Shingai Dhlamini, [email protected]
ELEVEN Zimbabwe pool players are in China for the Joy Cup World Heyball Masters Grand Finals 2024, battling for the first prize money of about US$700 000.
Heyball is a Chinese variant of the standard American eight-ball pool, with pocket openings and cushions similar to those used in snooker. The 2024 Grand Finals started in north China’s Hebei Province on March 16 and are expected to run through up to April 3.
The Joy is famously known for organizing the Heyball Masters tournament, which is the most lucrative cue sports event in the world with a total cash prize of $1.5m and boasts of an enormous cash prize of $730,000 for the winner, attracting athletes from all around the world.
Malvern Mukonza from the Zimbabwean contingent has made it past the first stage and the rest have been knocked out.
One of the players Christine Sengwe, a female pool player was knocked out by Aleksandr from Belarus 6-5. In her second game, she lost 7-1 to Malaysia.
Malvern has played to qualify in the Grand Masters where he gets a refund for flight tickets valued at US$1400 while he fights to get a championship worth US$700 000 prize money.
“It was great exposure for the team and we look forward to more games and tours like these. We hope one day Zimbabwe will invest in Heyball tables so that we gain the needed experience for a better performance next time,” said Sengwe.
