“The government will need to take into account a number of factors [about relaxing the restriction], including the need to protect immature persons under the age of 16 and avoid having them staying in billiard establishments after 8pm, which will affect their studies and cause adverse effects,” Yeung wrote in response to Fok’s question.

Hong Kong snooker star Fu, who produced a sensational maximum break to defeat the former world champion John Higgins in October’s Hong Kong Masters semi-finals, hit back at the government’s reply with a lengthy Facebook post.

“Why do the authorities encourage the public to watch the Hong Kong Masters while restricting teenagers’ hours of use of billiard premises, labelling billiards as a ‘bad sport’?” Fu, the runner-up in the Masters, said in the post.

According to section 22C of the Places of Amusement Regulation (Cap. 132BA), not only are people under the age of 16 not permitted to enter billiards premises after 8pm, but people in school uniform are not allowed to enter at any time.

There are currently 49 licensed billiard establishments in the city, with the Leisure & Cultural Services Department (LCSD) providing facilities without age restrictions in 11 sports centres, but with limited tables, including the Shun Lee Tsuen Sports Centre, which has only four English billiard tables.

“The Hong Kong Masters was an unprecedented success and was fully supported by the government as an event to celebrate the 25th anniversary [of the handover],” Fu wrote.

“This proves snooker is a healthy sport, otherwise the LCSD would not have publicised it so much.

“Why do the authorities encourage the public to watch the Masters while at the same time restricting the hours of use of billiard establishments by youngsters?”

Yeung was among several government officials who attended the Masters at the Hong Kong Coliseum, and praised 44-year-old Fu after the match.

“His performance shows the Hong Kong spirit,” Yeung said. “We and all Hong Kong people are thrilled and truly proud of him.”

Former world No 5 Fu concluded the post by saying that the move could hinder Hong Kong’s chances of finding its next elite star.

“If the government can give teenagers the same right to develop their talents, we are confident that the next world class billiard player will be nurtured in the near future,” he said.

The Hong Kong Billiard Sports Control Council (HKBSCC) started interschool competitions in 2015, with around 50 students from 36 primary and secondary schools competing for individual and team titles.

HKBSCC chairman Vincent Law Wing-chung called the authorities’ move “outdated” and “contrary” to the government’s emphasis on “promoting sports in the community”.

“The Regulation has been there for at least over 30 or 40 years,” Law said. “We are speechless when we see feedback that playing billiards will affect teens’ studies and label our sports as ‘bad’ sports, which may have been the case in the 1980s but it is certainly not now.

“I don’t see why playing cue sports at night will interfere with their studies. How about those who play basketball, football, or run at night? The same logic applies to why only cue sports are prohibited after 8pm for those teenagers.”

Law said there has been a significant increase in the number of young people booking tables at snooker clubs to try out the sport, and he hopes the government will “keep up with the times” and reconsider providing “equal treatment” to all ages.

“Whether they are four or forty years old, regardless of what they are wearing, as long as they have the passion, then they deserve to have a place to practice without any restrictions, otherwise it will only hinder the development of the sport,” Law said.