they used to," said Judge. "I've had half a year off myself. A lot of friends of mine had to pack it in because they couldn't afford to keep going. I can't get exhibitions every week like Ken can. It's pretty disheartening."

The World Championship begins on Saturday where Judge faces the toughest draw of the three against Irish Masters finalist Peter Ebdon, with Doherty up against Stuart Bingham and O'Brien playing Robert Milikins.

"It's so sad," said Doherty. "The sport should be flourishing but it's floundering."