Penlyn Estate sharpshooter clinches SA singles snooker title

Fuad Esack

The tense atmosphere  in the dimly-lit room at Goodwood Sports Club over the weekend was broken only by the clack of cue balls colliding, as two skilled players competed in the SA snooker singles championship final.

Hushed tones, silent appreciation and muted applause accompanied each master stroke delivered by two gladiators of the snooker arena, former champion Mutalieb Allie and incumbent Michael Davids, both from Penlyn Estate.

The action kicked off last Monday with the preliminary round in singles division, followed by the pairs and classic knockout competitions.

Considered a naturally gifted player by those in the know, Allie had his work cut out against the cool, calm and collected current champion, Davids.

In an equally-matched encounter, Allie eventually got the better of his opponent to be crowned SA singles champion.

“The final was a blow-for-blow encounter with the score tied at 4-all. Mutalieb found another gear and took the next two frames to lift the title," said Ashraaf Haribhai, chairman of the Western Province Billiards and Snooker Association.

Although a few big names were missing from this year’s national championships, including African senior champion, Gqeberha’s Charl Jonck, who had beaten Allie 4-2 in the continental championships, Haribhai said the level of play was at a very high standard.

He said Allie and Davids were probably among the most prepared for the competition with both putting in the hard yards ahead of the championships.

“Mike being the defending champion put in the time and effort to prepare to defend his title, but Mutalieb, also knew winning his second title on home soil would be the icing on a nearly 40-year-career. He also put in the hours and it paid off, as he hit the highest break of 124 in the tournament,” said Haribhai.

Although no more expensive than other cue sports, he said, snooker requires far more discipline and skill to master and hosting major competitions is more complex, financially and logistically speaking.

“For one, the tables are much bigger than your average pool table,” he said. “Setting up snooker tables is a costly affair, so our biggest challenge was figuring out the costing and negotiating with various stakeholders to garner sponsorships and so on,” he said. 

“We took around three months to plan it but broader discussions have taken place over the last year since we were awarded these national championships,” he said.

Tournament director, Tauriq Samsodien, himself a former two-time champion, withdrew from this year's competition due to health issues, to focus on making sure everything runs smoothly, making sure players abide by rules and signing off scorecards.

“So the biggest challenge is mostly finance, but the tournament itself ran very smoothly, " said Samsodien.

"Michael always produces on the big stage but Mutalieb is also one of the best SA ever had and ultimately showed his class,” Samsodien said.

“This was my first position as tournament director, but also head referee as well as WP treasurer but thankfully we have a committee to fill multiple roles.” 

Although some may regard snooker as a sport for older players, Haribhai said a number of youngsters are making waves and the association is looking forward to hosting junior nationals in July.

“In this event we gave two juniors, Cape Town’s Mudakir Davids and Juan April, wild card entries to compete with the more experienced players. Both went to Morocco in February to take part in the junior world championships,” he said.  

“Snooker is different in that it is played on a much bigger table with tighter pockets,“ said outgoing champion Davids, who won the title at the 2024 South African Championship in Johannesburg, beating the newly-crowned champ on that occasion.

“So the demand for accuracy and a good technique is much higher than English Pool or 9 Ball. It demands a much higher level of focus and tactical aptitude,” he said.“My road to the final this year was very different from last year. I was not playing my best this time, so I had to fight a lot harder to get results,” he said, quick to congratulate his rival on winning this year’s edition.“I’ve been competing against Mutalieb for years now. I know him very well and playing against him is always a stern test of every facet of your game.  

“He is arguably the most naturally talented player we’ve ever had. He’s a phenomenal breakbuilder and scorer. I’ve learned a lot from him over the years,” said Davids.“I had to rely more on my tactical play and cue ball control rather than heavy scoring.

“Had a very tough semi-final against Rafik Limbada, who’s a great player, so I had to pull out all the stops to beat him.“Taliep was playing the best, so it was always gonna be tough on the day.I’m happy that I stuck in there, fought it out and forced him to have to earn the title,” he said.“The final was pretty tight when it was 2 - 2. I then took the next two frames on respotted blacks to go 4 - 2 up.“But Taliep was playing better on the day and it showed in the following 4 frames that he took to win the title. I narrowly missed a pink to force the match to a deciding frame, but it wasn’t to be.“Taliep deserves his victory. He was the better player on the day. I just tried to make it as tough on him as I could,” Davids said.

While he would have preferred if the result swung his way, Davids is more than happy to share some advice with upcoming players.“There is no substitute for practice,” he said. “It takes many hours and years to become good at this game. You cannot cut corners. More importantly, always be a gentleman. Conduct yourself like a champion and you will be one.”As for dealing with the pressure of a big match, he said, it all comes down to your preparation.“You have to remember that on every shot, it’s only you and the table. Your opponent can’t do anything from his chair, so proper preparation is key.“If you prepare to be in big matches, you’ll be able to deal with it better when it comes along,” said Davids.