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BILLIARDS – Bahrain’s Hussain Maroom has been drawn against Jani Uski of Finland for his opening match in the World Pool Championship 2025, taking place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Nineteen-year-old Maroom is amongst a star-studded field of 128 of the sport’s biggest names, representing 40 countries worldwide, competing in the prestigious $1million event.
Maroon’s clash with Uski, ranked 83rd in the world, was scheduled to get underway late last night, missing our deadlines.
It is the second year in a row that Maroom is playing in the World Nineball Tour’s flagship competition. He made history last year when he became the first-ever Bahraini player to take part in the tournament, which was also held in Jeddah.
He lost his first contest although held his own against then-world number 11 Wiktor Zielinski of Poland 5-9, and then defeated Tobias Bongers of Germany 9-5 in the opening round of the losers’ bracket in the double-elimination championship.
Elsewhere in the first round match-ups, which began last night – each played race-to-nine – defending world champion Fedor Gorst from the US defeated countryman Sam Henderson 9-3 in an all-American showdown.
Meanwhile, Hussain’s brother Haider Maroom is competing in the Saudi Junior Championship 2025, which is being held alongside the worlds.
He is part of a full field of 16 of world pool’s rising stars who will be vying for a share of $20,000 in prize money. Haider will be taking on Ziad Alqabani in his opening match, scheduled for today at 2.30pm, Bahrain time.
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