Hopewell resident wins first round of Guinness pool competition

Brian John swept aside heavyweight Alson Barker to win the first round of the 2018 Guinness Eight Balls of Fire pool competition last Friday night.

John, of Hopewell, beat Barker, of Vermont, in the final game of the first round, which was held at the West Side Bar in Rose Place.

John and Barker emerged as the final two players out of a group of 36 persons. Barker, who won the competition when it was first held in 2005, was beaten in two straight games by John in the best of three finals.

John said that he has been playing pool for seven years and he felt good to have won the EC$600 and a chance to take home the EC$6,000 prize money up for grabs in the grand finale, which is scheduled for Saturday, March 24.

“I would like to say thanks to Brewery. This is a nice competition and I think they should have it twice a year, because one year too long to wait to compete,” said John.

The second round of the third annual competition is slated for Saturday, February 3, at Nani Bellingy’s Bar in Pembroke.

Other venues are Auntie Merlene’s Bar in Mesopotamia (Friday, February 9), Tree House Bar in Arnos Vale (Saturday, February 17), Skyline Bar Bequia (Saturday, February 24), Drop Off in Sans Souci (Friday, March 2), Police Canteen in Kingstown (Friday, March 9) and Azard Bar in Troumaca (Saturday, March 17).

The competition is being coordinated by Brewery’s trade marketer Cleve “Skip” McKenzie and trade marketing coordinator Seon Ballah is supervising.

Rocky Punnett won the competition in 2016 and Alson Barker won in 2015. Osmond “Ozzie” St Hillaire, last year’s winner, is hoping to do the double.