Kids playing pool for Australia say there's not much time for homework
Angelo Tsakaris, 11, and Adam Grace, 15, have travelled overseas to play table sports for Australia — and the NT young guns think more kids should take up their sport.
Eleven-year-old Angelo Tsakaris, a champion snooker player, spends more time practicing his sport than doing homework. His passion for snooker began when he was five years old, after watching his grandfather play. Angelo took his first game on a home table while his father was away grocery shopping and has been playing snooker ever since.
His mother Natalie initially didn't realize how talented Angelo was until he won the national under-12s competition at age nine. Angelo went on to win three national junior titles in snooker and three in eight ball while representing Australia in the international blackball championships in the UK.
Fifteen-year-old Adam Grace, the best eight ball player in the Northern Territory, also practices table sports over homework. Adam practices for two or three hours after school every day. He doesn't do much homework, mainly focusing on pool. Adam travelled to Norway earlier this year to represent Australia in the under-19s category.
Ken Kernich, president of the Northern Territory Eight Ball Association, believes the Territory's many child champions may be due to the air-conditioned environment being more appealing than playing in the sunshine. However, he emphasizes that the kids' dedication and consistent practice are the key factors in their success.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
