Seven chasing national glory

A QUARTER of the last-16 slots for both national junior championships have been filled by Cuestars players.

The lads booked a trip to Leeds next month after progressing through the southern qualifiers at Frames Sports Bar, Coulsdon, south London.

And one faces a long weekend at the Northern Snooker Centre.

Gold Tour players took all four places in the qualifying event for the English Under-16 Championship.

Mickey Joyce (Basingstoke), Olly Gibbs (Gosport) and Bradley Cowdroy (Bournemouth) won their round-robin groups and Oliver Sykes (Chandler’s Ford) was the best runner-up.

The previous day, 12-year-old Sykes didn’t drop a single frame in the Under-14 event. And Aidan Murphy (Bristol), another Gold player, went through as runner-up in that group.

Two Bronze Tour players progressed from the second group. Riccardo Drayton (Chandler’s Ford) took first place from Ronnie Sullivan (London) on the head-to-head rule. And former Cuestars member James Beaven (London) went through as the best third place.

It means that Cuestars members (and one former member) took every spot available in the southern qualifiers – a remarkable effort.

Picture by Tim Dunkley. Riccardo Drayton

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Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)