Sheldon LongleySend an emailFebruary 23, 2023 220 1 minute read
Bahamian Dakarai Turnquest continues to excel in billiards internationally, moving through the rounds of the double elimination 2023 BCA (Billiard Congress of America) Pool League World Championships at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The mega pool event got underway on Wednesday in Las Vegas, and the 16-year-old pool shark from Deadman’s Cay, Long Island, wasted little time in establishing himself as one of the top shooters in the tournament.
Up to press time last night, Turnquest had already won his first three matches, taking down Americans Roger Geary, Steve Ellsworth and Jeremiah Huskey. In the race to six, Turnquest won 6-2, 6-5 and 6-3 over the three Americans, and was set to take on Willy Lucero, another American, last night. The result of that match was unavailable up to press time.
It certainly doesn’t get any easier for the young Bahamian as the competition is expected to stiffen in the coming days.
Competing in one of the toughest segments of the tournament, Nine-Ball Singles – Platinum Division, Turnquest is battling, continuing to validate his standing among the top junior shooters in the region. He made the quarterfinals of the SVB (Shane Van Boening) Junior Open segment of the US Open Pool Championships, and was fourth at the 32nd Annual Valley National Eight-Ball Association (VNEA) World Junior Championships last year.
Following the Nine-Ball Singles competition, he will compete in Eight-Ball Singles, Eight-Ball Doubles and is looking to qualify for the professional segment of the 10-day tournament which is now into Day Two in Las Vegas.
About 12-15 pool shooters from The Bahamas are competing in the
international tournament, but just a handful in the platinum division. In total, there are 148 competitors in the platinum division and more than 600 in the entire tournament.
The Billiard Congress of America (BCA) is the governing body for cue sports in the United States of America (USA) and Canada, and a regional member organization of the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA).
Turnquest continues to make a name for himself in the game of pool, and by extension cue sports. He is the youngest pool master in the country and is regarded as one of the top junior pool shooters in the region.