Troy Deeney PULLS OUT of UK Open Pool Championship just hours before ex-Premier League star was set to switch sports
TROY DEENEY has withdrawn from the UK Open Pool Championship due to injury.
The former Premier League star was set to play two matches, including a first-round clash against world number 31 Marc Bijsterbosch.
The UK Open Pool Championship got underway today at the Telford International Centre.
But Deeney will not feature as a match commentator revealed the former Watford captain was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to injury.
The SunSport columnist, 35, was supposed to play in the third match of the day on Table 1 against Bijsterbosch before his last-minute withdrawal.
Deeney accepted a wildcard for the event after being approached by promoters of the World Nineball Tour to get involved in the 256-player event on an invitational basis.
He was excited to take part and has always been a fan of the sport, often playing his former team-mates at the training ground during his career.
Deeney is not the only sportsman to switch to pool for the tournament, as World Snooker Championship semi-finalist Stuart Bingham is set to take part.
Former world snooker champion Bingham takes on Frazer Patrick, while Tyson Fury’s boxing brother Roman Fury faces Ahmed Taufiq.
Deeney said ahead of the competition, before his withdrawal: “I’m absolutely buzzing.
“I always fancied myself on the table at the training ground with the boys.
“So when this opportunity came up, I jumped at the chance to put myself to the test against some of the world’s top players.
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“It was something I couldn’t really turn down. I appreciate athletes in other sports. This has given me the opportunity to go and see it first-hand.
“Hopefully it brings a new audience to Nineball. Until two months ago, I didn’t know what the format was. I thought it was reds versus yellows, spots versus stripes.
“I’ll face a proper player to start with. It’s like, for want of a better word, balls-deep. Straight in.”