Australian Billiards & Snooker Council

News

President's Report 2006
14 Oct 2006

This is my fifth year in my position as President of the Australian Snooker & Billiards Council (ABSC), and in my view one of the best that we have all enjoyed to date, both successfully on the Snooker and Billiards table and in the administration of our sport.

To conclude the 2005 Championships that occurred after my last report, the Bob Hawke Australian Open Snooker Championships was won by New Zealand’s Dene O’Kane who narrowly defeated Australia’s Glen Wilkinson 8-7 in the Final. Once again, it was a real honour for our sport to have the company of Bob Hawke, together with his wife Blanche at the Final of the Championships, as it is also always a pleasure to stage our premier Open Snooker Championships at the Mounties Club.

The 2006 Australian Ladies Snooker Championship was staged in Tasmania, which was admirably won by Linda Lucas from South Australia, who defeated Tammy Cantoni from Victoria 5-3 the Final. The Australian National Men’s Snooker Championship was again staged in the prestigious surroundings of the RACV Club in Melbourne where Robby Foldvari from Victoria added the National Title to his many lists of honours to win the National Championship, by beating the vastly improved Matthew Bolton 6-3 in the Final. The Australian Under 21 Snooker Championship was played in Perth with Vinnie Calabrese outgunning Michael Lupton 8-3 in the Final. The Junior Championships were played in New South Wales this year and the Under 18 Championship was won by Tom Simmons, Jenilee Thompson won the Under 18 Girls Snooker Championship, Ricky Emery won the Under 15 Snooker Championship and Shane Theodorou Under 12 National Snooker Championships. The Under 18 Billiards Championship was won by Anthony Brooker. In the CL&S Mitchell Cloth Junior Teams Challenge, the QLD team beat the WA-Composite team 3-2 in the Final. The Bill Barrie Interstate Challenge was won by Victoria and the inaugural Australian Masters Championships were held at Club Banora in Queensland, when Glen Wilkinson became the first Australian Masters Champion in defeating Paul Asher.

The Australian Billiards scene in Billiards was again mainly dominated by Matthew Bolton who notched up another great win in the Australian Open Billiards Timed Championships by beating the vastly experienced and World Professional No. 2 ranked Peter Gilchrist in the Final. The Australian Nationals 150 Billiards Championship was won by Steve Mifsud by defeating Matthew Bolton in another great battle between these top two all round cueists and Billiards players. Both of these events were staged at the Matchroom Club in Adelaide.

It was New Zealand’s turn to hold the Oceania Billiards & Snooker Championships in Auckland. The now very important Oceania Men’s Snooker Championship was won by New Zealand’s Dene O’Kane, who by the narrowest of margins beat Australia’s Aaron Mahoney 6-5 in a nail-biting Final. By winning the Oceania Championship Dene O’Kane secured the most valuable spot of a guaranteed place on the WPBSA Main Tour for 2006/7. Aaron Mahoney, as runner up, secured the Oceania Regional spot for the IBSF World Snooker Championship in Jordan. The Oceania Billiards Timed Championships were also held in Auckland and once again Australia’s Matthew Bolton dominated the Championships by defeating Danik Lucas in the Final. Another very positive sign for the Oceania region was the participation of both players and officials from Fiji and Papua New Guinea in this year’s Oceania Snooker Championships and at the Oceania Billiards & Snooker Federation’s AGM.

The 2005 Bob Marshall Medal was awarded to a very proud Matthew Bolton. Matthew’s complete domination of Australian Billiards in 2005 coupled with his rapid rise up the ABSC Snooker Rankings now that he has turned his ambitions more to Snooker, proved Matthew a deserved winner of this prestigious Medal.

The inaugural IBSF World Team Cup was staged in San Jose, California, USA with teams from around the world competing in the World Men’s Team Cup and the World Masters Team Cup. Unfortunately for our two Australian Ladies Teams that had entered, the World Ladies Team Cup had to be cancelled because of the lack of Ladies Team entries from other countries. The Australian Men’s Team was represented by Robby Foldvari (Captain), Matthew Bolton and Daniel Thorp with the team reaching the Quarter Finals. The Australian Seniors Team was represented by John Hudson (Captain), Paul Asher and Michael Hough and they reached the Semi Finals. Congratulations to both teams for a great effort and I know for sure that all players enjoyed the Championships and were so proud to have represented their country of Australia.

Unfortunately a really hard decision had to be taken when the 2005 IBSF World Snooker Championships in Pakistan were cancelled at the very last minute because of the terrible earthquake that Pakistan experienced just before the Championships. However, a magnificent Championship is planned for the 2006 IBSF World Snooker Championships in Jordan this November, and Australia will again be represented by a quality team of Australian players. In the Men’s event Australia will be represented by Aaron Mahoney, Steve Mifsud and James Mifsud, the Masters representatives will be Glen Wilkinson and Paul Asher and the Ladies will be represented by Kathy Parashis, Janine Rollings and hopefully one other player from this week’s Oceania Ladies Championships.

It should also be recognised of the contribution that Neil Robertson has given to not only our sport, but to Australia as well. Neil has in the last 12 months catapulted up the WPBSA Rankings and so nearly reached the Semi Finals of the World Professional Championships, losing only to Graham Dott the eventual winner. Congratulations Neil, you are a great ambassador for our sport and Australia and a true role model for all of us to follow.

The accounts of the ABSC have again been efficiently looked after by our Treasurer Frank Dewens, and it is most pleasing that again the accounts have now stabilised themselves to a respectable position after several years of concern in the past.

The secretarial workload has increased again this year due to Australia’s many different avenues of exposure to Championships and events throughout Australia and the World, and the quest to even further improve the standard of communication and information that has been supplied to all players, officials and States. I must compliment on Barrie Jones’s extreme commitment and to thank him very much for performing his position of Secretary to only the very highest of standards. I know this has been well appreciated by everyone concerned from within our sport.

The documentation and administration of our many policies that are required to retain our recognition with the Australian Sports Commission has again been expertly handled by Di Dale, and once again I would thank Di for her great commitment to this area of work that is very time consuming, but so necessary for the continued improvement of our sport.

Thanks to Adam Wyard and his company Candela Enterprises for donating so much of his time and expertise to our sport through the website. This has proved the most invaluable tool for communication and a great asset to the ABSC.

What has also been so pleasing is that every ABSC Board Member has been so involved during the year, by willingly contributing in so many different ways. So a large thank you to these other Board Members not mentioned above - Forbes Davies, Bob Fraser, Bob Boutcher and Paul Cosgriff. During the year we also gained the services of Alex Render to the ABSC Board and what a great addition Alex has been with so much input, enthusiasm and commitment. Special mention of thanks should also be recorded to Glen Wilkinson, Steve Mifsud and Aaron Mahoney, who together with the already mentioned Alex Render and Adam Wyard, have represented the players views and input to the ABSC Board, in assisting us all in our efforts to make our sport a better sport for everyone. To the State Association Presidents, State Association Board Members and to the many other volunteers who have been so supportive of our sport in Australia – a huge thank you for your tireless work and immeasurable commitment that has been a magnificent contribution to the success of Australian Snooker and Billiards in this past year.

As a result of our improved financial position, the current ABSC Board have decided to honour the long ago promise by past administrations, of presenting to the ABSC Life Members an official ABSC Life Members Badge, to be presented at this year’s Annual General Meeting. Life Membership is not simply just to recognise being a long term member of a team, but is awarded to people that have also rendered a high quality service, valued leadership and an outstanding and honourable commitment to the Australian Billiards & Snooker Council and to our sport. It is therefore a great honour to be made a Life Member of the ABSC, as it is for me to present our Life Members with their ABSC Life Member Badges.

Another great contribution to our sport this year has been the Businesses, Clubs, Associations and people that have come forward and contributed sponsorship to my challenge to us all, of really supporting our players to represent our country in the World Championships this year. It has been a great response from everyone, that has not only supported our players but also our sport as well – and I know that you will all feel very proud that you have given in some way, something back to our sport to make our sport a better sport for the future. Just look at our ABSC website now to see the increased sponsorship we have received this year and who has supported our sport! Could I please especially request, that in return, and whenever possible we all support these Businesses and Clubs that have supported our sport?

The Australian Billiards & Snooker Referees have been again very active and supportive of both Billiards and Snooker in Australia. The secretary Tommy Watson and Chairman Robert Higgins have undertaken an enormous amount of work and once again a big thank to you all referees throughout all of Australia for the sterling work that they perform on behalf of our sport.

Noel Gourlay, the National Director of Coaching, has also been working hard keeping all of the coaching requirements up to date and once again to Noel and all of the Coaches throughout Australia – a huge thank you for your successful efforts in improving the coaching standards of our sport.

The Australian Confederation of Billiards Sports has moved forward again this year with further meetings and commitments from all parties. It has taken a far longer time than first anticipated, but with careful negotiations and conciliatory understanding of each others situation we are now in the situation to promote all Cue Sports in Australia. At our last meeting in Melbourne in August, the ACBS committed themselves to stage the first Australian Cue Sport event in 2007 and plans are now in progress to structure the event to include Snooker, Billiards, Nine Ball and Eight Ball all at the same venue.

As the ABSC President, I am very grateful for the opportunity of being able to represent the ABSC during this past year by attending the Australian Men’s Snooker National Championship, the Australian Under 21 Snooker Championships, Australian Masters Snooker Championships, the IBSF Grand Prix, the Oceania Men’s and Ladies Billiards & Snooker Championships and the Australian Open Men’s and Ladies Snooker Championships here at The Mounties Club in Sydney.

As an IBSF Board Member I have also represented the Oceania Billiards & Snooker Federation at the IBSF meetings in France and Wales and will be going to Jordan for the IBSF World Championships and the IBSF AGM. Along with the IBSF President, Pascal Guillaume and Jim McMahon and Hamish McInnes of the WPBSA, I have also had the honour of representing Snooker and Billiards world wide for the WCBS.

Next year is my final year as President of the ABSC, so it is vitally important that early on during the coming year, full consideration is given by everyone for the successful progression of management for the Australian Billiards & Snooker Council with regards to appointing a new President in November 2007.

Finally to Mal, Trevor and Ray Atwell and the CL&S Group - to George Taylor of Alcocks, Thomson and Taylor - to the Board of Directors of the Mounties Club in Mt. Pritchard and the RACV Club in Melbourne who have again staged and sponsored our main two Championships of the year, the Australian Open and Australian National Championships - to Club Banora in Banora Point, to the Lindisfarne RSLA Club in Tasmania, Matchroom Club in Adelaide, Central Coast Leagues Club in NSW and the LAQ Club in WA - all of which have held Australian Championships this year – to all the other clubs that have held ABSC Ranking Tournaments and to all of our other many sponsors – to the members of the Billiards & Snooker Supporters Club for their support of Australian Billiards & Snooker – to our very supportive Patron Bob Hawke - on behalf of the Australian Billiards & Snooker Council, thank you all for helping to make the year of 2006 again such a memorable year for Australian Snooker and Billiards.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie – oi, oi, oi!

Michael Peachey
President,
Australian Billiards & Snooker Council.