Nanai wins title with classy play

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

SNOOKER

Alex Nanai was in a class of his own as he won Gisborne Cosmopolitan Club’s A Grade snooker title for 2018.

Nanai did not lose a frame throughout the competition, putting an exclamation mark on his performance with a 2-0 win against Phil Thompson senior in the best-of-three-frames final.

The competition drew a field of nine, including B Grade competitors Tiny Thompson and Bill Raggett.

Qualifying was over three frames in two sections.

Nanai and Thompson were joined in the semifinals by Wayne Tautau and Tony Cleaver.

Thompson beat Tautau and Nanai eliminated Cleaver.

Six players contested the C Grade crown — Larry Robinson, Dave Middlemiss, Athol Hjorring, Mary Kerekere, Te Rina Hawkins and Busby Akuhata.

From the three sections, Akuhata, Robinson, Middlemiss and Hawkins advanced to the semifinals.

Akuhata beat Robinson and Middlemiss defeated Hawkins.

Akuhata beat Middlemiss in the final.

Ten players entered the B Grade championship last month, with Raggett defeating Nathan Coombs in the final.

Raggett knocked out Tiny Thompson in one semifinal, while Coombs beat Middlemiss in the other.