HARRY Martin and Iftikhaar Ahmod from Amanzimtoti have been selected to represent South Africa at the 2024 Blackball International World Championships in the UK in October.

At the recent nationals/qualifiers, which Martin described as historic, he defended his title in the men’s Socials category, coming first out of about 40 players.

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“I also set a new record by being the number-one ranked blackball pool player in the country for three consecutive years. At the world champs, I’ll again serve as captain in the Men’s category,” he said.

Ahmod will be competing in the U18 category. Last year, he impressed the judges at the international Hawley Cup held at Montecasino, where he competed in the U18, U23 and Men’s categories. Despite only being 16 years old, he chose to compete in the Men’s category and placed in the top 10.

At the 2022 World Championships held in Morocco, Ahmod also became the U18 world champion and received a bronze medal in the U15 category. He now heads to England to defend his title.

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This will be the second time both players participate in the world championships, with Ahmod having only been playing for four years. Martin rejoined the game in 2022 after a six-year hiatus and quickly climbed to the top of the charts.

Known as the ‘Houdini Boys’ for their impressive playing techniques, the pair often play doubles in club tournaments.

“I’d describe our playing style as fast and reckless, but it always works out in our favour. We can both execute double shots from almost any angle, leaving opponents stunned,” said Martin.

He said the calibre of players in the United Kingdom will be higher, making it a tough competition. “I also have high hopes for Iftikhaar because I see his potential and strengths,” said Martin.

Their hard work is paying off, but the trips are self-funded, and they need to raise about R80 000, which includes travel, accommodation, attire, visa applications and so forth.

To help raise funds, they organised a raffle for a pool cue, which received good support, but they still have a long way to go.

To help the pair get to the world championships, consider donating towards their trip or offering sponsorship by contacting Harry Martin on 065 674 1335.

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