Neil Robertson Received the Order of Australia: How the Snooker Player Celebrates the Award.

Neil Robertson Received the Medal in Australia

According to The Sun: Neil Robertson hopes that during the next snooker match he won't doze off after a long journey of 21,500 miles to receive the highest award for Australian citizens.

The snooker star received the Medal of the Order of Australia on Tuesday at a ceremony in Melbourne, where he was supported by his parents.

Robertson, who moved to the UK as a teenager to achieve success in snooker, is recognized for his outstanding achievements, including winning the world champion title 15 years ago.

His visit to Australia was brief, as he is already preparing to defend his title at the English Open in Brentwood on Tuesday evening.

The world number 3 did not participate in the recent tournament in Wuhan, as he had just won £500,000 by defeating Ronnie O'Sullivan in the final of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters in Jeddah.

“I’m getting on a plane home – I don’t like sea travel! I’m returning on Saturday, so I’ll have very little time before the English Open,” he noted.

“Expectations are certainly different if I were in the UK training, I think, for a week.”

“But I’m on such an emotional high after winning in Saudi Arabia and receiving this honorary award, spending time with family.”

“As for preparation, it is not the best, but I don’t think it really matters.”

“In some ways, it may be the most relaxed state I’ve ever prepared for a tournament.”

SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET £50 BONUS WHEN YOU JOIN

Robertson, 43, expressed pride in receiving recognition from the Australian government and congratulated the timing of the award with his schedule.

Instead of playing several rounds at the Wuhan Open, where he could have “hit a mental wall”, he found time to rest.

The winner of 26 ranking tournaments shared:

“Receiving the Medal of the Order of Australia was incredible.”

“Looking at the hall, I was certainly the youngest person receiving this award on Tuesday, which increased my pride even more.”

“There were people who made significant contributions to their sport for 40-50 years and really worked hard.”

“When I was told that I’m receiving a nomination, I was very excited, as I didn’t know if this would ever happen.”

“I didn’t know if I would receive this at 70 years old.”

“In Australia, awards for athletes are not given lightly. They are very rare.”

“Getting confirmation that I will actually receive this award was amazing.”

“It gave me a huge boost, and yes, it was a very proud moment for me and my family, who were with me on Tuesday.”

Robertson, who is nine hours ahead of Great Britain, hopes that the initials OAM will appear next to his name when he appears on television.

The antipodean added:

“As a child in Australia, I always thought it was really cool when I saw Stephen Hendry with MBE after his name.”

“I thought, wow, that looks amazing. That’s so cool. I would like to have that one day.”

“I hope this is something that all players, like Mark Selby, Judd Trump, Ronnie O'Sullivan, John Higgins, Mark Williams – we should all have.”

The event for Robertson was not only a moment of recognition but also an opportunity to rest before an important tournament. Such honorable recognition underscores his significance in the world of snooker and in his home country, highlighting the athlete's contribution to the development of the sport.