'Tommy the Tornado' aiming for world snooker glory
Tommy, nine, says he hopes to one day beat snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan.
Tommy the Tornado, who is nine, is set to compete in Ireland and the Netherlands [BBC] A nine-year-old boy has set his sights on becoming a world snooker champion. Tommy, who has the nickname Tommy the Tornado, first picked up a cue aged six and fell in love with the sport. He went on to play competitively against teenagers and alongside adult professionals.
"I'm going to be the world number one," the Stourbridge youngster told the BBC. Tommy, who has autism and ADHD, competed in the World Snooker Federation (WSF) Junior Championships in Bulgaria in January and in Morocco last year. He is believed to be one of the youngest to have taken part.
Tommy's dad James says his son's passion for snooker started at the age of six [BBC] "My mum took him to a snooker club when he was six years old, and he spent a whole hour putting the ball into the bottom bag from the top on a 12ft (3. 7m) x 6ft (1. 8m) table," his dad James said.
"That's how we found out that he had something and he enjoyed it, so he kept going. "He's an amazing child. Everything he does, he's dedicated to this.