The curtain was brought down on the 2023/24 snooker season on Sunday with the final two tour cards on the main professional tour handed out at the Asia & Oceania Q School in Bangkok.
Haris Tahir of Pakistan completed a 4-2 win over China’s Lan Yuhao by winning the final three frames, while Kreishh Gurbaxani of India hit back from 2-0 behind to complete a 4-2 win over Muhammad Naseem at the BSAT Academy.
Mitchell Mann secured a 4-2 win over Joshua Thomond on Saturday, the final day of the European Q School at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester, to end his one-year absence from the main circuit boosted by breaks of 65, 76 and 51.
He was joined by Pakistan’s Farakh Ajaib, Poland’s Antoni Kowalski and Chris Totten of Scotland in securing their spots on the main tour for the next two seasons.
Totten enjoyed a 4-2 win over Lewis Ullah, Kowalski completed a 4-1 win over Simon Blackwell, with Ajaib running out a 4-1 winner against talented 18-year-old Ukraine player Iulian Boiko.
“It is absolutely amazing. If I rewind the clock to 12 months ago, I’d quit the game and got a job,” said Birmingham potter Mann, who reached the last four of the Paul Hunter Classic in 2017, but opted to quit snooker last year after losing his tour card.
“I fell out of love with it and didn’t want to play. Getting a job changed my mind. I realised how good you have it playing on tour. It has all worked out nicely.”
The new 2024/25 season begins later this month with the ranking version of the Championship League getting underway in Leicester on Monday, June 10 and running until Wednesday, July 3.
Q School Qualifying event one
- Allan Taylor (Eng)
- Haydon Pinhey (Eng)
- Wang Yuchen (HK)
- Artemijs Zizins (Lat)
Q School Qualifying event two
- Farakh Ajaib (Pak)
- Antoni Kowalski (Pol)
- Mitchell Mann (Eng)
- Chris Totten (Sco)
Asia & Oceania Qualifying event one
- Sunny Akani (Tha)
- Lim Kok Leong (Mal)
Asia & Oceania Qualifying event two
- Haris Tahir (Pak)
- Kreishh Gurbaxani (Ind)