BILLIARDS – BAHRAIN’S 19-year-old billiards sensation Hussain Maroom will be flying the kingdom’s flag in the 2025 World Pool Championship, set to take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from tomorrow until July 26.
Maroom will amongst a field of 128 of the sport’s biggest stars – representing 40 countries worldwide – in the prestigious $1-million competition, which is organised and run by the World Nineball Tour (WNT), the Saudi Arabian Billiards and Snooker Federation (SABSF), and the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Sport.
This will be the second year in a row that Maroom will be playing in the WNT’s flagship event. He made his historic debut in the 2024 worlds, also held in Jeddah, when he became the first-ever Bahraini player to compete in the tournament.
Maroom made further history after winning a match when he defeated Tobias Bongers of Germany 9-5 in the initial stages of the double-elimination championship.
Maroom is now hoping to take the lessons he learned from last year to his upcoming foray.
“I am very happy to be playing in the world championship again,” Maroom told the GDN yesterday prior to his departure for Jeddah.
“I practised so hard and I learned a lot last year. I corrected my mistakes during my practices and my goal is to win it this time.
“I have confidence in myself and I am looking forward to competing.”
Spearheading the field in Jeddah is reigning world champion Fedor Gorst from the US, who will be joined by former champions Francisco Sanchez Ruiz of Spain, Shane Van Boening also from the US, and Carlo Biado from the Philippines, according to the WNT.
Also returning are crowd favourites such as Joshua Filler of Germany, Ko Pin Yi of Chinese Taipei, Jayson Shaw from the UK, and Johann Chua from the Philippines – all of whom are looking to add their name to the sport’s most exclusive roll of honour.
Aside from these WNT professionals, there are also World Pool Billiards Association wildcards, select Saudi players, and international qualifiers.
Meanwhile, Hussain’s brother Haider Maroom was named by the SABSF as one of eight international players who will be competing in the Saudi Junior Championship 2025, set to be held alongside the worlds.
He is part of a full field of 16 of world pool’s rising stars who will be vying for a share of $20,000 in prize money.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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