The Meadowbank Sports Centre will welcome the best snooker players on the planet later this year when the BetVictor Scottish Open comes to Edinburgh.

The world ranking event will run from November 28 to December 4 and will be staged at the Meadowbank Sports Centre for the first time. It will be the first professional snooker event in Edinburgh since 2003.

The venue hosted the Commonwealth Games in both 1970 and 1986. It closed in 2017 but reopened to the public this week following a multi-million-pound redevelopment.

Welcoming the news, Scotland’s top player John Higgins said: “It’s brilliant news for the Scottish players as we have really missed the chance to play in our home tournament over the last couple of years. I think there’s a lot of support for snooker and a lot of people playing the game in Edinburgh. I would love to win it in front of my own fans.”

Higgins was runner-up to Luca Brecel in the event last year and reached six finals over the season, albeit the only won he won was the Championship League. Reflecting on his consistency, the 47-year-old from Wishaw added: “If I keep knocking on the door then I think the trophies will follow. Ronnie O’Sullivan is an inspiration because he is still winning the big tournaments at his age so hopefully I can do the same.”

The top 16 seeded players will all compete at the venue and that could include the likes of Judd Trump, Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, defending champion Luca Brecel and World Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan.

In all there will be over 70 players in the field, with all tour players outside the top 16 to go through a qualifying round, to be staged in October.  The Scottish Open is one of the season’s Home Nations Series, alongside the Northern Ireland Open, Scottish Open and Welsh Open.  Last year the tournament was staged in Wales as WST was unable to host the event at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, where it took place from 2016 to 2019.

WST Chairman Steve Dawson said: “We know how disappointed the Scottish fans and players were to miss out on a tournament in their homeland last year, so we are extremely pleased to move the event to Edinburgh this time.

“It’s a new venue for this superb event and we’re excited about bringing snooker to this top-class facility in the Scottish capital. There is such a rich history of great snooker players from Scotland and we know the fans love our sport. This is their chance to get behind their heroes and experience a live event of the highest quality.”

Donald Goldsmith, Manager at the new Meadowbank Sports Centre, said: “We’re delighted to be hosting the Scottish Open at the newly refurbished Meadowbank Sports Centre. Meadowbank has been an important part of Scotland’s sporting history for many years and our new Centre will build on this legacy. Snooker fans will be greeted with the warm Edinburgh Leisure welcome that we are renowned for.”