Publication: ph18042012

Some of the country’s top snooker players are honing their skills at the Petone Working Men’s Club. 

Spokesperson for the club’s snooker adjunct Martin Baker says Petone’s facilities are among the best in the country 

Among those who practise regularly are Harry Haenga from Porirua, currently the country’s No. 1 snooker player and Iti Talosaga who is ranked in the top 10.

Mr Baker says snooker players in the club meet for a club night every Wednesday to practise and learn new skills. He says there is an average attendance of 40.

While club members have yet to win any big tournaments, there have a number of cases of them making the last eight in national championships.

A number of the adjunct members are showing great promise, including John Lancaster who practices at the club five or six hours a day, and Bradley Epia who was last year ranked the country’s top under-21 player and has come to Wellington to attend Victoria University. 

Mr Baker says the snooker season is about to begin and players are getting ready for local tournaments in Otaki and Masterton. Some of the better players are also likely to take part in Clubs New Zealand tournaments, including next month’s national Singles Tournament to be held in Tauranga.

While snooker is mostly thought of as a male-dominated sport, Mr Baker says the snooker adjunct has some enthusiastic female members. “We’ve got six fairly active female players. They play regularly, love the game and keep on playing.”