European Championships 2012

Darren Morgan won the 2012 European Masters (over 40s) Championship at Daugavpils, Latvia crushing England’s defending champion Steve Judd by six frames to nil in the final.

Darren adapted brilliantly to the difficult conditions winning all thirty eight frames he played and making twenty eight breaks over forty in the process.

This resounding success highlighted the difference in class between former professionals and top amateur players at this level. Darren is now a very strong favourite to win the IBSF World Championship in Egypt later this year unless other leading ex-professional players decide to participate.

The Men’s event was won by Scotland’s eighteen years old star Scott Donaldson.

Marcel Price initially struggled with the fast cloths and unusual reaction from the balls but eventually found his game and reached the last sixteen before losing a hard fought match with finalist Brendan O’Donoghue from Ireland.

Gareth Allen played consistently well throughout the event until losing in the final frame of his last-thirty-two match. He should have taken home the high-break prize but failed on a hundred and twenty two with pink and black on their spots.

At sixty seven Bob Watkins was the oldest player in the championships but he still comfortably qualified for the knock-out stages along with John Terry and Dean Thomas.

Tatjana Vasiljeva from Latvia, a frequent visitor to Llanelli for coaching, won the Ladies event.