World champion hits out at Irish Sporting Council

WORLD wheelchair nine ball pool champion Fred Dinsmore from Courtown has hit out at the Irish Sporting Council for not supporting him, as pool is not considered a paralympic sport.

As a result Fred is currently seeking sponsorship from local businesses to keep competing against the top players in the world.

‘I find it a joke,’ he said. ‘It is a disgrace we do not support certain sports or don’t support our own. We can’t just pick and choose.’

Fred needs at least €2,000 a year to continue to stay among the world top players, as he does not want to ‘give up’ and do nothing with the rest of his life.

‘It would be nice to get some recognition,’ he added. ‘And it would be great if a local business would sponsor me.’

He recently won the World Wheelchair 9 Ball Pool Championship in Finland, which is his sixth world title in three different cue sports, something that is unique as he is the only person in the world, able bodied or disabled, to do this.

Speaking about his passion for pool, Fred said he often practises in Arklow Snooker and Pool Club with his coach, Johny Vanrijkel from Belgium, who has trained him since 2013.

‘I always loved watching and playing snooker as a boy,’ said Fred, who was diagnosed with spina bifida when he was born.

One day, in 1991, Fred was travelling with Gerry O’Rourke, former Irish wheelchair athlete, after playing basketball with him. ‘Basketball was never my thing anyway,’ added Fred.

‘He told me he was on the way to a snooker tournament,’ said Fred. ‘I told him I loved snooker and he invited me along.’

Fred entered the competition with his friend Gerry and, surprisingly, went to the second champions round, where he beat his friend Gerry.

After this, his interest only grew and in 1993, at just 19-years of age, Fred became the World Wheelchair Snooker Champion.

A few years later, in 1999, Fred began to play nine ball pool, and went on to win the World Wheelchair 9 Ball Pool Championship in 2000, 2005, and, again this year.

‘I won five European Championships between this as well,’ he added. ‘And have won the World Blackball Pool Championships in 2016 twice.’

As far as Fred knows, he is the only player in the world to have won world titles in three different cue sports and, to congratulate him for his accomplishments, the Wexford County Council awarded him earlier this year for Outstanding Achievement in Sport.