John Donovan

PASSIONATE potters returned to their snooker club in King’s Cross boasting three trophies after starting the season at breakneck speed.

There were plenty of intense battles on the green baize as the best young players from around the country took to the tables for the first round of the Cuestars Under-21s Tour recently.

The competition is aimed at giving grassroots players the chance to perfect their game by competing in a series of tournaments across the south of England. Depending on ability, there are Gold, Silver and Bronze tours, with events being held monthly between September and May.

In his opening fixture on the Gold Tour, defending champion John Donovan showed his mettle as he recovered from “a really bad start” to make it all the way to the final.

In the end, the 20-year-old from Somers Town had to settle for the runners-up trophy after losing a pulsating final at the Crucible Sports & Social Club in Reading 2-1 to Oliver Sykes, who has recently turned pro and is 105th in the world snooker rankings.

Buddy Dean

Donovan’s coach John Woods, who runs Gone2Pot Children’s Snooker Club at the Hurricane Room in King’s Cross, was quick to praise the standard on show in the final.

He said: “John lost his first three group matches and was heading home. He was playing really badly and couldn’t pot a ball – he was actually laughing at just how badly he was playing.

“But then he showed that fight and spirit that he’s got inside. He won a few matches without playing particularly well, and just kept getting better and better.

“The final itself was outstanding, the standard was unbelievable. Sykes recorded a break of 70 to win the opening frame, and John responded with a break of 76 in the second frame to level the scores. Sykes then won it by knocking in the day’s highest break of 130 in the third-frame decider.”

Woods, who lives in Islington, spent his night dashing between the action in Reading and the Crucible’s sister club in Newbury, where Rayan El Qmache was playing on the Silver Tour, and Buddy Dean was playing on the Bronze Tour.

Aariz Tariq and Rayan El Qmache

El Qmache was “disappointed” to get knocked out at the group stage, but again displayed unwavering fortitude as he battled on to win the Plate trophy, a second-tier competition aimed at giving those players who get knocked out early another chance to keep sharpening their skills.

The 13-year-old, who lives in Westminster, beat Aariz Tariq in the final to claim his prize.

Afterwards, Woods said: “Rayan is a very natural player, very fast and fluent. He just loves potting balls. He was obviously disappointed to go out at the group stage. When that happens some players just want to go home, but Rayan proved just how much he enjoys playing the game by sticking around, and was rewarded for his efforts with a trophy.”

Meanwhile, Dean, who lives in Camden Town, is competing in his full debut season on the Bronze Tour. And the talented 12-year-old gave a glimpse of what’s in store as he made it all the way to the final, where he was narrowly beaten 2-1 by Finley Wilson.

Woods said: “Buddy has everything you’re looking for in a young snooker player: he’s talented, works hard and just loves to practice. He’s only going to get better and better in the coming years.”