Latest news with #billiards
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Historic Melbourne News Corp site, Lindrum Hotel gets upgrade
A $200m tower is rising on the former Hotel Lindrum site, once home to the press room of evening paper The Herald as well as a legendary billiards hall. The five-level brick structure at 26-30 Flinders St, was originally built in 1900 for Griffiths Brothers Tea Merchants, designed in the Romanesque Revival style. By the 1940s, it was occupied by Verona Press, and from the 1960s it was used by the Herald and Weekly Times, becoming known as Gravure House and serving as the printing and publishing base for titles including Home Beautiful and New Idea. Shock city's homes to earn $178 a day in 2026 'Treacherous' home issue costing Vic big In the 1970s, the building was leased to Dolly Lindrum, niece of world champion billiards player Walter Lindrum, who operated a billiards hall from the premises. It ran until 1988, when News Corp Australia reclaimed the site for use by The Australian until it was converted into a boutique hotel in 1999 and operated as Hotel Lindrum, named in honour of the billiards great. The lobby featured a restored billiard table and photographs celebrating Lindrum's sporting legacy. The hotel ceased trading in 2022 following the sale of the building to developer Time & Place. Now, the historic building, is being redeveloped into a $200m, 27-storey office tower, with construction officially underway this week. Developer Time & Place held a groundbreaking ceremony on-site, attended by Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece, builder Kapitol, architects fjcstudio and project consultants. The redevelopment will retain the heritage-protected facade fronting Flinders Street, while delivering new premium office space behind and above the original structure. Time & Place director Tim Price said the site was a landmark Melbourne site 'in every sense'. 'We've carefully planned, designed and procured every component,' Mr Price said. 'This eastern pocket of the Melbourne CBD stands head and shoulders above the balance of the city's office market, it's characterised by the best breed of new and historical buildings, elite tenants, and strong food and hospitality offerings.' The new tower will include full-floor strata office suites with views across the Yarra River, the Botanic Gardens, and the MCG, along with end-of-trip facilities, a ground-floor event space, and a new laneway connection into the Flinders Lane dining precinct. According to Time & Place, about one third of the floors have already been secured by family offices and businesses via private deals. The remaining space will be released to the market in late 2025. Kapitol Group was appointed builder following a competitive tender process. Co-founder Andrew Deveson said significant planning had gone into minimising risk and disruption on the site. 'Every detail of Lindrum's build has been digitally mapped out,' Mr Deveson said. 'Elements like neighbouring tram lines, power lines, and crane movements have all been accounted for in advance. 'That's critical on a complex project like this, where preserving a heritage facade and integrating with a modern build leaves no room for error.' The project is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2027.
Arab News
5 days ago
- Sport
- Arab News
Saudi Billiards and Snooker Federation unveils new logo ahead of world masters championship
JEDDAH: The Saudi Billiards and Snooker Federation has launched its new logo ahead of the World Masters Snooker Championship — one of the sport's four major global tournaments — scheduled from Aug. 8 to 16. The launch took place on Thursday evening on the sidelines of the Roundtable Conference at the Media Center in the Green Halls of Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City in Jeddah. The unveiling ceremony brought together the federation's President Naif Al-Jaweini, World Snooker Tour CEO Simon Brownell, former world champion Ken Doherty, and Saudi Arabia national team player Ziyad Al-Qabbani. The logo features a modern, stylized aesthetic with symbolic elements, including a depiction of Saudi Arabia's map, reflecting the federation's national identity and its alignment with future strategic goals. Al-Jaweini said the new logo represents a pivotal milestone in the federation's journey to build a distinctive visual identity that embodies its ambitions. He said the timing of the launch coincides with the Kingdom's hosting of the World Masters Snooker Championship, one of the sport's most prestigious tournaments.
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong aiming to produce world snooker champion with help of Judd Trump, Neil Robertson
Superstar duo Judd Trump and Neil Robertson have set themselves the ambitious target of producing Hong Kong's first world snooker champion. Advertisement Zhao Xintong finally broke mainland China's World Championship duck this year, but Marco Fu Ka-chun's 2006 and 2016 semi-final runs have been the best of it for Hong Kong. Fu's compatriot Ng On-yee won the most recent of her three women's world titles in 2019. The former world champion pair of Trump and Robertson, who both have Hong Kong residency, co-founded the Hong Kong Billiard Sports Academy, which was officially opened on Wednesday. 'There's been a gap between Marco and On-yee, and the next talent to come through,' Trump said. 'Maybe that's because there aren't enough snooker facilities in Hong Kong that are right for children. Neil Robertson and Judd Trump (left and right in the middle) with young players at the academy. Photo: Jonathan Wong 'A lot of clubs are dingy and smoky, so it's nice to open a professional facility to practise.
Arab News
24-07-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
Seo Seoa stuns two-time champion Ouschan
JEDDAH: Seo Seoa produced the shock of the tournament, so far, eliminating two-time World Champion Albin Ouschan to reach the last 64. As the only female competitor in the field, she now stands just one victory away from making history as the first woman ever to reach the last 32 of the event. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport In collaboration with the Saudi Arabia Billiard & Snooker Federation and under the supervision of the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Sport, the 2025 World Pool Championship — the crown jewel of the World Nineball Tour — returns to the iconic Green Halls in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, from 21–26 July. Seo Seoa dismantled the two-time World Champion Albin Ouschan with a dominant 9-2 victory — an extraordinary result that brings the Korean star within one win of making history. Reflecting on her landmark performance, Seoa said: 'I just enjoy my game so I'm not nervous and I feel my confidence is good. I really respect Albin's game, he's a two-time champion. But because of that respect I feel comfortable when up against him. My goal is to break the record of the first woman player to reach the Last 32 stage. I'm now only one step away.' Defending champion Fedor Gorst continued his strong title defence with a 9–5 victory over Italy's Francesco Candela, building momentum ahead of the single-elimination rounds. While still fine-tuning his break, the Russian looked more settled at the table. 'I think this match went better than the first one. I felt more confident at the table, and the things I worked on after the first round were definitely working during this one. The shots that gave me trouble before were much more under control now. I made a few solid decisions and shots that I was happy with. That being said, my break still wasn't working for me, so I'm heading to the practice room now to work on that. I've made it to the Last 64 – single elimination starts tomorrow, races to 10. Time to reset and get ready.' One of the day's most anticipated matches saw a dramatic clash between former world champions Shane Van Boening and Ko Pin Yi in the last round of Losers Qualification. With both players fighting for survival, Van Boening jumped out to an early lead. Ko mounted a late comeback to make it 5-5, but the American held firm to progress to charging the next 4-racks to secure a crucial victory. Filipino rising star AJ Manas produced one of the standout performances of the day, toppling reigning UK Open champion Aloysius Yapp to secure his place in the Last 64. 'I'm very happy because not only did I win my game but I felt really comfortable now on the main TV table—not like yesterday. Aloysius made a couple of errors so I had to take my chance. But now I look forward to my next match. I know I need to stay locked in for the Last 64, but I'm so excited.' Reyes Cup teammates Johann Chua and Carlo Biado both cruised into the Last 64, continuing the strong Filipino showing in Jeddah. Chua overcame Oliver Szolnoki, while Biado defeated fellow countryman Lee Vann Corteza. Chua stated: 'I'm happy to be back in the Last 64 – but it's far from over yet. I know I got to stay focused, tomorrow is going to be tough. But I am happy – and happy for the Filipinos that have made it through alongside me – Carlo Biado, one of the best players from the Philippines, to have him with me. I am proud.' Jayson Shaw continued his smooth progress through the field with a 9–5 win over American Max Eberle, while fellow Brit Chris Melling had to fight his way through the Losers Qualification stage. After falling short to last year's runner-up Eklent Kaci in his opening match, Melling bounced back by defeating Mohamed Al-Balkhi to stay in contention. 'I haven't played Nineball since last year's US Open. So coming into this event I didn't have high expectations and I'm aware anything can happen in this event – I focus on each match one by one. But with Kaci I felt like I played better than him at the start of the match – I only missed one shot. But I think my shot selection let me down but I like to go out firing on the table. However I'm glad I got the job done in my following match, and am happy to be back tomorrow.' With just 64 players remaining, the World Pool Championship now enters its most demanding stage—single elimination, races to 10. The stakes are higher, the pressure is heavier, and every shot counts as the battle for the world title intensifies in Jeddah.
CTV News
14-07-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Kitchener, Ont. teen crowned national champion in junior pool
Andy Papazotos, 17, prepared to shoot a cue ball in a round of pool on July 14, 2025. (Alexandra Holyk/CTV News) A teenager from Kitchener, Ont., is shooting his shot in the world of billiards, becoming one of the top junior pool players in Canada. On Saturday, 17-year-old Andy Papazotos won the Canadian Junior Championship in the boys' under 19 category, held at Strokers Billiards in London, Ont. 'I was runner-up for three years in a row,' said Papazotos. 'Then this year, I finally got it. So, it felt pretty good.' Papazotos grew up in and around pool halls. His dad, George, owned two in Waterloo Region, while his grandfather operated a pool hall in the 1970s. 'I've been around it my whole life,' Papazotos said. 'He took a liking to the game when he was young,' said George. 'We pursued it as much as we could to try to get him exposed to different environments and pool.' While he mostly played basketball, Papazotos said he picked up billiards during the pandemic. 'When COVID started, the pool halls were closed down,' Papazotos recalled. 'We were just hanging out there a lot and just playing a lot, and I started getting better pretty quickly.' 'We were playing on teams together and I started taking him around to some tournaments, and he got a lot better really quick,' said his dad. The teenager also credited his coach, Erik Hjorliefson, for his success. 'You could see right away from his first lesson that he had a ton of potential and was really a candidate to be one of the players that could win the national championship,' said Hjorliefson. Now, Papazotos is looking forward to his big break in even bigger leagues as he sets his sights on the World Junior Championship in Spain this November. 'These are the best people from all around the world,' said Papazotos. 'It'll be interesting to play against those guys.'
