DEFIANT hot-potter Sharon Dickson (pictured) is confident the current women's snooker cloud has a silver lining.

The 33-year-old Cwmbran-based Welsh No 1 admits it's a tragedy that world snooker chiefs have axed the women's snooker circuit due to cash-flow problems.

But the world-ranked number-six is hopeful a new stand-alone women's tour can get off the ground next year if sponsorship can be found.

The WPBSA (World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association) have hit financial difficulties following the Government's ban on tobacco sponsorship, which comes into effect this month, and the tour claim they will lose £2million.

And the women's circuit is the first to get the chop with the WPBSA insisting they do not have the funds to subsidise it.

The WPBSA took the now defunct WLBSA (World Ladies Billiards and Snooker Association) under its wing years ago in an effort to raise the profile of women's snooker. And now the top stars of the game will meet with former WLBSA chairman Mandy Fisher to discuss the possibility of setting-up a separate women's snooker circuit.

Newport-raised Dickson is desperate for women's snooker to fly in the face of adversity. "It is a tragedy that the women's snooker circuit has been cut," said Dickson.

"It's a disappointing day and all the players are devastated.

"We didn't even get any warning that funding would be cut.

"However, we must all be defiant and maybe this is a good thing in disguise as we were the poor relation of the men's tour. While they received more than £5million in funding last year, the women had just £70,000.

"We were playing tournaments at 8 o'clock in the morning in front of nobody so we didn't interfere with the men's games - and that can be sole-destroying, especially when you've travelled a long way and paid out a lot money for the privilege.

"We didn't get any television coverage either so maybe I think us splitting from the WPBSA isn't such a bad thing after all.

"All the women players are meeting together in August, when the first tournament was due to start, to map out a way forward.

"If it's necessary, all the top players will seek sponsorship themselves to get a new women's tour off the ground.

"Even if we have to take a year-out from playing full-time, it will be worth it to have our own tour again."

Dickson, runner-up at last season's British and Scottish Open, is a district sales manager with energy company SWALEC.

She added: "The money aspect won't really change because we didn't get great prize-money."

l Businesses interested in sponsoring a new stand-alone women's tour can contact the Argus on 01633-777216 for details to be passed on to Dickson.