10 FEBRUARY 2004.
A quiet game of snooker

Mike Marshall put his snooker cue away after winning the 40-50 years title at the 2003 New Zealand Masters Games.
A few days ago he took it out again, dusted it off, and took it to the St Johns Club to try to defend his title in this year's ACC Thinksafe-sponsored event.
" So I'm struggling for a bit of form at present – not surprising really," Marshall said. But he didn't have time between frames to worry about it.
Marshall ended up the section controller for the 40-50 grouping.
" They just asked me to do it, because a couple of the other guys who normally do these kind of things are playing in other tournaments or working – guys like Spike Duxfield and Jack Osborne.
" I was going to play anyway. For sure. I've played every year since I've been old enough (40).
Snooker's a good game, nice and quiet and a bit different from the motocross I went in." Marshall jokes it's a bit of a contrast between the two sports.
" It was really dusty at the motocross – and a lot quieter here." So he put the bike away and took his cue out on Tuesday "and had a bit of bat around on the table, just to get the feel again." And that's been it, inbetween Masters Games.
" I haven't even had a friendly game," Marshall said.
Marshall says he only plays the Masters to see old mates.
" It's a relaxing game, and you don't have to put your race face on and get your motocross gear out. It's a lot easier. Motocross is a lot harder, especially when you get over 40. It's hard to keep your fitness up."
Entries in the division are 40 percent down on last time, but there are reasonable numbers in the 50-60 men, the over-60s and the women's events at Castlecliff.
Marshall, as any old snooker player will, is a little concerned that the game seems to be losing numbers. He uses the example of a couple of Wanganui clubs, where the Cosmopolitan Club has dropped two of its four tables, as has St Johns. And a Palmerston North player here for the tournament says the Palmerston North Cosmopolitan Club has dropped from eight snooker tables to two.
So yesterday, six players at St Johns were determined to keep their sport alive.
Yesterday ended up an entirely happy outing for the defending champion who walked away with the silver medal 40-50 age group.