Women can compete in pro. snooker

Press, 24 May 1988, Page 38

Women can compete in pro. snooker

PA Wellington There is no discrimination against women who want to play professional snooker, top New Zealand player Dene O’Kane said on the eve of the $lOO,OOO Lion Brown Masters in tournament in Wellington. While having a look at the venue for the tournament — Parliament’s Legislative Council chambers — O’Kane and his fellow professionals are asked why women were not playing the sport. “But women do play snooker,” he said. “There is no distinction in sexes as far as professional snooker goes. “As far as we know, if a

woman can qualify for a tournament she can play. “In fact, women in the United Kingdom are catching on fast. Stacy Hilliard has scored a few century breaks. “Allison Fischer, another woman who is on the fringe of breaking in, only just failed to qualify as a professional,” he said. Meanwhile, Tony Knowles, ranked eighth in the world, and who a few years ago remarked that the size of the pockets should be reduced, reiterated that stance. “If the pockets are larger than it makes the standards fall," he said. “It brings the lower profes-

sionals up and puts everyone on an equal level. “That increases pressure on the people at the top and consequently you end up taking the skill out of the game,” he added. But world No. 3, teen-ager Stephen Hendry, who is likely to be ranked No. 2 when the new rankings are made, said as far as he was concerned pressure never got to him. A professional since he was 16, Hendry was more concerned over achilles tendon problems on both his feet than having to play fellow teen-ager and professional rookie Darren Morgan.