Captain Ali Carter got off to a great start in Wroclaw in the Mixed Snooker at the World Games 2017 as he won his match 3 - 0 to reach the quarter-finals. Carter, 38, has joined several other global potters to take part in the 10th World Games in the billiards sports section since it began in 1981 in the United States.

The Games are for some sports a substitute for not being part of the main Olympic Games and snooker and billiard sports are not part of the Olympic schedule at present, but the WPBSA are working hard to try and sneak snooker into the Olympics.

The World Games sees professionals and amateurs compete in the event with mixed genders as well. The two-time World Champion female Ng On Yee from Hong Kong is also competing in Poland as is Belgium's Wendy Jans. There are 16 competitors competing in the Mixed snooker event with 2015 Shanghai Master Kyren Wilson also at the event. Other professionals include Xu Si from China and the Iran potter Soheil Vahedi. Watch Carter comment on his win in Wroclaw.

Currently, Russia stands tall in the table tally with 45 medals, 26 of which are Gold.

Italy is in second with a total of 32 - after a total of 118 out of 199 events.

Cue Sports Brief History at Games

Cue sports at the Games were first introduced into the schedule in 2001 in Akita and in subsequent Games, England managed to bag two Golds in 2005 and 2009 with Gerard Greene and 1996 British Open winner Nigel Bond scooping the top prize in the Men's snooker singles.

China's Ding Junhui and Liang Wenbo managed runners-up in the 2005 and 2013 editions of the event. Recently, those two Chinese dynamic duos scooped their second World Snooker Cup in Wuxi in recent weeks. Thailand's real snooker character Dechawat Poomjaeng managed a Bronze in the 2013 edition of the World Games.

Pool

In the women's singles pool, Karen Corr, a two-time World Championship winner, managed a Silver in the 2001 edition in Akita.

However, Gold went to Alison Fisher in 2009 and Kelly Fisher scooped a Bronze medal. Both Fisher's have also won 12 World Ladies Snooker titles between them. Kelly Fisher has won five and A Fisher two more with seven. Reanne Evans, of course, remains the Queen of the Ladies World Championships with a record 11 titles.

In Men's singles NIne ball pool, Darren Appleton scooped a Gold for England in the 2013 edition. India's Aditya Mehta won Gold in 2013. You can watch the Mixed Snooker event live on the WPBSA website. The billiard sports or "Precision" Sports category events run from the Wednesday 26th July to the Sunday the 30th July.

Finally, want to try snooker? Watch Anthony McGill teach you some shots and routines.
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