Jackline Githinji from Kasarani Pool Club won the inaugural Queens Pool Tourney hosted by the Redbrick Hotel in Karen.
Githinji defeated Grace Katinda in an exciting final which ended 5-2 in her favour for her maiden championship win.
“I have played in so many tournaments and the best position I have ever gotten was 4th. I really don’t know how to react but I am really excited and hoping for great things at the All African 8 ball pool tournament in South Africa”. She said after the win.
The Queen’s pool tourney which was the first all-women tournament to be held in the country was organized to help raise funds for the national women’s team by Redbrick Hotel based in Karen, in conjunction with the Kenya Pool Billiard Federation.
This came as a result of several exchanges between the sports ministry and the KPBF after the completion of qualifiers for the all-African championship.
“We decided to hold a lady’s tournament because this is the first time that we are sending a whole women’s team to any major championship,” Said Mike Kiragu the organizer of the tournament.
“We have had men’s teams compete before but never a ladies’ team and we felt that it would be unfair for us not to try support them and ensure that we get them there. We are yet to get the funds required with less than a week to go, but our hope is that we will get well-wishers to come in or even the ministry. He added.
The secretary of the Kenya Pool Billiard Federation Doreen Wandia is optimistic that the Ministry of sports will come through for Team Kenya.
“We have had some really positive exchanges with the ministry of sports” she said after the queen’s tourney which she played in and came in third. “We have been asked to send an appeal to the ministry and right now we are very hopeful that the ministry will be able to support the 16 players who qualified for the All African Championship”. She added.
The nation seeks to send a contingent of 16 players; 8 men and 8 women for the continental premier pool table contest to be contested by some of the finest players across Africa
Over 16 countries are expected to participate in the championships that will be held from October 11th -15th at Montecasino in Johannesburg, South Africa.
