During snooker season he's one of the top players in the world. But when the last ball's been sunk, Peter Ebdon returns to Dubai and becomes a chauffeur for his children, writes Sara Sayed.
For former Snooker World Champion and current UK Champion Peter Ebdon, his long list of achievements is just the beginning. With every victory, he raises the bar a little higher and sets himself on a pre-visualised journey that, with skill and a little luck, hopefully leads to success. Like any sportsman, he has one goal - to be number one.
An avid reader and a sports enthusiast, Ebdon is passionate about snooker and fascinated by the quest for personal achievement and improvement. Currently sixth in world snooker rankings, Ebdon believes everyone has at least one area they can excel in - they just have to discover what it is.
"I firmly believe that every single person has the ability to be outstanding at something," he says. "You just have to figure out what the one thing is that you would do, even if you were not being paid for it."
Brought up in London, Ebdon started playing snooker at the age of 14. Eighteen months later, much to his parents' displeasure, he decided to turn professional. It was a decision that certainly paid off, but the father of four now understands his parents' angst.
Nearly two years ago, Ebdon and his family moved to Dubai for a change in lifestyle. It's been a change for the better, he says. Outside snooker season, he enjoys spending quality time here with his family, including being the chauffeur for his children.
"My philosophy on life is that integrity should be your number one asset and that family should be your number one priority," he says. "I live my life according to those values."
I
I think snooker is one of the most high-pressure sports out there. You have so much time to think during the game and there's as much, if not more, mental pressure as other games like golf.
Technically, golf and snooker are very similar; the swings, thinking time, psychology and visualisation, etc. Golfers tend to make good snooker players and vice-versa.
The toughest thing about snooker, compared to other sports, is that when your opponent is at the table, you are sitting down, without the ability to control or influence the match.
I have trained myself to control my emotions, thoughts and remain positive under those conditions.
In 2002, I beat Stephen Hendry, the seven times World Champion, 18-17 to become World Champion for the first time. He had beaten me in the final in 1996 by 18 frames to 12, but I knew in my heart that I would beat him that time round. We played each other again in the final of the UK Championship last year. I won 10-6, but it felt like an old boy's reunion!
I very much like what Elton John says on his Peachtree Road album, "We all get what we deliver." Or as Earl Nightingale said, "Man becomes what he thinks about, all day long".
Me
Me and my seasonal lifestyle:
Snooker season runs from September to May. It's a strange profession because we have at least three months off during the summer.
It sounds nice, but after a short time away from my practice and preparation for tournaments, I begin to miss it. On the positive side, it is brilliant to be here in Dubai, spending quality time with my family.
In September we will have been in Dubai two years. It's a fantastic place to live and the lifestyle is wonderful. We had been coming here regularly on holiday for about 10 to 12 years prior to moving here.
We would stay at the Sheraton on Jumeirah Beach. Three years ago it was the last building along the beach - so tranquil, nothing around it. But now there are 60 to 100 towers around it and it feels more like Manhattan.
I came here from the UK with my wife Deborah and our four children - Clarissa who is 14, Tristan, 10, Ethan, 9, and Ruby Mae, 7 - mainly for a lifestyle change. We found excellent schools for the children and believe that Dubai is an exciting, safe and peaceful place to bring them up in.
Right now, I feel like I am a full-time chauffeur for the children with the school runs and all their activities, but it's great to see them happy and enjoying life. Summer is family time but when I return to the UK to prepare for tournaments, I am 100 per cent committed and totally focused.
I will fly to the UK to prepare for my tournaments in August, basing myself at the World Snooker Academy, which is a world-class facility in Sheffield. It opened in 2006 and provides a training base for amateur and professional players.
It is a state-of-the-art facility within the English Institute of Sport. We have an eight-table set up there and it is like playing under match conditions every day. Students at the academy can practise against top professionals to improve their knowledge and skills.
Me and my childhood:
I was born in Islington in London and lived there for my first 18 years. I used to watch snooker on television; when I was 8, I watched Terry Griffiths win the 1979 World Championship and I became fascinated by the game.
I started playing when I was 14, which is late by modern day standards. I was fortunate, though, to join Kings Cross Snooker Club the year it started admitting junior (under 18) members.
Historically, snooker clubs did not entertain junior memberships. They were seen as dark smokey places that were off limits to kids. The Kings Cross Snooker Club was one of the first clubs in the country to have junior memberships.
I started off competing in the Sunday morning handicap competitions. By the age of 15-and-a-half, I decided to train full-time, knowing that I wanted to be a professional.
I knew that traditional schooling wasn't for me. I was a successful student, studying Latin and ancient Greek literature, but decided not to sit my exams. I wanted to make a clean break from academics and concentrate fully on snooker.
Looking back, I was crazy to take such a gamble but I was absolutely determined to become a top player. My persistence and determination to succeed stood me in good stead.
As a parent, I wouldn't be pleased at all if one of our children decided to make the decision I did. I now understand what I put my parents through at that time and why they protested as they did. At the time, I knew what I wanted and I was completely focused on excelling in my chosen field.
Me and my professional achievements:
I represented England at junior level at the age of 17 and at senior level at the age of 19.
In 1990, I won the World Under 21 Championship in Brisbane, Australia. I turned pro the following year. I had a great first season. I won a lot of qualifying matches … about 60 and got to the quarter finals of the World Championship in my first year as a pro.
I was drawn against Steve Davis, the six times World Champion and played really well to beat him by 10 frames to 4. I lost to Terry Griffiths in the quarter finals but finished my first season ranked number 47 in the world.
By the end of my third season, I was in the top ten and I am currently ranked sixth in the world. I have been world number three twice, in 1996 and 2002. My ultimate goal is to become world number one and also to win a second World Championship.
It took me 17 years to win the World Championship, from when I first started playing snooker. After the initial euphoria, which lasted about three or four days, I thought, "Now what?" I had to draw up new goals, new targets.
Without the new outlook, it would have been very disappointing; you can't help but think "Is that it?" Fortunately, that wasn't it - there was a lot more to strive for.
Me and my favourite venue:
One of the greatest experiences for a snooker player is to play at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. The seating plan in the theatre is incredible; the audience is very close to you.
In fact, you can reach out and touch the people in the first row. It is a magical venue and is the auditorium for the World Championship. Whenever I play there, I feel the unique pressure and the sense of occasion; I love it. It is my favourite place to play.
Myself
How important is mental and psychological preparation for your sport and for life in general?
I am massively into psychology and personal development. It has helped me in the past and continues to help me. A recent study revealed that only 1 per cent of the population sets themselves goals. I find that incredible.
I would encourage everyone to take the time to study successful people and to do what they love to do more than anything else in the world and to throw their hearts and souls into becoming the very best at it, that they can.
Most people do not know what they want from life and are largely unhappy because of a lack of focus, desire and direction. It is impossible to have direction and peace of mind, without a clear idea of what you want to achieve, through short, medium and long-term goals.
I believe that purpose is a very important part of social and mental health. A 103-year-old man was once asked what the secret of his longevity was. He ignored his interviewer and continued to talk to his plants.
The interviewer became frustrated and repeatedly asked him the same question. Finally the old man said, "You want to know the secret of my longevity? Who else would take care of my plants?"
The fact is: people need purpose, they need to achieve. If they retire with nothing to get up in the morning for - very often rapid deterioration, both mental and physical, occurs.
I realise now more than ever the importance of finding a balance between career, marriage, financial, spiritual and family goals. In the past I was determined to be successful in my field and it was often difficult to find family time.
Now, after spending time with my family, I can go to the UK for two to five weeks at a time, feeling mentally fresh and 100 per cent committed to my snooker. It is difficult to be away from the family but it is working well from a professional perspective. I have had two good seasons since moving to Dubai.
I listen to the American motivational speaker Zig Ziglar every morning to start each day on a positive note. When you do something positive in the morning, the brain releases dopamine, nature's 'feel good' factor.
Deep breathing, yoga and exercise leads to the release of serotonin, the 'happy' chemical released by the brain. Serotonin is also released when we do things for others. That explains why sometimes, the most unhappy people in the world are the most selfish.
We are actually rewarded when we do good things for others and even when we think of doing good things for others!
When people smoke or drink their serotonin levels decrease, making them unhappier than before taking the drugs. It makes complete sense to me that those who want the unnatural high or quick fix end up in a worse situation than when they started. It is nature's way. There is no quick fix.
Who were the people who mentored or helped you when you started playing snooker?
I was fortunate in that I had good people around me when I was starting out. I learned from a couple of top 16 pros and some top amateurs at the Kings Cross Snooker Club.
I had a great sponsor from the beginning; Nik Melanarkitis sponsored me as an amateur. He paid for all my travel, fees and other expenses. When I won tournaments, Nik got part of the winnings. I would win £30,000 or £40,000 at tournaments. That was a lot of money 20 years ago.
About Dh200,000 to Dh300,000 per year was not too bad at all for a 16-year-old! I owe Nik a lot. If it wasn't for him, I would not be where I am today.
How does playing pool compare with playing snooker?
Snooker is much more difficult to play than pool, which has bigger pockets and a smaller table! Snooker is much more of a tactical game and the skill level required is much, much higher. Steve Davis, six times World Champion, once described snooker as "chess with balls"!
We play on a green baize-covered table that is 12 feet by 6 feet, which means you have to be incredibly accurate and also have a very good 'touch' for cue-ball control. The idea of snooker is to pot a red ball and then a coloured ball. There are 15 reds on the table.
The maximum break (points) is 147 (which entails sinking all the reds, colours and the black without missing a pot.) That break has only been achieved three or four times at the World Championship. I have managed to make a 147 twice - once at the UK Championships and once at the Strachan Championship. Neither one was televised though.
How is the game progressing in the UAE?
Mohammad Al Joker and Mohammad Shehab are century break players (those who can pot at least 100 points worth of balls before they miss a shot) and are the two best players from the UAE.
It is quite amazing that they have reached such a high standards without the assistance of being able to practise against top professionals on a regular basis. I first came to Dubai in the early 1990s to play in the Dubai Duty Free Classic.
The last time it was held was in 1994 and I lost 9-6 in the final to Alan McManus.
In my capacity as a director of World Snooker, I have had meetings with all the top people in Dubai over the last two years in an attempt to bring professional snooker here. I am very confident there will be a professional ranking event in the Middle East in the next 12 months.
To fully fund a professional ranking event costs about £500,000. For that, sponsors get tremendous publicity, the best players and superb TV coverage. Snooker is hugely popular in Dubai with the growing expatriate community.
In the past, I have practised at the Dubai Snooker Club in Karama, but it will be knocked down soon for development. What is needed is a world-class facility.
Long-term, I would love to see a top company … sponsor the World Snooker Championship and have it based in Dubai.
I try to be the best ambassador for snooker that I can be. It means a lot to me. I now have the opportunity to be an ambassador for Dubai, as well … I will do my very best.
