Sanderson Lam Q&A

We recently caught up with former ranking event quarter-finalist Sanderson Lam, who has enjoyed a strong start to the season with victories on the WPBSA Q Tour and the opening English Amateur Tour events of the season. 

It has been a perfect start to the new season for you with victories at the opening Q Tour and English Amateur Tour events. How pleased are you with your results so far?

I’m absolutely delighted with how the season has started. To win both the opening Q Tour and English Amateur Tour events gave me the confidence I needed. It’s been a great feeling to get back to winning tournaments and hopefully I can keep that momentum going throughout the season.

Obviously it was a disappointing way for last season to end with falling off the WST after four years. How did you process that and channel that into starting this season in such a positive manner?

I’ve used the disappointment as motivation. I know I’m capable of playing at that level and my main focus has been getting back to enjoying my snooker, competing regularly and putting myself in a position to regain professional status. The start I’ve had has given me a massive boost and I’m looking forward to what the rest of the season has to offer.

The amateur calendar is becoming increasingly busy with the Q Tour, Amateur Tour, WSF Championships, as well regular pro ams including the EPSB Open Series set to resume later this year. Is this regular competition something that you enjoy?

Definitely. I actually really enjoy having lots of tournaments to play in. When you’re competing regularly, you’re constantly under pressure and you get a chance to test your game against different players and different styles. As well as the variety of clubs you get to play in on the amateur circuit, across the UK & Europe. It has a sense of nostalgia for me, reminding me of my junior days.

For me, the more competitive matches I can play, the better. It also gives you plenty of opportunities to put things right if you have a bad result, rather than waiting weeks for your next tournament. This definitely helps maintain positive momentum.

You of course enjoy excellent practice facilities at the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds, home to many leading amateur events. How special was it to win the season-opening Q Tour event on home soil so to speak?

It was very special. The Northern has been a huge part of my career and life. I’ve spent countless hours there practising and playing, so to win any Q Tour event there was a brilliant feeling, but being the first event of the season made it even better.

Having friends, family and people I know around the club supporting me added to the enjoyment. It’s a venue I know really well and somewhere I’m very comfortable, so hopefully I can have plenty more good results there in the future. Hopefully I can transfer that feeling to other clubs across the country and benefit from the positive impact.

Do you have any particular targets for the season ahead – is it all about bouncing back onto the WST?

The main goal is definitely to get back on the WST. That’s where I want to be and ultimately that’s what I’m working towards.

But I’m trying not to look too far ahead. There are a lot of tournaments between now and the end of the season, so I’m just concentrating on the next one, trying to perform well and put myself in the best possible position in the Q Tour rankings. If I can keep playing well and give myself a chance of getting back on tour, I’ll be very happy.

Finally, we also saw an incredible 73 juniors contest the first event of this season’s Junior Tour at the Northern recently. What is the biggest advice would you have for any young player looking to forge a career in our sport?

The biggest thing I’d say is to enjoy it and be patient. Snooker can be a difficult sport and there will inevitably be plenty of setbacks along the way, so you have to be prepared for those and keep working.

I’d also say make the most of every opportunity to play. Get out there, play matches, practise properly and learn from better players whenever you can. Don’t worry too much about results when you’re young — concentrate on improving your game and enjoying the process.

And probably most importantly, believe in yourself. If you really want to make a career out of snooker, you have to be willing to put the work in and stick with it when things aren’t going your way. This is a lot easier to do if you fundamentally believe you can make it.

I’d also like to thank everyone who continues to support me, especially my sponsors Scott and Vikki Ward at Ward Motors, Northern Snooker Centre, Chris Chuah and Adrian Baraclough at Quickslide. Their continuous support means the world to me, having been a part of the journey from the early days, falling off the tour and to now, working to gain it back. It would genuinely not be possible without their support.

For anyone who would like to follow along with the journey to regaining professional status, they can find me on Instagram and Facebook: @sandersonlamsnooker for regular updates.