Peter Ebdon: the importance of a vegan diet

Speaking after a 4-2 defeat by Judd Trump in a Sky Sports-televised PartyPoker.com Premier League fixture at Southampton Guildhall, Ebdon said his dad’s death convinced him not to eat animal products.

And the world number 24 also hit back at criticism of his slow play.

Born in London but now living in Hungary with his second wife Nora, Ebdon turned professional in 1991. Among his nine ranking titles are the 2002 World Championship and this year’s China Open.

He had this advice for Cuestars players: “Diet is the most important thing. If you’re eating rubbish you’re going to end up with diabetes, cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis.

“I’ve been vegan for ten months now, after my father (Michael) died of cancer last year, and I’ve done an awful lot of research on food and nutrition. The vegan lifestyle is the healthiest option for human beings.

“Snooker is secondary after that as far as I am concerned.”

Ebdon added that other ingredients in a top player’s make-up should include plenty of water, plenty of rest, organic food, hard work, goal setting and keeping still on the shot.

But he pointed out: “You’ve got nothing if you haven’t got your health. Your health has to be your main priority.

“Fitness helps. I swim half a mile every day. It doesn’t make me an athlete but it gives me a reasonable level of fitness.”

The 42-year-old used to sport a pony tail and play much quicker. But in recent years he has been attacked by the press, commentators, fans and even fellow professionals like Ronnie O’Sullivan for the speed of his play.

In fact, after he took nearly five hours to dispatch Ding Junhui 5-4 in this year’s Australian Open, Trump tweeted: “How Peter Ebdon is allowed to play that slow is a joke.”

Surely comments like that hurt?

“No, not at all,” insists Ebdon. “He’s perfectly entitled to his opinion. It honestly makes no difference to me at all. I always try to respect my opponent – before and after the match.

“I don’t know why (people have a go at me). I’m just an honest guy doing something a little bit unusual for a living and trying as hard as I can.

“That’s what I’ve always done; that’s what I’ll always do.

“I don’t pay attention to what anybody says out there because people often say some very silly things in the press and you have to take it with a pinch of salt (a small one, presumably).

“You have to be very thick-skinned and you have to try to be a professional at all times.

“I did play very fast years ago. That’s one of the things that comes with experience as a professional. You see a lot more; you see a lot more things that can go wrong.

“You try to play the percentages and there is a lot more thinking time.”

Ebdon admitted that the 25-second shot clock employed in the Premier League doesn’t compliment his game.

“Certainly it’s not easy for me with a shot clock,” he said. “I like to treat snooker like a game of chess and you can’t really do that with a shot clock.

“(But) it is what it is. I’m in the event through winning the China Open and I’m there trying my best.”

And lest we forget, the 2002 world champion, who has earnt more than £3m and compiled more than 300 centuries, concluded: “We’re competing out there. The idea is to win.”