Kurt Maflin
Encyclopedia
Kurt Maflin is a Norwegian
professional snooker
player.
After appearing in the Finals of the English National Championships in the Under-13 and Under-15 categories, he went on to become the first person to retain the English Under-17 national title (once held by Paul Hunter
) in 2000 after winning it for the first time in 1999.
When aged 14, Maflin was invited, on behalf of TV Times
magazine, to team up with former World Champion Dennis Taylor to raise money for the leukaemia
Research Fund at the 1998 Liverpool Victoria Charity Challenge event. After meeting the world's top players, Maflin and Taylor managed to win £
4,300 for the charity, playing 'Pounds for Points'.
Maflin also appeared twice on BBC1
's popular snooker game show series Junior Big Break: Stars of the Future in 1997, and winning the contestant the grand prize of a holiday in 1998. In 2001, Maflin reached the final of the English Open Championship and was runner-up in the European Championship Final staged in Riga
, Latvia
. In the same year he won his place on World Snooker
's Main Tour becoming the second youngest professional snooker player in the world at the time. He dropped off the tour and moved to Norway with his partner Anita Rizzuti
.
Maflin only returned to serious competition for the 2006 Challenge Tour. He won this to return to the Main Tour for 2007/2008. He also won the gold medal at the 2006 IBSF World Championships in Amman
, Jordan
, beating Daniel Ward 11–8 in the final. On his way to victory, Maflin won 15 consecutive matches.
Maflin had a great run in the Masters qualifying tournament, beating Jimmy White
to reach the final before losing out on a wild card
place in the event to Barry Hawkins
. However, he finished only 82nd in the world rankings and again dropped off the tour.
In 2010, he won the EBSA European Play-Offs and once again qualified for the main tour. In June 2010, at the inaugural Player's Tour Championship event in Sheffield, Maflin compiled his first professional 147 break in his first round match against Michał Zieliński. He qualified for the final stages of a major ranking event for the first time at the 2011 China Open
, losing 4–5 to Ding Junhui
(despite leading 4-1) in the last 32.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
professional snooker
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
player.
Career
He began playing snooker at the age of four, achieving a high break of 25 by the time he was five. He increased his time spent at the table practising. As a rated top junior player, Maflin represented England in the 1999 Home International series in Prestatyn, North Wales, where England were victorious.After appearing in the Finals of the English National Championships in the Under-13 and Under-15 categories, he went on to become the first person to retain the English Under-17 national title (once held by Paul Hunter
Paul Hunter
Paul Alan Hunter was an English professional snooker player. His media profile developed swiftly and he became known as the "Beckham of the Baize" because of his good looks and flamboyant style....
) in 2000 after winning it for the first time in 1999.
When aged 14, Maflin was invited, on behalf of TV Times
TV Times
TVTimes is a television listings magazine published in the United Kingdom by IPC Media, a subsidiary of Time Warner. It is known for its access to television actors and their programmes. In 2006 it was refreshed for a more modern look, increasing its emphasis on big star interviews and soaps...
magazine, to team up with former World Champion Dennis Taylor to raise money for the leukaemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
Research Fund at the 1998 Liverpool Victoria Charity Challenge event. After meeting the world's top players, Maflin and Taylor managed to win £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
4,300 for the charity, playing 'Pounds for Points'.
Maflin also appeared twice on BBC1
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
's popular snooker game show series Junior Big Break: Stars of the Future in 1997, and winning the contestant the grand prize of a holiday in 1998. In 2001, Maflin reached the final of the English Open Championship and was runner-up in the European Championship Final staged in Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
. In the same year he won his place on World Snooker
World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association
The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, often abbreviated to the WPBSA, founded in 1968 and based in Bristol, England, United Kingdom is the governing body of professional snooker and English billiards...
's Main Tour becoming the second youngest professional snooker player in the world at the time. He dropped off the tour and moved to Norway with his partner Anita Rizzuti
Anita Rizzuti
Anita Rizzuti is a Norwegian amateur snooker player.-Achievements:*2006 IBSF World Championships: Quarter finals, eliminated by Wendy Jans *2003 World Ladies Championship quarter-finalist*2002 Norway Ladies Champion...
.
Maflin only returned to serious competition for the 2006 Challenge Tour. He won this to return to the Main Tour for 2007/2008. He also won the gold medal at the 2006 IBSF World Championships in Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, beating Daniel Ward 11–8 in the final. On his way to victory, Maflin won 15 consecutive matches.
Maflin had a great run in the Masters qualifying tournament, beating Jimmy White
Jimmy White
James Warren "Jimmy" White MBE is an English professional snooker player. Nicknamed the "Whirlwind" and popularly referred to as the "People's Champion", White is a multiple World Championship finalist renowned for losing each of the six finals he contested.White's extensive list of achievements,...
to reach the final before losing out on a wild card
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
place in the event to Barry Hawkins
Barry Hawkins
Barry Hawkins is an English professional snooker player. He has reached three ranking semi-finals, and spent five seasons inside the top 32 of the rankings. He has also played in the World Championship the last six years running.-Early career:Before taking up snooker professionally he was an...
. However, he finished only 82nd in the world rankings and again dropped off the tour.
In 2010, he won the EBSA European Play-Offs and once again qualified for the main tour. In June 2010, at the inaugural Player's Tour Championship event in Sheffield, Maflin compiled his first professional 147 break in his first round match against Michał Zieliński. He qualified for the final stages of a major ranking event for the first time at the 2011 China Open
2011 China Open (snooker)
The 2011 Bank of Beijing China Open professional ranking snooker tournament took place between 28 March and 3 April 2011 at the Beijing University Students Gymnasium, Beijing, China....
, losing 4–5 to Ding Junhui
Ding Junhui
Ding Junhui is a Chinese professional snooker player. Ding Junhui is China's most successful player ever, having become only the second teenager, after John Higgins, to win three ranking titles...
(despite leading 4-1) in the last 32.