Ding Junhui, winner of the UK Snooker Championship, quit school at the age of 12 and never sat the national college entrance examination, but that hasn't stopped him from securing a place in one of the country's most renowned universities in Shanghai.

 

 

The 20-year-old has been accepted into Shanghai Jiao Tong University based solely on his skills at the snooker table, Ding's agent revealed yesterday.

 

Many students in Shanghai are more than a little uncertain if a middle school dropout deserves to be enrolled in one of China's best universities.

 

Ding's agent Lu Hao told Shanghai Daily yesterday that Ding would begin his undergraduate studies next year. He has yet to pick a major.

 

Considered the world's most talented snooker prodigy this decade, the Zhejiang Province native quit school at the age of 12 in favor of the snooker halls.

 

"Ding always intended to pursue a higher education. He is confident he will do as well in his studies as in snooker," Lu said.

 

Jiao Tong isn't the first school in Shanghai to enroll an academically dubious sports star. Liu Xiang, world record holder in the 110-meter hurdles, was offered the chance to earn a postgraduate degree at East China Normal University in 2004. FIFA's Miss Soccer, Sun Wen, was also admitted to Fudan University without having to sit entrance exams in 2002.

 

Local high school students said yesterday objected to what they consider to be unfair treatment.

 

"We spend years sitting at our desks studying and fighting for a place in university. How can these people with low academic records be allowed to take a shortcut and take our seats?" Ge Liumin complained.

 

Wu Zhaolu, a Fudan University professor, acknowledged that Ding's admission is a little bit unreasonable, but said it's also acceptable to reward elite athletes' contributions to the country with higher education opportunities.

 

Having famous people as students is also good public relations for the universities, according to Yang Ruzeng, a Tongji University professor.

 

"It's a good deal for both sides."

 

(Shanghai Daily November 8, 2006)