Category: News

Griffiths Reflects on Decade of Success in Hong Kong

By In General News, News, WWS Updated: Comments Off on Griffiths Reflects on Decade of Success in Hong Kong

In recent years, the World Women’s Snooker Tour has become one of the most cosmopolitan series of events in our sport with players from across the globe regularly competing in our tournaments.

One region in particular that has played a significant role in the internationalisation of the tour has been Hong Kong, with several players based at its Sports Institute (HKSI) including our three-time world champion Ng On Yee having competed in tournaments over the past decade.

A driving force behind providing opportunities for female players in Hong Kong has been Wayne Griffiths – son of former world champion Terry Griffiths and qualified WPBSA Snooker Coach – who this September will celebrate his tenth anniversary since becoming HKSI Head Coach.

Laying the Foundations

Together with his team, including Alan Wong and David Roe who will be familiar to all on the women’s circuit, Griffiths has helped shape the infrastructure that has enabled players at the HKSI to achieve their potential during the past decade.

“I joined HKSI as Head Coach just before the 2010 Asian Games,” said Griffiths. “Billiard Sports joined HKSI in 2009 when the sport scored enough points to be considered for elite funding as a Tier A sport. This allowed an enhanced budget, a training grant for each player, travel expenses and a Head Coach. Unfortunately for them – that Head Coach turned out to be me!

“I wanted to employ a coach to work with me and I had known Alan Wong from a previous WPBSA coaching course. I knew he was native to Hong Kong and was well respected and liked as a junior coach. I felt Alan’s experience, coupled with his cultural knowledge and language skills made him a perfect addition for the team. Luckily for me, and for everyone else, he decided to take up our offer and join us in April 2011. We have been the core of the coaching team ever since and I couldn’t do without him!

“Michele Nip joined us as a full-time pool coach in 2016 (she had been part-time since 2012) and David Roe joined in the summer of the same year. Michele had brought up the junior pool team from a very young age and has developed them into Asian and World junior champions. David Roe, as a former top 16 professional player, was brought into to give us some high level ‘playing’ and international coaching experience, which I felt brought a good balance to the team overall. Both Michele and David have contributed massively to our achievements here in recent years.

“We also get around three visits per year from Lee Walker and Kelly Fisher as we seek to give the players as many different opportunities to grow and learn from the best. Their experience and input have also proved to be invaluable for us.”

World Women’s Snooker

Jaique Ip Wan In would be the first player from Hong Kong to compete on the World Women’s Snooker Tour, reaching the quarter-finals of the World Championship in both 2008 and 2009. In 2012 she became the first player from Hong Kong to win a ranking event at the Agnes Davies Memorial, defeating compatriot So Man Yan in the final.

At this time the Tour was based exclusively within the UK prior to becoming a subsidiary organisation of the WPBSA in 2015, providing an additional logistical challenge for Jaique and the other players who would join her in subsequent years.

“HKSI started with just four women players (the ‘golden girls’ as I believe they were known) of Ng On Yee, Ip Wan In Jaique, So Man Yan and Yu Ching Ching in 2010,” said Griffiths. “Three of these ladies were gold medal winners at the 2010 Asian Games.

“These four ladies were very keen to travel to international events to test themselves against the best players in the world. To do this we knew we had to come to the UK and enter WWS events.

“Obviously, the travel was an issue for us. It is generally 24 hours door to door for a UK trip from Hong Kong and a 7-8 hour time difference to get over. Fortunately for us however, we were well funded and supported by the HKBSCC, HKSI and the HKSAR Government. This allowed us to travel a few days early to get over the long trip and get some practice at the venue. We learned a lot of lessons along the way and this meant we felt we were getting stronger, on and off the table, with every trip we made.

“Even though we did not manage a win over Reanne Evans early on, we did start to score some positive results against other top players. This gave us all some encouragement and showed that we were moving in the right direction.

“However, Reanne was still the ‘Queen’ and Maria Catalano and Emma Bonney were the other business end players who always were tough to beat. It was around this time we felt things were becoming a little comfortable for the four ladies and we went in search of a ‘Sigmoid Leap’!

“To intensify competition, in 2013 we added another player, Wan Ka Kai, who was selected through a local TID event and went on to be Hong Kong’s second highest WWS ranked player not long after. Since then we have followed this strategy of increasing the members of the team to keep levels of motivation high.”

‘Respect but no fear’

Of course while many players from Hong Kong have gone on to establish themselves on the circuit, the most successful player to date has been our current world number two Ng On Yee, who famously ended the 10-year reign of Reanne Evans at the World Championship in 2015, going on to win the biggest tournament on the calendar three times over a four-year period from 2015-2018 and becoming world number one.

Her WWS debut came four years prior to her first world title when as a 20-year-old she crossed cues with Evans for the first time, losing 4-1 in a match that would launch a healthy rivalry that continues to this day.

“I think this was my first major overseas event with the ladies and I remember it quite vividly,” recalled Griffiths. “Regarding On Yee specifically, she was still developing on the table at that time. However, what encouraged me about her at that event was her attitude. Two things I remember in particular.

“The first was a round robin match against Revanna Umadevi from India. On Yee looked like losing the match at 1-1 and 45+ behind with three reds left. She then fluked a red and cleared with a 50 break to win on the black. This was not a massive break or a critical victory maybe, but it did show me a little about the mental make up of this young player.

“The second thing I remember was the knockout match with Reanne. On Yee did well but was still roundly beaten. However, it was On Yee’s positive attitude before, during and after the match that told me that here we had someone who mentally could mix it with the best.

“There was respect but no fear and a dogged determination to beat Reanne in the future – who at that time was pretty much seen as unbeatable. We set about breaking down what was needed to close the gap and On Yee worked diligently to achieve this. We knew there was some way to go, but that first event showed me that Hong Kong had a special player with the attitude and belief of a champion.”

Ng claimed her first WWS title at the 2012 Northern Championship, before defeating Evans for the first time on her way to winning the 2013 UK Championship. Two years later she would deliver her biggest performance to date as she defeated Evans in the semi-finals of the World Championship in Leeds, before claiming the trophy with a 6-2 success against Emma Bonney in the final.

“During the 2015 World Championship I was actually working down the road with Marco Fu in Sheffield and it was Alan Wong who guided On Yee to what was her biggest win to date. It was a great achievement. To end the reign of a dominant world champion is never easy and we all know what a great competitor Reanne is.

“This victory made sure that On Yee would be seen as one of the top female players in the world. The win made a lot of noise back in Hong Kong and was a massive boost for the sport – and for On Yee personally. In 2016 she received the coveted ‘Best of the Best’ sports award for Hong Kong for her results in 2015 and this launched her as a well-known personality in the region. For a female snooker player to win this award it was a significant step in the sport’s history in Hong Kong.

“We are all so happy to see a player with a great attitude and work ethic, who has listened and acted on the advice she has been given (rather than paying it lip service) to make the most of her talent. On Yee works hard and, maybe more importantly, she works smart. It is not an accident that the best players will be the players who are striving to improve and are never satisfied.

“This desire to get better however, has to be balanced for it not to become negative. On Yee has got this balance just about right now and it has been an honour and a pleasure for us all to be part of her journey to date.”

‘A Journey not a destination’

Since becoming world champion Ng has increasingly had the opportunity to compete against the world’s best male players at events including Q School, Challenge Tour and the 6-Red World Championship in Thailand.

“On Yee has improved considerably in the last 2 – 3 years and her game is getting closer to the men’s level – as the performance against Alan McManus in the 2019 World Championship showed,” said Griffiths. “However, she is a realist and she knows she has some way to go to consistently be at the level she needs to qualify for the men’s game through Q School or other accepted avenues.

“Our feeling has always been that if On Yee is always striving to improve enough to reach the men’s top tier, then we can be sure she will still be at or very near the top of the women’s game. This approach has worked relatively well to date.

“We are always looking for our own marginal gains as we strive to improve all our players in Hong Kong. We collect a lot of data here at HKSI in terms of skills benchmarking and matchplay ability. This factual and measurable data gives us a very good idea of where our players are in terms of reaching the next level. Through gap analysis, we then set about trying to formulate plans that will hopefully see the player improve in the key areas highlighted.

“We see this as a journey and not a destination, and the best On Yee can hope for is that she realises her full potential. If this means she is one of the first female players to play by right on the main tour, it would be an achievement she, and everyone here at the HKSI and the HKBSCC, would be very proud of. In the meantime, however, to quote our mantra here, she will focus on trying ‘to be a better player tomorrow’.

As Ng has continued to achieve success on the women’s circuit, she has been joined by further players from Hong Kong with seven currently ranked inside of the top 30. For each WWS events the HKSI runs an internal selection policy which as Griffiths explains, helps to create pressure situations to test the players.

“We are fortunate enough to have a strong squad of female players here in Hong Kong and they all get excellent support from HKBSCC, HKSI and the Hong Kong Government,” continues Griffiths. “We have no other player quite at On Yee’s level yet, but her ability and achievements are certainly inspiring them all to keep working hard to improve. So Man Yan, Ip Wan In Jaique, Ho Yee Ki, Fong Mei Mei, Cheung Yee Ting and Chu Pui Ying are all very good female players in their own right, and every one of them has supported HKSI with top results in recent years.”

The last decade has not only been significant for players based at the HKSI, but the circuit as a whole which has become more international since coming under the remit of the WPBSA in 2015. New events in mainland Europe, Asia and Oceania have led to the promotion of new talent and new opportunities for players globally, something that Griffiths is supportive of.

“The work done by the WWS team means that the Ladies’ game is now unrecognisable compared to where it was when I first attended in 2011,” explained Griffiths. “The depth and breadth of standard has improved significantly, numbers have increased (competitors and countries) and the events are now run, reported and marketed in a more professional manner.

“The women’s game now has far more respect and a lot more interest around the world. In terms of getting results however, it is has become a lot harder in recent years. Great players from the UK, mainland Europe, and especially now from China (Bai Yulu) and Thailand (Nutcharut Wongharuthai et al) have pushed the standards higher and higher.

“All these things come together to point to a very bright future for the women’s game, and all of us in Hong Kong look forward to be a part of it for many years to come!”

We would like to thank Wayne for his time and we look forward to seeing his team and all of the players from the HKSI again at upcoming tournaments.

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Jess Woods Q&A

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The staging of the 2018 Australian Women’s Open marked not only the first World Women’s Snooker Tour ranking event to be held in the country, but also saw the return of home player Jessica Woods to the circuit after a two-year absence.

Champion in Australia and Oceania on multiple occasions, the 26-year-old is a formidable competitor who is already back up into the world’s top 30 despite having competed in just three events of the current two-year cycle.

At last year’s World Championship she notably ended a run of 34 consecutive frames won by Ng On Yee at the event dating back to 2017, before also becoming the first player to take a frame from eventual champion Reanne Evans in Thailand at the last 16 stage.

In our latest Q&A we caught up with Jess to learn more about her snooker journey to date and discuss the development of the sport in her home country…

Hi Jess, how are you and how is the situation in Australia at the moment during these strange times?

Things here aren’t as bad as over there [the UK]. The gym and other sporting things being closed is the only way that it has really affected me, but I have a home gym now so that’s not even an issue.

The border between New South Wales and Queensland is closed which is a bit of a pain as well. I am definitely one of the lucky ones though, I have still been working plenty of hours – too many at times! We haven’t been put into lockdown and besides some shops being closed and having to social distance, everything has been normal really.

Have you had access to a snooker table throughout the last few months? We saw you taking part in the Blue Ball Challenge for our friends at World Seniors Snooker a few weeks ago.

Yeah, I am very fortunate to have a table in my house which I have been trying to get on as much as possible around my relatively busy life.

Turning back to before the coronavirus had such an impact on the sporting landscape, how is snooker in Australia in general and in particular women’s snooker?

Snooker in Australia is both good and bad. We have a good open tour with many good quality players on it and the women’s game is reasonably well supported, but like many countries we don’t have many juniors coming though.

Snooker is a pretty unknown sport around here, it has only just recently been added to Fox Sport which is a pay-per-view service so it’s not really on TV. I believe they aren’t going to continue streaming it in the future as well so it’s quite hard for someone to stumble across the sport like they may for football (handegg as many people call our football), many of our tables are in services clubs which are slowly replacing the tables with pokie machines.

Like much of the world I think that we have a long way to see the game reach its full potential but I believe we can do it. Snooker is such a great game for young and old to get involved in.

How did you first become interested in snooker and realise that you had a talent for the sport?

My older brother and dad started playing and I went down to the club with them one day. I played every sport I could growing up but this one just stuck.

I’ll let you know when I do realise I have talent ?

It has been great to see you back in action on our circuit over the past couple of years, of course our new event in Australia together with Frank and his team at the ABSC has helped you to get involved. How have you found the tournament and how important is it for us to have a ranking event in Australia?

I really enjoy the event, it has always been a great part of our calendar but to have Reanne [Evans], the Thai girls and the Hong Kong girls come over makes it a great event for me and a great experience for all of us to compete against the world’s best.

I think you guys are doing a fantastic job at getting more women involved in the game and that means pushing the sport to as many countries and women as possible, within reason of course. As a world body I think it is important to show that you represent the whole world and not just the UK.

You also competed in last year’s World Championship – our biggest for many years both in terms of entry numbers and prize money – how did you find that experience?

It was tough! I think I had the biggest group in both the teams and the singles which made the days very long and tiring but it was a very enjoyable experience. I do find these events tough though, not having a high ranking because I can’t compete in most events means that I get tough groups and draws. I got both Ng On Yee and Reanne in that event, which is fantastic experience for me, but also sort of makes it maybe tougher for me than other girls that are a similar standard to me but are higher ranked.

In the past you also spent time in England, competing at our World Championship from 2014-16. How did you find living/being in England and did it help you to improve your game?

I have spent time in England on many different occasions. I lived there for 11 months a couple of years ago but didn’t actually compete in any events over that time for personal reasons. Living in the UK has its perks for snooker for sure, being surrounded by so many players that have made tons is a new experience for someone from a little Aussie club like me. It is definitely a massive advantage having so many people around you to push you as a player and to learn from.

Who are your snooker heroes/influences?

I don’t really have heroes or influences, I respect many players and love watching them but I have very intrinsic motivations when it comes to snooker. I want to become the best player I can be and that’s what motivates me to put the hours in.

My boyfriend/coach is also a huge factor in that, he is very good at telling me to stop being lazy and get on the table! He has taught me so much about the game I would have otherwise never learnt.

What are your on-table ambitions for the future?

My ambitions are to become the best snooker player I can be. I am very competitive and love winning but it is mostly about the journey. Snooker has given me so much; I have travelled the world and met so many people along the way. Now that I have my apprenticeship that may slow down a bit over the next few years, but I am fortunate to work for my family so can get more time off than most jobs.

What are your hobbies and interests when you are not playing snooker?

I enjoy keeping myself busy, cooking healthy meals and keeping fit is a top priority. Whether that be through going to the gym, going for a surf or playing some Oztag I just like to keep active.

I also enjoy reading quite a lot, whether that be a good novel, or exercise and nutritional sciences, I am always trying to learn and keep mentally sharp.

What can be done in Australia to help encourage more women and girls to take up snooker?

I think it’s very similar here to most other places in the world except snooker isn’t as well known here, many people don’t even know what snooker is when I tell them I play it. Getting snooker more recognised would help I think, many people who were around when Pot Black was on still remember watching it and I often get comments about Eddie Charlton, but no one knows who Neil Robertson is.

Besides just getting more people exposed to the game I think just getting as many juniors involved as possible, whether they are male or female, we just need to get more juniors playing this amazing sport and females should come along with that. Clubs need to think about setting a platform where juniors feel comfortable in a room full of mostly old men, which I often find is more difficult for the young girls, but people like me need to be active in making them as comfortable as possible and making everyone young and old love playing this sport.

Thank you to Jess who like all of our players we are looking forward to seeing back on the baize when the Tour is able to return.

Jan Hughes Q&A

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Over 30 years on from her maiden tournament, England’s Jan Hughes remains a popular player on the World Women’s Snooker Tour.

In 2019 she returned to the circuit at the age of 70 following a seven-year break, claiming the Seniors title at the UK Women’s Championship in Leeds. The win saw her become our inaugural Seniors number one ranked player, following the introduction of the new Seniors rankings at the start of the 2019/20 season.

We caught up with her recently to reflect on how the snooker landscape has changed since she first picked up a cue and what inspired her to return to competitive play last year…

Hi Jan, how has lockdown life been for you so far?

Lockdown life for me so far has been good. I have been shielding at home since 17 March (due to an underlying lung condition) and, although I have really missed being with my family, friends and playing snooker, I have made the most of it.

I have been keeping in touch with family and friends via phone, Zoom, Facebook and FaceTime through which was informed that I will be a great grandmother in November. I have a fairly large garden to maintain, get fresh air, exercise, play and relax in. I remembered that I had some plastic golf balls, so armed with my golf clubs and tees (so as not to divot my lawn) hit balls up and down my garden for a golf weekend, great fun!

I also had some lovely memory flashbacks sorting through the old snooker records and pictures. I have done so many things really, too many to list, but it has been good for me to stay positive.

In April 2019 you played your first WWS event in seven years, but of course had played for many years previously. How/when did you first become interested in playing snooker?

I first became interested in snooker when I was 13. I’d started a Saturday job, cleaning bar tables at Duple’s Sports and Social Club in Edgware, North West London, where I was born and bred. They had two tables, I’d never seen billiard tables before or heard about snooker! The steward, after my work, showed me briefly a cue that you used to hit the heavy old ivory, dull in colour, balls around the green baize. That was it, I loved everything there was within that table.

A few weeks later I kept my mum company at Edgware Football Club on bingo night.  There were four snooker tables, I was elated. There, my mum’s friend offered me a job in the canteen to help out on football match days and bingo evenings. This was a better job for me and as time went on, I was told that I could play on the snooker tables if no men wanted to play, but they were always being used.  A couple of men saw I was interested watching them, so they let me join in with them on a few occasions and explained the game.

I didn’t play much and then my life went in different directions. It wasn’t until I was married with my two children, Warren and Nicola that I played again at a Pontins holiday in Pakefield many years later. My husband talked the reluctant organisers in to allowing me to play in the men’s competition as there wasn’t a women’s competition. Alan, my husband, won the tournament and I was runner up.  Some of the other competitors were a little grumpy, but we really enjoyed it.

The next time I played was when, split from my husband, the Stevenage Snooker Club opened in 1982, I was 34 and the first female to join the Club on my own without a man. This is really when I first started to play and understand the game.

How different was it back then as a female player wanting to take up snooker on a serious basis? What challenges did you face?

It was very different back then to be a female player wanting to play snooker on a serious basis and there were many challenges where some places would not allow women to play at all. Stevenage Snooker Club was the modern club now. There were still the looks and the occasional comments, but the club was good for me and one of the owners asked me to be on the Committee as being the first female to join. They wanted it as a family club, instead of the old traditional clubs that were in the area.

How did you become aware of Mandy Fisher and WLBSA as it was then?

I was on holiday with my then partner and my children at Pontin’s Prestatyn, I’m not sure of the year, but think it was either the 1984 or 1985 Spring Snooker Festival. I was having a game in the snooker room when Gaye Jones approached me and asked me to enter the ladies event, which I did and from playing in the event, was also asked to join the association.

What have been your best or most memorable achievements on the baize down the years?

I achieved my first ranking points at Willie Thorne’s Club in Leicester where I won the 1989 UK Championships Plate event. The same year at the Pontin’s Spring Festival, in the Last 32, I played Ann-Marie Farren and in the deciding frame I fluked the final black into the middle pocket, but the cue ball rolled gently into the corner pocket. The most memorable thing was the look of horror on Ann-Marie’s face as the final black was potted and then the relief that the cue ball went in-off!

I think my best and most memorable achievement came last year. In April 2019 I played my first event in seven years and was runner-up in the Seniors event. Then at my second event after my break, the UK Championships in Leeds, I won the Seniors event, it was the first time ever that it had been made a ranking event and I was the first ever WWS Seniors world No.1. It really meant a lot to me, as reaching the age of 70 at the Christmas before, I didn’t even know if I could compete again and would never have dreamed to be world No.1.

How has women’s snooker changed over the years?

I think women’s snooker has changed a lot. Mainly with regards to so many more opportunities for girls and women all over the world. Women’s confidence has grown throughout the world as well as their independence and competitiveness.  There are more coaching facilities around the country and the world available now to improve all standards.

I feel there is still a long way to go for women’s snooker but the more we can encourage young girls to take up the sport, the greater the interest and the higher the standards will be.

You have seen and played against many of the great women players down the years. Who are the players that most stood out to you and why?

Of the female snooker players over the years that stood out to me, the first I saw play was Mandy Fisher, such professionalism and a beautiful player, I wanted to play just like her.

Allison Fisher, I think was the best of her era, a total all round player who was easily able to compete at all levels.  She went on to America and has had a great career on the pool circuit.

Since Allison, though there have been some great players down the years, the one that stands out for me now and ever since she came on the circuit is Reanne Evans. Reanne is the complete snooker player of top quality. She copes in all situations, under pressure and even under the lights of the TV, she shows her great abilities. Also now as a commentator on tv, has fitted in so well with her knowledge of the game, the players and the fun in which she puts it across. I also know she makes great cakes, coffee and walnut in particular, which I am looking forward to at the next tournament we are both in.

In Coulsdon last year we caught up with a number of players who had previously competed on the circuit. How good would be to see more players pick up a cue who had previously stopped playing?

It would really be great to see women who had played on the circuit previously, pick up their cues and return.  We all had our reasons to stop playing on the circuit, but I found that I also had a reason to start playing back on the circuit and that was, because I felt I missed a family that I had so long been a part of for many years.  There are more opportunities now to encourage those players back. Although serious match play on the table, there is always serious fun off the table.

Since you previously competed on the tour the circuit has become more international than ever with events in different countries and players from 29 nationalities currently ranked. How positive is this for the sport?

The circuit has become more international which is so positive for women’s snooker, it encourages girls and women from all around the world that they too can play snooker and will help World Women’s Snooker grow.

How important is the social aspect of WWS events for you?

The social aspect has been very important to me, as I mentioned before, it is like having another family. They are friends who understand what playing snooker means to us all. We are also there to support each other during tough times, highs and lows on and off the table.

There are also those who support the players, families, friends, the organisers, referees, the sponsors and the fans. I think it probably is very important to all players.

What message would you have for any women and girls who might be thinking of taking up snooker as a hobby?

The message I have for any girl or woman thinking of taking up playing snooker is ‘Have a go, there is nothing to lose and everything to gain. It’s a great sport with great people, follow your heart.’

We look forward to seeing Jan and the rest of the players back in action during the 2020/21 season.

The Mandy Fisher Story

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Whether as a fellow competitor, an organiser, as a colleague or as a friend, it is safe to say that most people involved with women’s snooker during the past 40 years have come across Mandy Fisher at some stage or another.

One of three well-known women to have played under the surname Fisher – bizarrely none of them are related – the highlight of Mandy’s career on the baize came back in 1984 as she achieved her dream of becoming the world women’s snooker champion.

But her legacy to the sport will be something far greater as she played an instrumental role in the creation of the organisation known today as World Women’s Snooker (WWS), which she still heads today as its president.

For over 40 years her life has been intertwined with a sport that has fascinated her since she was a girl. Today we hear from Mandy about how she became involved with snooker and the events that led to the formation of WWS in 1981.

“When I left school, I used to go to a local BRSA (British Rail Staff Association) club with my parents because there were a lot of activities including pool and bar billiards,” said Fisher. “One day they were short on players in their team and they asked me to play pool and I won. I then won the local singles championship in my area which was a big achievement at the time. I was the only woman ever to be in it and the only woman ever to win it.

“After that my dad took me somewhere to buy me a cue as a present when I was 16 and that was the first time I had ever seen a snooker table.”

From the outset Mandy was intrigued by the game and as she learned more, inspired by the opportunity in front of her to be able to progress to the highest level in the sport.

“The guy who had the snooker room said he knew of a women’s association and I went along and I saw the standard,” said Fisher. “I thought that there is no other sport in the world where I felt like I could reach this level and become good at it, so I spoke to my parents about how much I loved it. They gave up their front room and moved into a bedroom so I could have a snooker table in there!

“I practiced hard and I went to the World Championship and it was brilliant. A girl called Lesley McIrath won it from Australia and they announced that the following year there was going to be £2,000 for the winner and £1,000 for the runner-up. That was a year’s wages for me so I had a chat with my parents and gave up work to concentrate on snooker. That following year I reached the final, won £1,000 and lost in the final to Vera Selby.”

After her breakthrough performance came a devastating blow however as it was announced in 1981 that there would not be any future women’s snooker tournaments.

Although she was still young and new to the game, Mandy was not prepared to see her snooker journey be cut short and set about forming the association that exists today as WWS. Although this did inevitably come at the expense of her playing career to some extent, she still has many fond memories of the time.

“I was so passionate about the sport and so with the help of a company called Grosser Jack from Windsor in Berkshire, we formed the World Ladies Billiards and Snooker Association,” explained Fisher. “I was the founder of the association and I liked administration, so I had a lot of fun.

“I carried on playing but when I was running things and trying to get it off the ground it was difficult. I was proud to be one of the first women ever to reach the last 128 of the English Amateur Championship.

“There was a lot of talent in the women’s game at that time, players like Alison Fisher, Kelly Fisher, Tessa Davidson, Stacey Hillyard and other such good players. Everyone inside the top eight could make century breaks, which was significant when you consider that at the time it was still such an achievement in the professional game.

“We used to have 40 entries even in those days coming up to Leeds to play at the Northern Snooker Centre, which was – and still is – one of the best clubs in the country. Jim Williamson welcomed us with open arms which a lot of clubs didn’t in those days, so that makes it extra special that the club continues to be a significant venue for us today.”

Of course, the 1980s were known in the UK as snooker’s first boom period and for the women’s game it was no different as Mandy recalls.

“It was an amazing time to be involved in the sport,” said Fisher. “I was quite good friends with Jimmy White and Tony Meo because in my town the man who first introduced me to snooker used to have them down to play on his table and then he would take them around all of the little snooker clubs in the area.

“I was lucky enough during the day to go in and play, then they used to go out and do an exhibition. I would go along and watch which was fantastic, He did that several times and got them lots of exhibitions, in the days when they were amateurs before it really took off in a big way.”

The dominant player during the 1980s was six-time world champion Steve Davis and Mandy has fond memories of crossing cues with him and his great rival Alex Higgins on the baize.

“I did a local exhibition with Steve and Alex at the Bushfield Sports Centre in Peterborough in front of 1,000 people and they bussed a load of people from March to support me which was wonderful,” recalled Fisher. “The atmosphere was incredible and I played three frames against Alex Higgins and I did sneak one off him (he probably allowed me to win it, I’m not quite sure!).

“But during the second best of three against Steve Davis I just produced. I don’t know if it was the adrenaline but I did play really well and I was 54 points ahead at 1-1 in the third frame before he cleared up with a 57 break. But it was fantastic and I have great memories of that evening, it will always stay with me.”

Although he was not a player, another man synonymous with snooker in the 1980s was of course Barry Hearn, then manager to Steve Davis and now chairman of the sport’s commercial arm World Snooker Tour.

“Barry was lovely and in the early days he gave us an awful lot of support which I am eternally grateful for,” explained Fisher. “My first experience with him was when he organised the intercity mixed pairs where I played with Steve Davis and another girl called Julie Islip played with Tony Meo.

“The event was on national television, screened directly before the FA Cup final to keep viewers on that channel. We did a pre-match interview the week before with Dickie Davis on World of Sport and then went down there to Southend to play on a match table in front of all the people which was amazing.

“Barry did all of that and he saw the potential in women’s snooker. He later secured sponsorship from Forte Hotels to sponsor us for three years, with events played across London. He also achieved the Mita world masters which injected huge sums of money into the women’s game. He really is the Midas man!

“Unfortunately for us Barry was becoming heavily involved with other activities such as Leyton Orient football club and boxing, typically making a success of everything that he does! But it was fantastic to be able to work with him during that period and to see what he is doing now with the professional game.”

More recently, women’s snooker has survived some challenging times before in 2015 agreement was reached with snooker’s world governing body the World Professional Snooker and Billiards Association (WPBSA) for World Women’s Snooker to become its subsidiary company. With the support of the WPBSA the World Women’s Snooker Tour has been able to expand like never before with international events held across the world and over 150 players now on the world ranking list, leaving Fisher optimistic for the future.

“It has been fantastic to have the WPBSA on board during the last few years,” continued Fisher. “They have been really enthusiastic about it and it has been great to host events outside of the UK in mainland Europe, Asia and the Oceania region of the past few years. In particular, last year’s World Women’s Championship in Thailand was one of the best tournaments that I have been involved in during the past 40 years.

“I firmly believe that the sky is the limit with women’s snooker. There is no physical reason why a woman cannot play snooker as good as a man. Certainly, Reanne Evans is capable of and has proved that she can play amongst the professional men. We are welcoming more new players all the time and I am confident that as we continue to grow and visit new territories, we will only continue to see players improve. I see a very bright future ahead for the women’s game.”

Thank you to Mandy for her time and we look forward to seeing her and everyone else back on Tour next season.

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Women’s Snooker Review 2019/20

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Today we look back on a 2019/20 World Women’s Snooker Tour season which has seen some fantastic snooker played across the globe by the world’s leading female players.

Of course, the end of the season has not concluded in the way that we would have liked with the unavoidable postponement of both the Festival and World Championship tournaments due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it has nevertheless been an important 12 months for women’s snooker with tournament entries and media exposure continuing to increase.

Below we pick out a few of the highlights of the campaign and reflect on the action we have seen on the baize…

Title Triple

For the first time since the 2016/17 season we crowned three ranking event champions as regular champions Reanne Evans and Ng On Yee were joined in the winner’s circle for the first time by Nutcharut Wongharuthai.

Having been knocking on the door for the previous 18 months with four ranking event final appearances to her name, the Thai star memorably broke her title duck at the Australian Women’s Open with victory against On Yee in the final. The win saw her become only the sixth active player to have won a full-ranking event title and reach a new career-high ranking of third in the world where she remains today.

Either side of her triumph came further victories for England’s Reanne Evans, who added record-extending ninth and sixth triumphs at the UK Women’s Championship and Eden Women’s Masters tournaments respectively. The wins helped our reigning world champion extend an unbeaten run dating back to October 2018 and underline her status as the undisputed number one on tour.

It was however Ng On Yee who ended the winning streak of Evans at our most recent competition in Bruges back in February, a 4-2 final success marking her own return to form as she claimed her first title in over a year on the WWS circuit at the second Belgian Women’s Open.

Crucible Return

Prior to the ranking event action though it was at the iconic Crucible Theatre in Sheffield where the new season was launched as women’s snooker returned to the home of snooker for the first time in 16 years.

The new Women’s Tour Championship saw our top four ranked players take to the baize at the venue which has hosted the professional World Championship since 1977, with only Reanne Evans have competed there previously.

With plenty of drama, tension and high quality snooker on display, the event represented a wonderful showcase of women’s snooker and demonstrated what our top players can do on the big stage.

  • Read our full report from the day HERE.

Participation on the Rise

The primary objective of WWS remains to provide opportunities for women and girls to pick up a cue and play snooker, providing the platform for players around the world, of any age or level of experience, to do so competitively.

We have been delighted this season to welcome several new players to the World Women’s Snooker Tour with no fewer than 35 women competing on the circuit for the first time.

With a total of 152 players from 29 countries currently ranked – an increase from just 38 players only six years ago – the tour is bigger than it has ever been during the current generation with more players joining all the time.

Among those to have joined the circuit, Northern Ireland’s Chucky Preston made an immediate impression at the Eden Masters by reaching the quarter-finals on her debut, while she was also one of a number of newcomers to reach the final of one of our side-tournaments during the campaign.

For the first time we welcomed players from Morocco as African Games champion Yousra Matine and Hind Bennani travelled to England to compete, with Hind reaching the Challenge Cup final at the UK Championship despite playing with a borrowed cue after her own did not arrive in time.

We have also been excited to welcome new players from Guernsey, Scotland, Russia, New Zealand and more.

Ranking Risers

It has been another season which has seen key movements across the world ranking list with a number of players reaching new career-high positions as they continue to develop their game.

As already mentioned above the most notable example is Thailand’s Nutcharut Wongharuthai who climbed to third position behind leading duo Reanne Evans and Ng On Yee at the top of the list.

Not far behind her and up to a new career-best of seventh is Emma Parker of England, who enjoyed another strong season by reaching her second ranking event semi-final at the Belgian Women’s Open, as well as winning Under-21 tournaments in Bruges and Leeds. She also achieved success at national level by claiming the English Women’s Championship for the first time.

Other notable players to have made significant gains at the top end of the rankings include former European champion Wendy Jans, while 17-year-old Ploychompoo Laokiatphong is up to 14th after she reached her first ranking event semi-finals at the UK Women’s Championship and Eden Masters tournaments.

Professional Opportunities

It has been another season where together with our friends at the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association and World Snooker Tour, we have continued to work to provide new opportunities for our stars to compete at the highest level.

Most significantly this season saw our reigning world champion Reanne Evans qualify to play at the professional Champion of Champions for the first time, where she took on former triple crown winner Shaun Murphy live on ITV4. There she was able to recover from 3-0 down to force a deciding frame, before Murphy was able to get over the line with a one-visit break.

Once again Evans was also invited together with Nutcharut Wongharuthai to compete at the Shoot Out professional ranking event, although both ultimately found themselves up against impressive performances from opponents Ian Burns and Thor Chuan Leong respectively in the first round.

Both Evans and Ng On Yee also competed at the prestigious SangSom 6-Red World Championship in Thailand last September, while our top three ranked players were also set to play at the Betfred World Championship qualifiers in Sheffield this month, prior to the postponement of the tournament until later this summer.

What have been your memories of the 2019/20 season? Let us know on social media using the hashtag #WomensSnooker

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Women’s Snooker Day 2020

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World Women’s Snooker (WWS) has today announced that this year’s Women’s Snooker Day activity will take place on Wednesday 29 April.

As with Disability Snooker Day, (organised by sister organisation World Disability Billiards and Snooker), the event will run online following the postponement of this year’s professional World Snooker Championship in Sheffield due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

A long-standing annual event, the day aims to encourage women to participate in snooker at all levels. Women’s sport has never been more widely recognised than it is today, and this is reflected in snooker by the rapidly expanding World Women’s Snooker Tour which can now count over 150 players, from no fewer than 29 countries on its ranking list.

Once again, the day has been jointly organised by World Snooker Tour and WWS, with content to be posted by both organisations throughout the day to promote the women’s game.

Get Involved

WWS is asking all who support women’s snooker to get involved on the day using their own social media platforms to help encourage more players to pick up a cue.

Whether you are a player, official, coach or a fan of the sport, post your memories and what snooker means to you, or your favourite WWS Tour memory so far. If you have a table, perhaps you could share a video of your favourite practice routine or trick shot to help get the message out there.

Remember to use the official hashtags #WomensSnooker and #Cue4All and help to spread the word!

Women’s Snooker Day 2020 takes place on 29 April 2020 via WWS social media platforms.

 

World Women’s Snooker Championship 2020 – Postponement Notice

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World Women’s Snooker (WWS) and Hi-End Snooker can today jointly announce that we have taken the difficult decision to postpone this year’s World Women’s Snooker Championship, previously scheduled to take place in June, until later this year.

The safety of our players is our paramount consideration and therefore it has been decided that this step is a necessary one to minimise risk and provide certainty to everybody involved with the tournament.

Although there are still almost three months between now and the scheduled staging of the event, both parties are also mindful that it is extremely difficult for players and officials to make travel arrangements and potentially incur non-refundable costs at this uncertain time.

As was the case with the Festival of Women’s Snooker which we had previously postponed, as an international event, WWS further does not consider it to be fair to proceed with its showpiece tournament at a time when potentially a significant number of players from around the world may not be able to travel.

WWS remains committed to returning to the wonderful Hi-End Snooker Club for this year’s World Women’s Championship at a later date and is grateful to Hi-End and the Billiard Sports Association of Thailand for their continued support of women’s snooker.

Further information as to the 2020/21 season and our upcoming events will be available at www.womenssnooker.com in due course.

Festival of Women’s Snooker 2020 – Postponement Notice

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It is with regret that World Women’s Snooker (WWS) has today announced that the upcoming Festival of Women’s Snooker 2020 will not take place next month in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

WWS has closely monitored the situation over the past few days, taking into account UK government advice and anticipated restrictions on overseas travel which will inevitably impact our players during what is a fluid and unprecedented situation.

In the circumstances, having balanced our desire to allow as much time as possible for a clearer picture of the situation to emerge, against the need to act swiftly and decisively to make travel arrangements, the board unanimously agreed that it would be in the interests of all parties to postpone the event until further notice.

The health and well-being of our players and officials is of paramount importance to us and we hope that all concerned will understand the decision that has been reached.

All players who have currently entered the event will receive a full refund of their entry fees over the coming days.

We would like to thank everybody, in particular the Northern Snooker Centre for their support during this process and we will publish further information as to future events in due course.

Chucky Preston Q&A

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Prior to the Eden Women’s Masters last November few had heard of the name Chucky Preston, but after the Northern Irish potter reached the quarter-finals of her maiden ranking event in South London she had already established herself as one to watch on the World Women’s Snooker Tour.

We recently caught up with the 32-year-old, who is already up to number 43 in the world rankings, to talk about her experience on the circuit so far and her passion for snooker…

How much have you enjoyed being a part of the WWS circuit so far, having competed both at the Eden Women’s Masters and the recent Belgian Women’s Open earlier this month?

I have really enjoyed it. At the Eden Masters I was very nervous, I didn’t know anyone and it was all very new to me.

But in Belgium I was a lot more relaxed and it was a lot of fun. I am definitely looking forward to the Festival in Leeds now!

Your debut was particularly impressive as you qualified from your group and went on to reach the quarter-finals. What were your expectations heading into the tournament?

To be honest I did not expect much. I thought that I was way over my head even entering, but it was Rebecca Kenna who encouraged me over Facebook to just go for it and start to entering these events, and I did.

Now I am glad I did, I had not expected to get to the quarters so that was a bonus for me! I am currently receiving from coaching from [former professional] Joe Swail to know that he had a lot of confidence in me helped a lot.

In the last eight you faced 12-time world champion Reanne Evans. Although you lost out on that occasion, is it good to test yourself against the very best players like her?

Absolutely yes. I went into that match to have fun and gain experience. I relaxed a lot in that match as I knew that my chances of winning were slim to none so I watched a lot of her shots selections and positional play. I would say I learnt a few things in that match.

How did you get into snooker and how long have you been playing?

My dad first pushed me into snooker when I was seven and took me to our local club every week until I was old enough to go myself. I played until I was 15, but then quit due to women’s snooker disbanding in Northern Ireland.

I have only recently got back into snooker during the last two years. I found it hard getting back into it as I used to be quick and my game flowed as a kid, but now it is all about thinking and the tactical side is very important.

You have been involved in establishing the Northern Irish Ladies Tour back home. How is this growing and how can you get more women involved in snooker?

Yes I started up the NI Tour in October 2019 and was pleased that we had great numbers for it. It is growing slowly but we are advertising it and pushing it all over social media to encourage more girls to come forward to play.

I will always push it and I will help every player we have on the tour to become better and gain confidence to come to bigger events.

I also created my ‘Chucky Preston all about snooker’ Facebook page to help the girls with routines and drills.

Are there opportunities for women to compete against men in amateur snooker in Northern Ireland?

Yes in the Northern Ireland Billiards and Snooker Association (NIBSA) tour which I play in. It is tough, but you can’t give up. The only way to get better is to keep competing, even if you are getting beat every time.

I urge the girls to play in these and over the next year I hope we have at least three girls playing on the NIBSA tour.

You are also friends with former Masters champion Mark Allen back home and played in his pro-am last year. How did you get to know him?

Yes I have played in his pro-cam tournament on a couple of occasions, which is an excellent tournament to be part of. I have known both Mark and Jordan Brown from my younger days, but not very well back then.

More recently I have got to know Mark more from being in the club and we have just got on well. He couldn’t do enough for people, for example before I played at the Eden Women’s Masters he gave me a little pep talk which also helped me there.

We have also seen that you have recently introduced your wife Avril to snooker – could we see a Preston double act at the upcoming World Women’s Pairs Championship in Leeds?

Haha I hope so! But I don’t think so just yet, but it would be great though!

She said maybe next year, but in the meantime I will try to change her mind. Her excuse is she is my bigger fan and wants to be standing by all my matches to watch!

What would your message by to any other women and girls who are considering picking up a cue and joining the WWS circuit?

Absolutely do it. Why not, what have to got to lose?

No matter the level of your ability, the WWS events are fantastic to play in. You get plenty of table time and you gain a lot of experience and confidence. If anything, these events will help you to progress even further!

Finally, what are your interests and hobbies away from the table?

I am a business owner of a tattoo studio where I am the solo artist there.

I also like to go out on my motorbike which I find to be relaxing and de-stressing. I am also taking flying lessons at the moment and hope to gain my pilot’s licence.

I am also a big gamer and I could spend hours on my Xbox. There are just not enough hours in the day!

Chucky will next be in action at the Festival of Women’s Snooker, which takes place from 3-6 April 2020 at the Northern Snooker Centre in Leeds. Entry for the event is open online HERE.

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