Cueists eye glory at Commonwealth Champs

Four of the country’s finest cue athletes departed yesterday to compete at the inaugural Commonwealth Billiards Championship, which breaks off today and runs until Sunday at the Cote d’Or National Sports Complex in Mauritius.The championships will see a cue duel of 16 nations (of which seven are from Africa) across the snooker, blackball, heyball (Chinese eight-ball) and 10-ball disciplines.Namibia Cue Sports Federation (NCSF) has fielded Martha ‘Queen Bee’ Kotze and debutant Reinhold ‘The King’ Iipinge for heyball, alongside team captain Charles ‘An-die-Brand’ Brandt and Kelly-Ann ‘Poison Queen’ Williams for blackball.They were selected following their outstanding performance in the NCSF Black Ball League last season.‘An-die-Brand’Brandt, whose last national call-up was in the 1980s when he played snooker, revelled in the opportunity, calling it a dream come true.“I will be rubbing shoulders with the world’s best players at the master’s level of over 50 years. This is a crucial learning experience for me. I will make sure to bring my A-game,” he assured.He extended gratitude to Mathew ‘Stunner’ Namhindo, who recently represented the country at the Heyball World Championship in China, for aiding his preparation.“I also made a point of entering more local pool competitions. When we played the Werner Fest Memorial Tournament, I witnessed the unbelievable talent of 16-year-old Armando Louw. This made me believe the future of pool is secured,” he said.‘Poison Queen’Williams also acknowledged Namhindo’s guidance and expressed excitement at the opportunity to showcase her skills on the world stage.“I have been trained by the best, including the late Werner Fest, Jaco Kotze, Tony Viljoen and Lady Dreyer, who mentored me when I first started the sport. They have guided and supported me to this level. Especially my fiancé, Simone Booysen,” she said.Her most recent national call-up was alongside Kotze at the All Africa Pool Association (AAPA) tournament in South Africa two years ago.‘Queen Bee’Kotze said she received technical support from Namhindo, as well as valuable practice on King Cue’s nine-ball table, which she described as the closest she could find to a heyball one.“I am deeply humbled at the opportunity to represent women in the pool community at this historic event and excited to meet the best players from all around the world,” she said.‘The King’Debutant Iipinge credited his mentor Benjamin Eimann for sharpening his skills during a challenging preparation period.“I really struggled with my preparations since we usually play informal money games here in Kuisebmund, but luckily, I have Uncle Ben with a very consistent game that helped a lot.“I am very excited to be the chosen one. I can’t wait to meet new people and experience what it feels like to make shots without anyone shouting at my back and interfering,” he said.– mariud@nsh.com.na

Cueists eye glory at Commonwealth Champs

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Namibian Sun 2025-12-16

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Cueists eye glory at Commonwealth Champs

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Namibian Sun 2025-12-16

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