The Southern Ranking tournament is making a highly anticipated return after five years, signaling a fresh start for billiards and snooker in Fiji.
Newly elected president of the Southern Billiards and Snooker Association of Fiji (SDBSAF), David Shiu Ratnam is leading the charge to restore the sport’s prominence in the region.
Ratnam attributed the tournament’s long absence to past challenges but expressed his excitement about its return.
“The inactivity of the previous committee and the impact of COVID-19 made it difficult to sustain the tournament,” Ratnam explained.
The new management team has introduced a full tournament calendar for 2025, kicking off with the first Open Ranking tournament from January 24-26.
This will be followed by events like the East vs West challenge in February, the six Reds tournament in June and the Veterans Snooker and Billiards tournament in July.
Other events include the Inter District tournament in August, the third open ranking tournament and the fourth open ranking tournament in November.
The year will culminate in December with the Awards Night to celebrate the achievements of players and the community.
Ratnam highlighted the association’s goals which focus on youth development, community engagement and building partnerships to increase visibility for the sport.
