File photo of Jet Lee during the VVIP Snooker Championship held in Kuching.
SIBU (Sept 29): A total of 54 players from throughout Sarawak are taking part in the VVIP 6 Red Snooker Championship in Kuching on Oct 3-9.
Recently crowned VVIP Snooker Championship winner Jet Lee heads the challenge from Kuching, with respectable names like Edmond Bong, Hussein Onn, Tan Chin Yong and Dennis Ho making up the list.
Lee, a 40-year-old businessman, aims for the title but admitted it would not be easy as the six red balls format was an entirely different game compared with 15 red balls.
“The rules and regulations are different and naturally, the style and strategy of play must also be different. Hence, the player who is in his best form during the competition will walk away with the title,” he added.
Event organizing chairman Benny Lim said it was the first time they organised the 6 Red Snooker Championships instead of the traditional 15 Red.
“Around the world, six red balls has become the latest trend to hit the snooker fraternity. We have to embrace the system in order to stay in touch with the trend,” he added.
Lim expressed satisfaction that the tournament had managed to attract so many players, adding it augur well for the development of the sport.
“It’s a whole new experience for all the players since this will also be the first time they are playing in six red snooker competitions.”
Sibu City Recreational Club Sibu (SCRCS) will send five players for the tournament comprising Mark Yeo, Ng Hong Man, Peter Liong, James Ting and Jee Chau Hui.
Ng, who crashed out in the first round of the 10th Sibu Swan City Snooker Championship, is out to make amends.
The back-to-back title holder of the 9th Sibu Swan City Snooker Championship and King of the King Championship, needs to produce results to show that his victory in these two tournaments were no fluke.
SCRCS’s president Yeo, who leads the Sibu team, commended the organiser for taking good initiative to come up with the tournament which he saw as outstanding.
“Yes, we need to have more such tournaments not only as a platform to upgrade the skill of the players but also to show to the higher authorities that the sport remains very much relevant in Sarawak.
“The Sarawak government has not been too keen to promote snooker and the onus lies on us to promote the sport if we want it to survive,” he said.
The other top players in the coming competition are from Sarikei Yu Hung Kai and Chieng Heng Chiong and also a sole player from Bintulu.
Yu recently outclassed Yeo to lift the title of the 10th Swan City Championship and was also out to cement his reputation as one of the top players in the state.
The tournament will offer cash prizes of RM1,800 for the champion and RM800 for the second runner-up.
The semi-finalists will pocket RM300 each while the quarter-finalists will collect RM100 each.
The highest break of 75 points will also bag RM500.