POOL: Teenager Forgione celebrating as he pots European title

Northants pool player Enrico Forgione picks up the European Champion trophy from Vincent De Giorgio

The Danetre School pupil travelled to the European Eight-Ball Pool Championships last month, which was held in Malta, at the Dolmen Resort Hotel.

Forgione captained the England team at the championships, he has been skipper since last year, and he enjoyed a great tournament.

In the singles, Forgione won his quarter-final 6-5, beating room-mate and fellow Northants player Jamie Mantle, who comes from Kettering.

Irishman Shane Prior was swept aside in the semi-finals, with Forgione winning 6-2, and that set up an all-English final with Peterborough’s Luke Gilbert, who is the England team’s vice-captain.

It was an epic final that was in the balance throughout, before Forgione sealed a 7-6 victory.

As well as his success in the singles event, Forgione also won the player of the tournament award in the team event, and boasted the best statistics, winning 15 of 16 frames in the group stages.

Forgione, who practises at Slim Jim’s Club in Daventry, plays for the same club, and also represents his league, his county and the England A team.

The European title is his biggest honour to date but he also won the Home Nations Cup in Scotland in 2016, and it was following that success he was named England Junior captain - aged just 14.

Now he has conquered Europe, Forgione’s focus turns to ruling the world!

He will be hoping he can do that when he competes in the World Championships which will be held in Blackpool from June 20-29, 2018.