Pool player takes best shot at nationals
The Brakpan Central resident ended up in the top 65 players among over 500.
AJ Engelbrecht (35) represented the Brakpan Pool Club at the nationals in the A1 opens category, ending 64th among over 500 players.
The Brakpan Central resident started playing pool when he was 22 and has played for 13 years. He initially got into the sport through a friend, Charles Smit, who also helped him get his first job as an engineering apprentice.
Engelbrecht started working straight after high school, which he attended at Hoërskool Dr EG Jansen. He is primarily a self-taught player.
His best season to date was this past season, which he won in the men’s final of the East Gauteng Pool Association (EGPA) Elite League.
ALSO READ: Top honours for Brakpan Pool Club players
For him, breaking the triangle is the best part of the game, and the worst part is a cushion shot. His favourite player is Chris Melling, an English professional pool and snooker player with several world championships.
If Engelbrecht could be anything else, he would be a detective because he likes solving problems, which is possibly why he loves playing pool so much.
His greatest support this past season was Shawn Raper, the co-owner of the Brakpan Pool Club, and his fiancé, April Warland (34), and daughter Laruche Warland (11).
Other sports he has played that he would like to pick up again are rugby and cricket.
ALSO READ: Brakpan Pool Club announces ladies league teams
