Snooker: Beedle lines up shot at worlds

When snooker ace Rogan Beedle trades shots with the world's sharpest young players next month, it will be the perfect culmination of a seven-year apprenticeship.

Having first tapped into the expertise of a coach on turning 13, the Papamoa 20-year-old is set to compete at the world junior championship in Wuxi, China after winning the New Zealand junior title.

Booking his ticket with victory at the national under-21 championship in Auckland two months ago, Beedle has been king of the table in New Zealand's junior ranks over the past year, fulfilling the promise that selectors had already spotted in him.

He'll head to the IBSF world junior tournament with the country's other playing rep Sam Bond, whom he downed in the national final, with 13-year-old hotshot Louis Chand filling the team's development slot.

"I'm absolutely stoked to be going, this year is my last chance," Beedle said. "Last year I got into the [national junior] semifinals, the selectors gave me the opportunity to go to the 2011 world juniors in Canada as the development player but I couldn't afford it."

The trip to Wuxi, near Shanghai, will be the former Mount College student's first taste of international travel and also fulfils a personal ambition.

"About two years ago I saw on the New Zealand Snooker website that national junior winners got the chance to go overseas to compete. I thought it'd be awesome to represent New Zealand overseas so it became my goal. Since then I've been training hard."

Keeping the young sharpshooter on target in China, as he has done for the past seven years, will be Mount resident and snooker coach Arthur King, who will travel as team coach.

Trying his hand for the third time in the national under-21 tournament, Beedle took out this year's title in style, capping a remarkable run of success.

"I beat Sam 3-0 so it's are going alright," he said. "Things have really picked up for me since last year's New Zealand Open. I came up against [eventual winner and multiple national champ] Chris Maltby in the semifinals. I won a frame and though he got up to 3-1 I had a really good chance to take another, but a mid-range red just jawed.

"That performance really helped my confidence, to get to the semis was wicked."

Pocketing that self-assurance, Beedle has since racked up a string of good results in senior competition, including winning the Hamilton Invitational tournament, and another notable semifinals appearance at the Capital City Open in Petone three months ago.

Last July, he joined 20 other young talents at the inaugural Cue Sports Academy in Christchurch, which combined coaching exercises with seminars on rules, nutrition and sports psychology. Triumph in two tournaments held during the academy and being named as best overall player were highlights for the Papamoa deadeye.

"He was a level above the rest of the players there," King said.

Beedle notched his first century-plus score of 103 last year - at the Mount RSA as fortune has it, with King happily watching on.

"I was rapt to get that first one, I'd been trying hard for ages," he said. He has since knocked in two more, 110 and 107, and with a best tournament break of 82 a competition ton is in his sights.

The fine run of form has seen Beedle's national ranking rocket from 140-odd to the late-20s.

At work the snooker tables are never far away, either. Serving as a barman at the Mount RSA for the past 16 months means he only needs to arrive for work early to get some practice in, something he tries to do most days.

Beedle got a taste for the game from his dad Chris and he credits King as a major factor in his success. He said he was grateful for crucial sponsorship from his employers and friends at the Mount RSA.