Billiards tournament in Tibet turns heads

"I think in the future, we would like to organize more games like this to make Lhasa a more interesting place, especially for the younger generation."

He Zhiwei, president of the Tibet Billiards Association, said the region has 400 billiards clubs. Lhasa has more than 100, and some 5,000 people are engaged in the business, he said.

"People of the region are very enthusiastic about billiards. We will cherish it as an opportunity," he said. "The regional government and the sports bureau also stress the development of the sport."

He added that more tournaments can be expected in the future.

Zhao Shiji, champion of the elite team, said he was pleased to win and thanked the organizers for providing such a good opportunity for communication and learning.

"I started playing billiards in college," he said. "I like Ronnie'O Sullivan, and Ding Junhui."