Sarnians ready to take on best in the world

THE second-largest pool event in the world is coming to the Channel Islands this weekend. The European eight-ball Pool Championships are being hosted by the Channel Island Pool Association and the week-long event begins on Sunday at the Hotel de France in Jersey.

More than 300 players will take part, representing 11 countries, with the CI entering two men's teams as well as a women's team and a junior side.

Guernsey players will make up the men's A side, Jersey the B and Andy Mildner will captain the Sarnian-based line-up.

'We played in the B pool last year and we were unlucky not to make the semi-finals. We lost three of our matches 8-7,' said Mildner.

'Jersey are playing in the B pool this time while we are in the A pool so we get to play against the top players from each country.'

The competition starts with the countries playing each other on a round-robin basis, with matches being the best of 15 frames. The top four teams then go through to the semi-finals.

The CI teams will be competing against all the home nations as well as the Isle of Man, Belgium, France, Portugal, Spain and Malta.

The six Guernsey men had to go through a stringent qualifying procedure to secure their place with the top 24 players in the island all playing each other through the season to decide the rankings.

The finalised top six were Mildner, Martyn Desperques, Adam Shorto, Adrian Lihou, Tommy Simon and John Skillett.

'Ady Holley is probably the most experienced Guernsey player in international tournaments and he just missed out but it emphasises the standard of players going that he did not make the grade,' said Mildner.

'Preparations have been going very well and we have got the strongest team we have ever taken to the Europeans. We have got some cracking players going and they are all on form.'

The captain is keen not to set too lofty ambitions for his team ahead of the competition but he believes the Guernsey players are more than capable of holding their own among illustrious company.

'We have guarded expectations because we will be playing against some top class players - most of them are professionals.

'But we have got the six best players we could take on form - away from pool, four of them are century-makers in snooker this season.

'Martyn Desperques also beat Keith Brewer, the most-capped England player of all time, in a match, so they are aware of us,' Mildner said.

There is also a singles competition played during the week and the CI players all fancy their chances of performing well in that event.

The Guernsey contingent makes the short trip across the water on Saturday and with the Sarnians having several tournaments against Caesarean opposition throughout the year, they will be in familiar surroundings.

'It will feel a little bit like having home advantage and the nice thing for us travel-wise is that we have not got far to go, although it is a bit of a double-edged sword because we like to get the chance to go and play in places like Malta,' said Mildner.

'But everyone is pumped up and looking forward to it.'

The CI women's team's hopes are high, with last year's victory over eventual European champions England still firmly in the memory.

'After beating England, we felt we had a good chance of reaching the semi-finals, which we did in France a couple of years ago, but we just lost out to the other teams,' said team member Diane Gaudion.

'In the past we have had a lot of 9-6 and 8-7 losses where the deciding frames have just gone against us and we will go there absolutely determined to turn that around.

'The initial aim is definitely to make the semi-finals and a plus is that Rhy Brooks, one of the Jersey girls, is back after missing the Worlds last year,' she added.