(From left) National cue sports
coach Lim Tat Hwei, Pg Anak Hj
Abdul Awadi ZH Pg Anak Hj
Latifuddin, Mohd Qusyairi
Zainuddin, Ahmad Taufiq Murni,
Hj Md Alirani Hj Besar and team
manager Md Azri Suhardi Hj Md
Suni posing for a photo at
the the Brunei International
Airport in Berakas yesterday.
Picture: BT/ Ak Fauzi Pg Salleh
National cue sports coach Lim Tat Hwe is hoping that all of the Sultanate's cueists will make it through to the play-off stage of the competition.
Four Bruneians Ahmad Taufiq Murni, Hj Md Alirani Hj Besar, Mohd Qusyairi Zainuddin and Pg Anak Hj Abdul Awadi ZH Pg Anak Hj Latifuddin will represent the country at the 5th Golden Break 9-Ball Invitational Championship 2013 at Kuchai Avenue in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Monday.
"We are aiming for all the players to make it to the second round, and from there we will see how it goes," said Lim in an interview with The Brunei Times prior to the team's departure at the Brunei International Airport in Berakas yesterday.
The four cueists were selected to play in the main round (group stage) of the competition, while four other Bruneians Shaiful Bahani Hj Abd Rahman, Mohd Alias Hj Rashid, Kamarul Ariffin Hj Kamis and Bakhtyar Hj Zaini will have to compete through the qualifiers.
The latter quartet departed the Sultanate for Kuala Lumpur on Friday.
"This year will be a very tough one for us as there are a number of top players in the tournament. I hope that all the players are ready for the challenge," said the coach.
"The players have been training and preparing as usual for the past few months. I hope they can deliver a good performance in the tournament."
The national coach added that this tournament will be used as a benchmark for the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Myanmar.
"We are also preparing for the SEA Games this year, and this tournament will let us know where our standard and level lies among the region's bests," said Lim
Brunei top cueist Taufiq said that he will focus on one game at a time at the August 17-24 tournament.
"It is important to be able to get into the second round first, so I am going to focus on one game at a time and see from there," said Taufiq.
The 24-year-old was the best performer in the annual tournament last year after losing 10-7 to Ronnie Alcano in the last-16.
Accompanying the national coach and the four cueists is team manager Md Azri Suhardi Hj Md Suni.
"I would like to thank the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) for funding the trip and I hope that our national team will be able to get the best results in the tournament," said the manager.
Dennis Orcollo, who is ranked second in both the World Pool-Billiards Association (WPA) and Asia Pocket Billiard Union (APBU) and Chang Jun Lin, who is first on the APBU rankings and eighth in the world, will also feature in the tournament.
The competition offers a cash prize of US$8,000 to the winner while the runner-up will take home US$4,000.
Semi-finalists will be awarded US$2,000 while quarter-finalists will get US$1,000.
The last-16 will take home US$500 while the last-32 will get US$200.
Trophies and medals will also be awarded to the respective winners.