Hong Man upsets Mark Yeo for Sibu title

SIBU: Ng Hong Man literally turned the tables on hot favourite Mark Yeo 3-1 ( 65- 28, 47- 6, 44- 56, 62- 31) to win the Sibu Cueball Closed Snooker Championship last weekend.

The hard hitting 50-year- old Ng, with his trademark long distance shots, cruised to his second victory over the much fancied Yeo.

Refusing to feel intimidated and despite Yeo pulling back a frame, the affable Ng stayed focused to prevail in the showdown which lasted more than three hours.

He had surprisingly taken the fi rst two frames with ease.

Yeo, after fighting back to secure the third frame, went for broke in the fourth frame. But his eagerness led to several silly mistakes to hand over all the advantage to his opponent.

“It’s just not my day as I missed out some of the easiest shots. Anyway, my salute to Ng for handling all the pressure and winning the championship,” he said.

Ng took home RM1,000 while Yeo pocketed RM500 and an additional RM200 for the highest break.

It was a second major victory for Ng, coming just three months after he beat Kuching’s Rolanda Lim 4- 2 in the Sarawak Closed Snooker Championship last Dec.

His next assignment will be to represent Sarawak, together with three other qualifiers, at the National Open Club Snooker Championship to be held in Kuala Lumpur in June.

“The KL meet is a different ball game altogether and I would say it is more of an exposure trip for me. Nevertheless, I will try my best to earn some respectable results for myself.”

Ng added that it would perhaps take another generation before the standard of local players could match with those in the peninsula.

“What we lack is competitive competitions that are necessary to polish the game of the players and for that to materialise, the government ought to do something to check the declining standard and also to ensure that more people will embrace the game, hence making it relevant,” the champion urged.