Line-up of Western Gauteng’s female cue masters set for 2023 national championships
Teams announced following multi-weekend qualifying event at Rusty Hook.
The Western Gauteng 8-ball Pool and Snooker Association have announced their ladies teams to head to Cape Town in search of national glory.
The district association held their trials for female cue masters for the 2023 South African Championships at Rusty Hook over several weekends, concluding on October 30. The team comprises of five players all selected based on their performance at the Rusty Hook qualifying event. Sonia Smith, Zoë van Vuuren and Adri Venter finished fifth, fourth and third, respectively, while the two Bells, Lieschen and Heleni topped the standings.
“What an amazing experience with all the ladies in Western Gauteng. It is not just about pool, but the friendship we gain for life. Yes of course, it is an amazing feeling to see you are number one, knowing all the hard work has paid off. To make the ladies team for nationals is a great privilege and now the real hard work begins,” said a proud Heleni.
Her teammate, Lieschen, echoed her sentiments, saying, “Trials this year was no walk in the park. All the contenders brought their A-game and really played their hearts out. With so many big hearts and great smiles it’s a pity we can’t all win, because this is a dream come true for lots of the ladies. We look forward to representing Western Gauteng at nationals and we will make you all proud”.
Western Gauteng is hoping to send a second team but the district’s membership numbers determine how many teams a district can send. If the membership pool can increase by just five players in the coming months then Sanna Swanepoel, Julianna Roussouw, Lucidia Vaz Cruz, Nicole Young and Debbie van der Vyfer will be the five to make up the second team eligible for nationals.
Nicole is one of those hoping for the bump that would get her and her teammates to Cape Town and would do so at the first time of asking. “From a beginners point of view, this has been an incredible experience for me. Very stressful and nerve-wracking, but also so exciting. Meeting new people and pushing myself to new levels. Finding a purpose. The pool community is a very tight family and they are all there to support the growth of others,” said Nicole.
There are multiple clubs based at several pubs and pool halls across Roodepoort, Krugersdorp and beyond so finding a suitable venue to start a cue and 8-ball challenge is a simple task. The national championships will be held this coming April and Heleni, the Western Gauteng’s number one, will be carrying the flag for everyone, promising, “We hope to make a name at nationals and know all of us are going to play our hearts out to make Western Gauteng proud”.
