Latest news with #Heyball
IOL News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Pool players, Kyle Akaloo and Ethan Chetty, dominate at Heyball national championship
Kyle Akaloo with his accolades Image: Supplied South Africa's pool champion, Kyle Akaloo, emerged victorious once again at the Heyball National Championship at the Crucible Billiards Room in Pretoria earlier this week. Akaloo, 35, from Malvern, said he was proud to add another title to his list of accomplishments. He is also the South African 9 Ball and Straight Pool champion, and defended his titles for three consecutive years. 'Heyball is a different form of billiards. There are about 20 different forms of billiards in the world. I have now won in three different formats in South Africa. 'To prepare, I played a few sparring sessions with some of the province's top Heyball players and then I did a lot of running to condition my mind and body,' he added. The father of one said he was honoured to have bagged another title. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ 'I am very happy. Heyball is completely different from 9 ball, so there are a lot of adjustments I had to make. But I am glad my hard work and dedication to the sport paid off,' Akaloo said. Last year, Akaloo ranked in the top 64 of the US Open 9 Ball Championships. He was also the only player to be ranked number one for pool and snooker simultaneously in South Africa. The highlights of his career include him competing in the World Cup of Pool last year. Ethan Chetty, 20, from Silverglen, was ranked number one in the Heyball men's category during the championship. He also scooped third place in the singles event. Ethan Chetty was ranked number one in the country for Heyball Image: Supplied Chetty will jet off to Australia to compete in the Heyball World Championship. 'I had the most breaks and finishes throughout the championship. I was ecstatic to have been ranked number one in the country. 'To prepare, I practised everyday and prayed for guidance. It felt amazing to win, knowing all my hard work and dedication to practising had paid off. I practised every day and I prayed for everything I wanted,' Chetty added. He said he was thrilled to play in the world championship. The dates for the championship in Australia are yet to be announced. 'I thank my parents, Pat and Christine, for their support and their belief in my skills. I also thank my mentor Sagie Jico Naidoo and my partner, Ifthikaar Ahmod, for their support. I thank Jesus for his faithfulness, his love, and his guidance in keeping my mind and head strong." Chetty, earned the nickname "Killer Laaitie" for his exceptional skills in pool and proved that with the right support, youngsters could achieve success in cue sport. He defended his U23 national champion title at the South African Blackball Nationals earlier this year, and was also the U18 and U23 pool champion for South Africa in 2023, while juggling schooling with competing globally. He has bagged an array of trophies and titles since he entered as a junior in competitive cue sport and is a member of the Friendly 8 Pool Academy in Silverglen. The teen has played in various tournaments and championships in South Africa and has travelled to different countries, including China and Morocco. He won the U18 national championships three years consecutively. THE POST
Wales Online
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Mark Williams left in the shade as former professional snooker star banks over £500,000
Mark Williams left in the shade as former professional snooker star banks over £500,000 Mark WIlliams came second best to Zhao Xintong at the World Snooker Championship this year, but his earnings from the tournament pale compared to one ex-pro's recent payday Mark Williams finished as a runner-up at the World Snooker Championship (Image: undefined via Getty Images ) Mark William's £200,000 prize pot for finishing as a runner up at the World Snooker Championship has been outshone by a former professional's recent payday. The Class of '92 star battled it out with Zhao Xintong until the end in the tournament's grand finale earlier this month, but ultimately couldn't match the Chinese sensation - who won 18-12 to clinch his first world title. And while Williams will have been wounded not to have only missed out on a fourth World Championship but also the £500,000 cash prize that accompanies it, the payday pales compared to the one Niu Zhuang just landed. The 30-year-old - who competed professionally between 2017 and 2019 thanks to his emphatic performances on the Chinese tour - has turned to Heyball since his exit from the world stage, recently clinching the JOY Heyball Masters in Chengdu and the £518,000 prize that comes with it. The Chinese star emerged victorious through a field of more than 600 competitors, playing for the full 22-day duration of the tournament en-route to a 23-11 win over fellow countryman Zhang Taiyi in the final. Heyball, a hybrid cue sport played in an eight-ball format on a smaller snooker table, has seen a surge in popularity in recent years. Article continues below Several renowned snooker stars have participated in JOY events, with Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen Hendry even spotted alongside some of the sport's top players recently. Niu Zhuang won £518,000 at the JOY Heyball Masters (Image: (Image: Getty) ) While Niu's financial gain from the Heyball Masters surpassed Zhao's earnings from his World Championship win, the same can't be said for the runner-up, Zhang. The Chinese star reportedly received a £151,000 runners' up prize to Williams' £200k for his efforts in Sheffield, reports the Express. Zhao's victory in the World Snooker Championship in May, as an amateur, defied all odds. The 28-year-old triumphed over seasoned players like Chris Wakelin and O'Sullivan, winning a staggering 111 frames across nine matches over 29 days to clinch the title with a win over Williams. Zhao Xintong won the World Snooker Championship earlier this month (Image: (Image: Getty) ) Article continues below However, his victory stirred controversy among snooker fans. Despite serving a suspension from the sport until last September, Zhao is expected to rise to 11th in the world rankings when the professional tour resumes later this year. In January 2023, Zhao was among several players suspended following a match-fixing investigation. Although he didn't fix any matches himself, he confessed to betting on games, resulting in a 20-month ban. On the other hand, Niu didn't meet expectations during his two-year professional career in the sport, leading to his relegation from the tour in 2019. His best result as a professional came with a final 32 place at the German Masters in 2018.
