Mike Russell

KUALA LUMPUR: Legendary billiard player Mike Russell has not ruled out the possibility of training young cue artists in this region. Russel, who coaches the Qatar national team, believes players in this region are on par with their European counterparts.

"You'll never know. Qatar is a fantastic country and I'm happy but I've not been offered anything yet. If the opportunity (to coach in Southeast Asia) is on the table, I'll be delighted," said Russell.

"Malaysia has great facilities. This is my third visit with the Qatar team and we've had some good sparring sessions here," the nine-time world champion added.

Mailsport learnt there were efforts to get Russell and snooker professional Jimmy White to start an academy in the country or in this region. Russell has already initiated an academy in Doha.

Russell and Company left for Doha yesterday as they gear up for the Gulf Championships which start next week. Russell's lads managed to pot some shots with national players Lai Chee Wei and Thor Chuan Leong.

"We're a young team but one of the top teams in the Middle East. We're bullish about recording some good results in the Gulf Championships.

"Chee Wei and Chuan Leong are good players. They are tactically sound and managed good breaks against us. It's really good sparring against the Malaysians. I dare say your players are slightly better than the Qatari team."

Nevertheless, Russell was quick to point out that the national team should not rest on their laurels if they plan to make an impact in the international scene.

"You just have to go out and play matches. You can only learn if you lose to a better player.

"There is no point training and sparring among themselves. It basically depends on the support they get. The Thais are lucky to get all the support they need, thus they are a powerhouse in the region."

Russell admitted India and China were also a force to be reckoned with.

"With their population, it is only natural for them to have a large pool of players. This region has great potential and I'm looking forward to my next visit here in August (ahead of the Asian Games)."