CAMBODIA
June 2003

What a fantastic trip Jimmy White and I had to Cambodia! I must admit it was very tiring with a full schedule for three days but it was a trip that was very fulfilling.

On arrival we were met by the British Ambassador which was a sign of the hospitality we were afforded.

I am sure most of you are aware of the terrible time Cambodia has suffered in the not too distant past. It is a country that is trying to re establish itself, and put behind those horrors. On our first night Jimmy and I played at the Foreign Correspondents Club. They had two pool tables and the idea was to auction games with one of us to raise money for a street kids centre. They did really well and we raised nearly $2,000 (American Dollars) for the Charity. If I could just put that money in to perspective - the average wage in Cambodia is about $300 a year!

The idea for us to do this tour came from the Ambassador himself. He had noticed that wherever he went somebody was either playing pool or snooker. That's exactly how it was, every bar had a pool table!

On the second day we visited the Mithapeap Snooker Club. I was very impressed with the standard of the tables there, and the club itself. Later that evening we were guests at the Parkway Snooker Club to watch the final of the Cambodian Snooker Championship. Normally the final is watched by a few ardent snooker followers, but once again the staff at the Embassy had done their homework and advertised the event, got television to cover it and made it free admission. As a result there was 1500 spectators including the Minister of Defence for Cambodia, the American Ambassador and other dignitaries including the officials from the Cambodian Snooker Association.

After the final Jimmy played three frames with the winner and I did my trick shots routine. To say we were received well is an understatement! What a great advert for Snooker it was, all credit goes to the Ambassador Stephen Bridges and his foresight in contacting Jimmy, it was great PR for Snooker.

The only problem we had was the heat. When I was playing my trick shots I could hardly move my cue over my bridge. In fact when I got back to the hotel and took my shirt off it was as though I had taken a shower in it!!

On the third day we went to the Centre For The Street Children, so named because that's where they live, on the street. We gave them the money that was raised at the auction and the Embassy gave them a Pool Table for the Centre. I must mention a guy called Sebastian. About nine years ago he visited Cambodia when he was working for the cosmetic company L'Oriel. After seeing the plight of the children he gave up his job and stayed to help. The centre now teaches the children the basics skills in mechanics and hairdressing to mention a few things all because of this Frenchman who cared, it was an honour to meet him.

After visiting the centre we were driven out into the villages. This was an amazing experience. Every village we went through had a pool table. If you can imagine a hut with just a roof, containing a chair where you could get your haircut, a petrol pump at the other end and a pool table sandwiched in between them! This is the equivalent of a Community Centre. Although neither Jimmy or I could speak the language, in one of the villages the big game was Poker Pool. Needless to say Jimmy knew the rules and another language barrier was bridged.

Our final visit that day was to the infamous 'Killing Fields' a stark reminder of what happened not that long ago. Many countries go through bad times in their history, some it makes stronger. I do hope that this is the case in Cambodia. They are a hospitable race, always with a smile on their faces and I pray hope in their hearts.