Betway pots UK Championship extension

Betting and gaming company Betway has retained its title sponsorship rights to snooker’s UK Championship for a further two years.

The tournament will officially be titled the Betway UK Championship for its 2016 and 2017 editions. Betway sponsored the Championship for the first time during the 2015 competition at York Barbican from November 24 to December 6.

Barry Hearn, chairman of World Snooker, said: “There were many fantastic moments at this season’s event, broadcast to hundreds of millions of fans around the world, and the Betway team were clearly very pleased with the exposure achieved for their brand.”

The dates for this year’s UK Championship have yet to be announced. Australia’s Neil Robertson (pictured) is the reigning champion, having defeated Liang Wenbo of China in the 2015 final.

The UK Championship is one of snooker’s ‘Triple Crown’ events alongside the Masters and World Championship.