The Disability Sport Events National Open Snooker Championships Take Centre Stage
13th October 2010by Lucy Appleton
The listing was posted by Disability Sport Events
The Disability Sport Events National Open Snooker Championships took centre stage last weekend at Riley’s in Belle Vue, Manchester.
Funded by The Paul Hunter Foundation and the North Lancs Training Group (NLTG), the 2 day event attracted competitors from all over the country. Young stars, Daniel Blunn and Emma Noble, were joined by a host of seasoned players including Tony Southern, Albert Henshaw and Maureen Rowland.
The event this weekend poignantly marked the 4 year anniversary of Paul’s death. The ‘Paul Hunter Foundation Trophy’ was awarded to Mohammed Daud from the West Midlands for sportsmanship and all round performance.
Chris Lovell, on behalf of NLTG and the Paul Hunter Foundation, said, “The team had a great day. The effort and achievement was amazing by all of the players taking part, with first class support from Disability Sport Events and the team of referees. Congratulations to all.”
The Team Trophy this year went to Yorkshire who managed to retain their title from 2009. Daniel Blunn - a name to watch for the future - went on to win the Group 3 and Highest Break Trophy rounding off a successful weekends play for the young man from the South East.
Snooker is played in 6 groups, with players being classified either as wheelchair users or ambulant players depending on their ability to manoeuvre around the table and perform sometimes difficult shots.
This year saw the introduction of the Paul Hunter Foundation Roadshow, where players were able to learn snooker tricks as well as take part in team competitions.
Rob Howe, General Manager of Riley’s in Belle Vue, said:
“There are few competition opportunities for disabled snooker players and Riley’s are proud to have supported this great event for another year.”
Disability Sport Events organise national championships in a variety of sports for disabled people, from grassroots to international elite events. They provide pathways and opportunities to succeed in sport. DSE are the event’s arm of the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS)- the body for developing sport and physical activity for disabled people in England .
To see all the results from the weekend and to keep up to date on all forthcoming events, please visit www.disabilitysport.org.uk
For further information on the Paul Hunter Foundation please visit www.paulhunterfoundation.org