Country Boy Comes To Town By Leo Waikari

Tu Tangata, Issue 2, 1 October 1981, Page 36

Country Boy Comes To Town By Leo Waikari

As I ushered my guest into the snooker room I pointed towards the Honours Board that hung on the wall. There was my name in dark print “Joe Blow 1961 Runner-Up Snooker Singles Championship,” cosmopolitan club level that is. It took me five years from the day I received my membership certificate by playing regularly, after work, six days a week. Funny though, I had never played snooker before. From the time I was old enough to enter the billiard room at Tiki Tiki, East Coast, I had always played billiards or star pool. Coming from the country to the city on a re-location settlement scheme, I soon found my way into a billiard parlour. After getting to know several of the players I was introduced into the local R.S.A. Club, but as I was not a member of the services I did not qualify for membership. However, a friend nominated me into the local cosmopolitan club and

after the usual waiting period I became a fully fledged member. Then my six days a week attendence started including club nights once a week. The club spirit and standard of play was always of a very high standard and of the players themselves, whenever they visited the table, went there to play to win, something you have to build up inside yourself to become a good efficient player. After all, no two games are alike. One day you play well, the next not so well. The year I made the finals are perhaps my best. Like any other club, friendly rivalry prevailed throughout, even on trips away to other districts, or when playing other local sporting organisations. To qualify for the finals a Round Robin Tournament is played which takes almost a day to complete. When the finalists have been determined, the final is played on a club

night, which attracts a somewhat larger crowd of spectators than is normal for club nights. It is history now as to the outcome. My opponent was a one-time “B”-grade amateur competitor. His qualifications did not deter me one little bit. My club build up over the five years was my only inspiration to do well, but alas, lack of experience and knowledge of the game at competitive level was my undoing. Although I lost the match, my name remains forever on that board.