WITH six group titles up for grabs, close to 40 entrants turned out at South Shields Snooker Centre for the recent play-offs of the Disability Sport England’s (DSE) Northern Regional Championships.
Jarrow’s title-holder and the reigning National DSE Group One champion (tetraplegic) Terry Melia was unable to attend due to being hospitalised, and it was Whitley Bay’s star performer Andy Divers who added the winner’s trophy to last year’s runners-up award.
Having come through some tough matches to reach the final of Group Two (paraplegic), Sunderland’s first-time entrant Alan Curry proved to be a worthy winner against Hartlepool’s former champion Paul Hiscoe.
In the all-Hartlepool Group Three final (ambulant/upper limb disability), Billy Kelly beat fellow club member and defending champion Stevie Robson 2-0.
Wallsend’s Terry Patterson retained the Group Four title (ambulant/lower limb disability) with a comfortable 2-0 win over Walker’s Michael Middleton.
Ashington veteran George Scott held on to the Group Five (unclassified) title for the second consecutive year after outscoring his old Prudhoe rival Peter Binns in two close frames 52-32, 52-45.
In the 11-strong Group Five (other disabilities) contest, two Washington SC team-mates battled out the final and it was the disappointed defending champion Phil Taylor who handed over his title to Terry Burdis after losing 2-1.
Presenting the trophies and awards on behalf of Walker-based sponsors Amecal were managing director Steve Oxborough and his wife Andrea.
A squad of players from the six groups will be selected to travel to Manchester in October to defend the region’s National DSE team champions title.
