Unveiled last Thursday by the UK Government, the Sports Winter Survival Package will include £300 million ($399 million/€334 million) of emergency funding for sports in England impacted by the absence of spectators because of COVID-19.

"Snooker is a great example of a quintessential British sport that has provided many hours of entertainment for people across the country and beyond during this unprecedented year," read a WPBSA statement.

"Snooker was notably one of the very first sports to return to television screens back in June following the initial easing of lockdown restrictions and led the way in demonstrating that sport could operate in a safe and COVID-secure manner."

The statement also said that the amateur sport was a large part of many of its players mental health and stressed its inclusivity and its efforts for junior development.

Based in the UK, the WPBSA is not funded by the Government and is financially responsible for funding grassroots snooker as well as for the English national federation, the English Partnership for Snooker and Billiards. 

WPBSA's grassroots funding is also reliant on income from ticket sales of events that have not taken place this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many snooker club owners in the UK have also been hit hard financially this year, with sports bar chain Riley's closing many of its bars in the UK permanently during the pandemic.