Nine-year-old wins half-term competition

HE IS the youngest ever winner of a school holiday competition at Chandler’s Ford Snooker Club.

Oliver Sykes (pictured), not quite nine-and-a-half, was forced to give handicap starts to all of his (older) opponents on the final day of the third running of the annual Ken Jones May Half-Term Cup.

But the classy left-hander still managed to win six of his nine frames to end five days of skills training and competition top of the rankings.

“I knew that if I kept believing in myself I could do it,” Sykes said.

Regarding the handicap starts, he added: “It’s all right – as long as I catch up.”

The young potter has made impressive progress since first picking up a cue about 18 months ago.

On May 17, Sykes, who is in Year 4 at Fryern Junior School and has a high break in competition of 37, was runner-up in the Cuestars South of England Under-21 Bronze Tour Championship play-off in Swindon after finishing the eight-leg circuit joint eighth in the rankings.

Competitions are run on every weekday during school holidays at Chandler’s Ford SC by World Snooker coach Tim Dunkley. The next one is the Rotary Summer Cup, which starts on Thursday, July 23.

The Ken Jones May Half-Term Cup was named in memory of the former Saints full-back who coached snooker in Southampton for more than 30 years.

Ken, who died aged 68 just after Christmas 2012, worked with most of the top youngsters at Chandler’s Ford SC, many of whom progressed to win England caps.

He played for the 1965/66 Saints team that won promotion for the first time to the old Division 1 (today’s Premier).

Austen Petty won the trophy in 2013. Ryan Hughes claimed it last year.

KEN JONES MAY HALF-TERM CUP RANKINGS

Top four: Oliver Sykes 47 points, Charlie Pringle 43, Harvey Banger 41, Bowen Zhu 29.

Report and picture by Tim Dunkley.