Billiards club celebrates one year

A group of just over 100 pool table enthusiasts joined the celebrations of the first anniversary of Sessions Billiard and Darts club in Bellville on Friday evening.

The night was enjoyed with speeches, music, games, prizes and some awards for employees.

Craig Bouwer, 39, from Durbanville founded the club last year in June.

“We have got pool tables all across the country and it's a very accessible market and that is a good problem to have. We, at the Sessions, are trying to do youth development. And that will, in turn, bring more money into the pool industry and create better opportunities for youth where we have bigger tournaments, where earning potential is a lot bigger,” he said.

Mr Bouwer said his establishment, located in Tyger Manor Centre, is the first billiards clubs in Africa that is dedicated to the formats of “American 9ft” Billiards and Heyball (previously known as Chinese 8 ball).

“So the American 8 ball pool table, which is what we focus on here at Sessions, is a 9 foot pool table. It is probably one and a half times bigger than the average pool table.

“The balls on the American tables are a lot bigger, a lot heavier. The cues are thicker because the balls are heavier. The pockets are slightly bigger as well because the balls are bigger,” he said.

They have 14 American pool tables and three Heyball pool tables.

He said he was privilege to play and learn more about the pool industry in different countries, like Germany, Australia and the United Kingdom.

Mr Bouwer is ranked as an overall top pool player in the country by CueScore with 215 points and the part-time employee at his club, Marnitz Hawkes, 17, is ranked second with 196 points.

Marnitz Hawkes, from Brackenfell, said he started playing the pool game when he was 10-years-old while his family were living in Bloemfontein.

“I tried it once, and I was like, I just fell in love with the game. So from there I have been playing almost every day,” he said.

The multi-award winning national pool player and member of the club, Elzette Koen, 37, said she loves the Chinese Heyball.

“The discipline requires more accuracy and precision than the normal pool table. It challenges your skills and ability and once perfected, you get this warm feeling of joy and proudness,” she said.