Hampshire accountancy firm senior Steven Hughes is putting his audit work on hold for a week and flying to Albania to participate in world amateur snooker tour
Emerging green baize star Hughes, 22, who works at HWB Chartered Accountants, hopes to pocket the World Snooker Federation (WSF) Championship title which offers direct qualification to the World Snooker Tour.
The open tournament is being staged in Golem, south of the capital Tirana, from February 3 to 11, with Hughes drawn in a tough group of four in the 210-player competition.
Included in the tournament line-up is Tony Knowles, a three times semi-finalist in the World Professional Snooker Championship in the 1980s and ranked second in the world in 1984/85 behind Steve Davis.
Hughes said: ‘I can’t wait to get started and have been counting down the days until the tournament starts. It really is the biggest occasion in the world for amateur players and a stepping stone to the professional game.’
Having previously played the same tournament in Malta and Sheffield, he is travelling with a group of snooker-playing colleagues to Albania. He is taking just one cue, his ‘prized possession’ and packs it in a ski case for safety.
Hughes, who joined HWB in Chandlers Ford four years ago aged 17 straight from Barton Peveril College, Eastleigh, is working towards his final ACA exams to complete to become fully qualified.
‘HWB is a really good firm to work for. The training programme is exceptional and I believe learning while working is definitely the best way forward, quicker than purely academic routes and I would recommend it to anyone considering a career in accountancy,’ Hughes said.
Sponsored by Aquatec Plumbing & Heating of Chandlers Ford, he is advised by Hampshire-based coach Tim Dunkley and performance coach James Lake, who is based in Beijing, China.
HWB director Michaela Johns said: ‘We wish Steven all the luck in the world and hope he will bring home the trophy for all his colleagues to see. We will be following the tournament online to check his progress.
‘He is a popular and valued member of staff who is dedicated and hard working, seeing him compete in sport at the highest level internationally gives us great pride.’
Source: Accountancy Daily
