The Whirlwind has been captivating audiences for over four decades and at 62, Jimmy White’s enthusiasm for the game is still going strong. This six-time World Snooker Championship finalist may not be vying for top titles anymore, but he remains a formidable force on the circuit.
Having calmed from his peak in the 80s and 90s, White remains adamant he can still rub shoulders with the elite, and with an ADHD diagnosis and some spare time during lockdown, an unlikely tilt at Crucible qualification has begun – and with some vigour. White’s enduring prowess was evident in the first round of World Championship qualifying on Monday when he made a remarkable comeback from 7-3 down to defeat 20-year-old Anton Kazakov 10-9 in a match that didn’t wrap up until 1:20am.
Next up, The Whirlwind will take on Ashley Carty in the second round, hoping to qualify for the Crucible for the first time since 2006, though the days of lavish parties are long gone, much to the benefit of White.
“Well, I think in the 90s, I was a bit of a party person,” admitted White, who is part of TNT Sports’ snooker punditry team for the Worlds. “I didn’t practice, and I didn’t really… I sort of thought… I got beat in the last final in ’94, and it was sort of like, from then on, I was mainly on the road doing shows. Not practicing.
“In the last two years, I got diagnosed with ADHD. ADHD sufferers think 10 things at once. Now, I’ve got that sorted, so I’m sort of on a normal playing field, concentration-wise. So, all of a sudden, my game has come on heaps and bounds.
“During lockdown, where there was nothing to do, I started playing, and then I realised that I’m still as good as anyone out there – my game. You see, snooker’s not like boxing or football. You don’t have a time. Obviously, [only] if your eyes are okay and you’ve got the enthusiasm to practice.
“Where I’m lucky – I was naturally talented. I sort of thought to myself that… [If] I’m able to sort of bring that to the highest level again… I’ve got nothing to prove. I purely do it for my fans who still follow me. And my game. If I didn’t think I could win, I wouldn’t play. So, it’s not financial. I never actually played snooker for money.
“The game fascinates me. It’s given me a fantastic life. I’ve met some amazing people. I’ve travelled the world, and I’ve done a full circle. Now, all of a sudden, I’m back, willing to win. So, I could be dangerous.”
While journeying around the globe, the 62-year-old White decided to get tested for ADHD. After getting a positive diagnosis from an expert, he believes that his former high-flying party lifestyle masked his disorder.
“I was on a plane, and I was sitting next to a guy, just talking general life, a long flight,” he stated. “And he said to me, at the end, ‘I have got ADHD. Have you ever been tested for it?’ I thought, ‘That’s a bit of a strange thing to say to a stranger.’ Anyway, I went away. I did an online test, and it’s inconclusive. Then I see an expert. And if you do this test with a proper ADHD expert, it’s got 26 per cent, and you’ve got ADHD, and I got 52 per cent.
“I think my party lifestyle was compressing a lot of the ADHD without knowing. ADHD and these sorts of diagnoses of these things weren’t really around 30 years ago. So, it’s been a tremendous help for me, and I think I’ve helped a lot of people with it. It’s been a great thing to find out.
“My attitude was win or lose, have a booze, you know? Which is crazy. But you’re just so happy to be playing in them days and travelling the world. You get wrapped up. There were only four TV channels at that stage, and snooker was as popular as football.
“It got to a stage where I got wrapped up in that sort of not real world, if you like. And not knowing unto me, the strain I was putting on my body through the life I was living, I think were compressing the ADHD. Because, as an ADHD sufferer, for example, I was playing, I could be sitting there and I’m thinking of ten different things. Then all of a sudden, you’re sitting in your seat.
“Snooker’s the only sport in the world that you can do nothing at all when your opponent is at the table. Golf, you have a shot. Everything else… snooker, you have to sit there and wait until the other guy’s finished. There’s a long time in your seat to stay focused. When you’re young, it’s a lot easier. When you’re older, obviously, you drift. So now I’ve got the ADHD in order, I have a chance to be focused from start to finish, which is great.”
Qualifying for the Crucible is no small task – particularly at 62 years old – but with his newfound focus and relentless determination, that’s exactly what White is aiming to achieve, and his opening comeback proves he can still cut it.
“It would be a huge achievement for me,” confessed White. “Probably, five years ago, I thought that was an impossibility. Now I know it’s just the stage of it all connecting. Because the game’s in good shape. Obviously, there’s so many good players around to qualify for the Crucible. It’s like winning the tournament itself. You have to win four matches, best of 19. But I’m really calm, and I’m really happy with my game.”
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