City snooker challenge cues off

Sports

NINE women and four former champions are among 56 players taking part in the 2016 Pacific MMI Port Moresby Snooker Handicap challenge which cues off today.
The National is a platinum sponsor of the event.
The players have been grouped in eight groups of seven players.
Defending champion Monty Fong, with a handicap of 15, is in group G.
His opponents in this group are Martin Patu (50), Ida Keni (20), veterans Richard Whitchurch (20), Skey Magoke (40), Rhonda English (35) and Oscar Pomaleu (35).
Current PNG snooker champion Marcus Ng, with a handicap of minus 30, is in group B with Miria Rima (15), Welton Gai (15) PNG women’s representative Helen Samuel (15), Rei Miria (35), Gai Verave (30) and Malcolm Currie (30).
All group matches will be played over the best-of-three frames starting at 3pm on weekdays.Weekend matches start at 11am.
The round robin group matches are expected to finish next Thursday before the playoffs start on Friday. The final 16 and quarter-finals will follow, with the finals to be held on the Sunday. President John Chan thanked major sponsors Pacific MMI, platinum sponsors The National, gold sponsors Plumbers and Builders Supplies and Graffitti Signs, and silver sponsor Street Scene for their continued support to the association.
Chan said due to the availability of only two venues, the number of participants had to be reduced to 56 and the start date brought forward by one day to today.
Chan thanked the management and staff of Q Club and Aviat Club for the use of their facilities.