The pool star has received a call-up for this year’s Commonwealth Cue Sports Championships, which take place from 7-10 October in the Indian city of Ahmedabad, which is also set to host the 2030 Games across a wider range of sports.
He will be flying the Guernsey flag a second time in the 10-ball pool events at these championships, having featured at the inaugural edition in Mauritius last year.
‘It’s the pride, and it all just steps up a level,’ he said about the feeling of representing Guernsey.
‘I’m looking forward to holding the flag again.’
The annual cue sports festival, which also includes snooker, billiards, blackball and heyball, is endorsed by Commonwealth Sport.
And so Kirk can go into the event feeling like a part of the island’s Commonwealth Games family and taking inspiration from the performances at Glasgow 2026.
‘I was over the moon for Guernsey with the recent Commonwealth Games, especially with Ali [Merrien] bringing back a medal,’ he said.
‘I’m fired up for Guernsey for this one.’
Kirk does have his own medal ambitions, but he admits to the challenges faced by islanders at this level.
‘I’m grateful for the selection itself. When you play international sport, because we don’t have federations, we very much have to go the long route to our success – just because of opportunity.’
Kirk has just returned from the third of four weekend stops of this season’s Ultimate Pool Challenger Series.
He finished as the runner-up of his four-person group in the spacious surroundings of Loughborough University, winning two from three, before going out 6-3 to Ryan Francis in the first round of the knockouts.
For July’s weekend stop in Bolton, he had topped his group narrowly with the same 2-1 record, but suffered another early exit with a 6-2 loss to Michael Tomlinson in the knockouts.
Whereas his previous year on the circuit was about getting used to the rules, his current obstacle is adapting to the particularly fast tables used in such competitions.
‘What we’re now trying to emulate, as much as possible, is the game environment of the arenas.’
You need to be logged in to comment.