Snooker player, anti-nuclear protester, real estate agent
As Dene O’Kane watched Ronnie O’Sullivan win another world snooker championship title this week, the memories of trying to stay calm under extreme pressure came rushing back.
O’Kane has plenty of experience in such matters.
Regarded as one of New Zealand’s finest snooker players, O’Kane worked on the pro circuit for 18 years and is reported to have earned at least £415,000 ($798,000).
Now living on Waiheke Island, and having worked in the real estate industry since 2007, he followed the progress of the controversial Englishman O’Sullivan as he triumphed over Judd Trump to join Stephen Hendry as the winner of recordequalling seven world titles at the famous Crucible Theatre in Sheffield in England.
‘‘Ronnie proved himself to be the greatest player ever,’’ O’Kane says. ‘‘He’s got the ability to raise the standard of play whenever he’s threatened. Which is what the very best can do.’’
O’Sullivan is a character who generates headlines for other reasons. He used a cigarette lighter to burn his cue tip during the final, and he was alleged to have made two controversial hand gestures midmatch.
Then there’s his frequent criticisms of the sport. Yet, he pulls in the viewers. And there’s no doubting his genius.
While O’Kane never indulged in any such antics, he was not afraid of controversy. It was France’s decision to begin nuclear testing in the Pacific in 1995 that ticked him off.
So O’Kane used his high-profile position to make a point. Having procured anti-nuclear stickers in London, which read ‘‘Non ... stop the French tests’’, he decided to attach one to his waistcoat at the Thailand Classic in Bangkok.
After several games, he was politely asked to remove it by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association.
‘‘It was like an independent protest, with no political affiliation,’’ O’Kane says. ‘‘I felt that if they [the French] wanted to test those devices, why didn’t they do it in Bordeaux? I enjoyed doing that, and it was effective as well.
‘‘I just thought it was appropriate for that point in time, with the dreadful things they were doing.’’
Later, when he and some friends decided on French cuisine for dinner in the city, they discovered his protest hadn’t gone unnoticed: the staff didn’t want to serve him.
‘‘They knew who I was, because I had been in the newspapers.’’
All Blacks flanker Josh Kronfeld also wore an anti-nuclear logo on his headgear while playing for Otago in 1995, and was subsequently asked by NZ Rugby to stop.
When the dapper O’Kane was on the circuit, he could have been likened to a stonyfaced High Court judge, albeit with flowing blonde locks.
TV footage of the snooker ace calmly waiting to play his shot, before gracefully prowling around the table to survey his options, portrayed the image of a man who had everything under control. That didn’t tell the real story. Of course he was nervous, he says. ‘‘You go through a lot, internally. Mentally and emotionally. But you just have to overcome those feelings and thoughts. ‘‘It’s almost like there’s a wall of pressure, and either you break through it and play well or you succumb to it.’’
O’Kane became the New Zealand snooker champion at the age of 17, and turned professional in 1984. He moved to the United Kingdom and played top players such as Jimmy White, Stephen Davis, Cliff Thorburn and Hendry and rose as high as 18th in the world rankings.
Coming up against the big-name players, he acknowledged, could be ‘‘quite frightening’’.
Nowadays it’s common practice for sportspeople to consult psychologists. There was none of that in O’Kane’s day. He had to grow up fast, having moved to London with no support networks.
He racked up 46 century breaks during his professional career, and said there was no sledging when he played.
Sitting so close to spectators in venues like the Crucible, however, was unique; he likened it to being in an aircraft and said the only noise came from the fans, which was disconcerting.
O’Kane retired from the professional tour in 2001. He then played in the world masters championships, winning it three times, before taking a break from the tour.
The last tournament he played in was in Sydney in 2020, before everything ground to a halt because of Covid-19. He hasn’t picked up a cue since, but hasn’t ruled out having another crack at the world masters later this year.
The key to success? Practice. And being able to stay calm. The lessons he gained by playing the greats have been valuable for his career after snooker.
‘‘There’s plenty of pressure in real estate, when it comes to closing a deal. I must say I get a buzz from doing a good real estate deal, like I did from winning a snooker match.
‘‘I can compare it to that.’’