SNOOKER players in the north are gearing up for the three-day Fiji Bitter Vanua Levu Open Singles Championship finals at the Labasa Club today.
Players will contest the prizemoney of $1000 which will be shared between the winner, the runner-up and the two semi-finalists.
Secretary for the Vanua Levu Snooker Association, Kamlesh Prasad said they expected an increase of about 32 players in the competition this year.
“The number of competitors seems to increase every year and we have been having a healthy number of competitors annually,” Prasad said.
Prasad said defending champion from 2011, Ravin Kumar would defend his title and the association was encouraging players who have a passion for the game to turn up.
“Last year, we sent Kumar to the National Championship and this is a good way of developing our local players.
“Even though this is a minor sport we have plenty of billiard pool shops around the country and this is a good way of putting our young ones talent to good use.
“The games of snooker and billiard pool is almost same in principle so we are appealing to billiard shop owners in Labasa or the country to identify potential talent and to contact us at the snooker association to give these young stars a chance to develop their talent.”
Prasad said the presence of talent for the game in the north was evident in Labasa Club’s win against Nausori Club 8-2.