Fantastic Fan Zhengyi has claimed the 29th International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF) U-21 Amateur Championship in Beijing, China.
At only 16, Zhengyi becomes the sixth player from China in the history of the event to win the title. The first was won by the incredible Ding Junhui in 2002, now a member of the snooker's top 16. Ding won his first pro title in 2005 at the China Open.
Zhengyi will be heading towards the pro-circuit, should he accept a tour card. He beat his fellow compatriot Luo Honghao in his home country in a tense final-frame decider 7 - 6.
China churning out young winners
Last year it was Mol in Belgium which saw the tons Si claim the honour of the U-21 prize. The success is yet more glory for China this season as China's top duo Ding Junhui and Liang Wenbo took the World Cup, hosted in Ding's hometown of Wuxi, and claimed their second since 2011.
China B (pictured) spoilt the party for the top duo in 2015 when the teenagers Yan Bingtao and Zhou Yuelong lifted the title. The Chinese are showing that they have a selection of young players coming through still in significant numbers, as the sport continues to thrive in China and grow in popularity.
With over 1,500 snooker clubs in Shanghai and 1,200 in Beijing, as claimed by SportsProMedia, it is no wonder the Chinese are churning out winning champions like confetti.
Professional Bingtao is still only 17, and have is 19.
Thai dominance in women's U-21 Snooker
For the third successive year, Thailand has dominated the female U-21 category with Nucharat Wongharuthai beating a Chinese female Xia Yuying 5 - 3. It was Nucharat's second consecutive U-21 title and was her third final appearance in the female event.
The first U-21 was won by the Australian Jessica Woods in 2014.
The other Thai female to have won was Siripaporn Nuanthakhamjan in 2015. In the boy's event, there were 71 players, with Jackson Page leading the field for Wales. Zhengyi also recorded the high break of the tournament with a 135, and two other tons. His fellow compatriot Honghao, 17, recorded one more century than him and was chasing him in the long breaks field as he managed a 133.
Most of the centuries were made by Asian players, but European players from Germany and Wales also had tons in the event. Germany has seen its first player turn pro in Lukas Kleckers, who graduated from Q-School in May, and beat a top 16 player Neil Robertson, former 2010 World Champion in the Riga Masters, which was won by first time ranking event winner Ryan Day.
China has come so near yet so far to having the first Chinese player to win the World Professional Snooker Championships in Ding Junhui, who lost in the 2016 final to Mark Selby.
