Ken Doherty: World Championship must remain a test of resolve as well as talent

'Every year those memories come flashing back of potting those last few balls and what a wonderful feeling it was getting my hands on that trophy, something I'd dreamed of since the age of eight'

WINNER: Ken Doherty won the world snooker title 25 years ago. 

TWENTY five years after he lifted his first and only world snooker crown, Ken Doherty is adamant the Crucible's weighty traditions must not be allowed to wither amid unprecedented pressure to change.

The 17-day tournament - which begins next Saturday - stands increasingly isolated amid a non-stop calendar of short-form events, and another former winner, Neil Robertson, is among those who have questioned its continuing format, deriding it as "dated and stale".