The country’s best pool players have gathered in Dunedin to compete in the national 8-ball tournament.
The event has attracted more than 90 competitors including all six members of the New Zealand team — Matt Edwards, Chris McBreen, Toan Nguyen, Brendan Ng, Simon Singleton and Molrudee Kasemchaiyanan.
They are competing for a total prize pool of around $10,000, which ought to keep them out of the pubs but you never know.
Dunedin’s Ng shapes as good a chance as anyone of collecting the top prize in the men’s competition.
The 31-year-old took up the sport as a teenager but gave it away for a five-year periodBut he returned to the game in 2012 and two years ago to his surprise was named in the New Zealand team.
On his first trip with the national squad, Ng found himself playing the deciding frame in the transtasman test in Adelaide in 2016.
The nations were deadlocked and Ng was playing the Australian No1 in the decider.
The match was locked 7-7. Ng played what he thought was a good safety shot but his opponent found a way to sink his shot and then cleaned up the frame to win 8-7.
"He got out of the safety, potted the ball and ran the rack. I was sitting there thinking maybe I should have had a go," Ng said.
"Because of that we lost by one point.
"It felt like it was my fault."
Ng was able to redeem himself in Melbourne earlier this year.
"We won. We actually smashed them, so I was pretty happy.
"It actually meant more to me than anyone else thought, just because I was there in 2016 when it didn’t go our way."
The 8-ball nationals get under way early this morning and will finish up tomorrow evening.
New Zealand No1 Matt Edwards has to be the favourite in the men’s competition and Molrudee Kasemchaiyanan a strong contender in the women’s tournament.
Ng has been doing plenty of practising and he is on home tables.
"Honestly, once we are down to the last eight players it could be anyone’s game."
