There is no doubt that Snooker overall faces a different challenge than the ones that peaked in the UK in the 1980s and 1990s.

Opportunities to participate in other sports have improved, with more leisure activities such as games that young people can use, and fewer snooker halls across the country.

These challenges are those who engage in the sport, although not fatal to it.

"It's definitely not a dying sport; it's totally different," Anne Totten of Scottish Snooker insists.

Tott – his son Chris lost the game in the World Championship qualifier this year – volunteers worked hard to develop the sport in the governing body.

She noted that club closure rates are difficult to hit due to club closures during lockdown.

Rising costs and lack of core funds also result in losses.

"Our a few years ago, our college was doing very well," she explained. "We have a lot of numbers, it's growing and it's going up, but then it's Kuvid (hit).

“It was one of the worst movements in the post-lockdown permit and government reopening period, so it was actually lost for 18 months and the youngsters found something else.”

Nevertheless, Tott insists that Snooker is recovering and is more inclusive than ever.

A tour over 55, another one is a tour for women, and different tours from “very different backgrounds.”

There are about 40 or 50 children in junior high schools in Scotland, with 10 to 20 young players playing on trips under 14 to under 21, with some age groups participating in the competition.

However, Snooker is working to become a more global sport with a population of about 1.4 billion in China, and at the forefront of the game, six players entered the last 16 of this year’s World Championships.

So, despite Totten's belief that Scotland is talented, the level of competition makes it increasingly difficult to break through on the world stage.

"I think sometimes I overlooked a lot of young people who have experienced a lot of young people in real, very fierce competition," Tott said.

"For young people, the situation is very difficult. Despite the opportunities, these opportunities are globally and everyone is competing for a few spaces."

It remains to be seen whether the young Scots will take up any space on the professional track or whether Higgins will continue to be the standard bearer.