Harry the Potter claims first title
THE contented smile of a champion often masks the hard work and the heartache that have gone before.
And such was the case when Harry Joyce (pictured) lifted the 2016 Autumn Half-Term Cup at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club.
The 11-year-old from Eastleigh ended the five days of skills training and snooker-based activities three points clear of Steven Hughes.
He went into the all-day round-robin needing to finish no lower than two places below Hughes.
And when Joe Hampson fouled on the blue against Joyce to leave himself needing snookers in his penultimate frame, it was all over.
The newly crowned champion described the final day as “nerve-racking” but “fun” and added: “I’m very happy.”
It was eighth time lucky for Joyce, who made his debut in the school holiday competitions in the 2015 Rotary Summer Cup.
Finishing an agonisingly close runner-up in both the Easter Cup and the Ken Jones May Half-Term Cup “made me more determined”, he explained.
Joyce practises after school at least once a week and competes in the Eastleigh & District Under-13 and Under-19 Leagues and on the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Tour.
Also a keen slalom canoeist, the Toynbee School pupil diplomatically said: “I like them both just as much.”
Oliver Humphries marked the end of his first ever competition with a personal best break of five, a well-taken yellow and green against Joyce.
The next school holiday competition with World Snooker coach Tim Dunkley is the 2016 Christmas Cup.
Final rankings: Harry Joyce 67, Steven Hughes 64, Connor Benzey 41, O’Shay Scott 41, Oliver Sykes 36, Ryan Hughes 33, Oliver Humphries 32, Joe Hampson 31, Charlie Pringle 30, Riley Ellis 17, Lewis Aisthorpe-Buckley 12, Rusty Abdurahman 9, Olly Gibbs 7, Bradley Cowdroy 7, Mickey Joyce 5.
Picture by Tim Dunkley.
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By Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)