Nuk Songkhla Wins Hua Hin Cup Snooker Championship
Top-ranked player Krit Lertsat "Nuk Songkhla" won the Hua Hin Cup snooker championship on August 1, defeating former national team player Santhiphap Iimboonsu 4-1 in the final at Hua Hin Grand Plaza Hotel in Prachuap Khiri Khan province.
The Thailand Ranking snooker competition Round 5, "Hua Hin Cup," was held on August 1 at Hua Hin Grand Plaza Hotel in Prachuap Khiri Khan province. The final was officiated by Deputy Governor Prathip Briboonratana, Thai Billiards Association President Sunthorn Jarumant, and hotel manager Dr. Rungroach Seeluangsawat, who presented the championship trophy and prize money.
Top-ranked Thai player Krit Lertsat "Nuk Songkhla," who captured the fourth tournament title on June 20 in Phang Nga, faced Santhiphap Iimboonsu "Gig Phitsanulok," a former Thai national team snooker player competing in his first final. The match used a best-of-seven frame format. In the semifinal, Krit defeated Thepchaya Unchoo 4-1, while Santhiphap beat Nairongdet Takhuntong 4-2.
In the first frame, Nuk Songkhla broke smoothly and dominated almost the entire frame, winning 70-0. Gig Phitsanulok rebounded in frame two with a perfect break and single-shot victory of 126-0. The third frame saw both players play more cautiously, with Nuk Songkhla edging out a tight win 66-54 to lead 2-1. In frame four, Nuk Songkhla increased his intensity and won decisively 83-0, leading 3-1. In frame five, Gig Phitsanulok broke well with good ball spread but missed the black ball, allowing Nuk Songkhla to finish cleanly with 68-14.
Krit Lertsat "Nuk Songkhla" claimed victory 4-1 (70-0, 0-126, 66-54, 83-0, 68-14), securing his second consecutive championship title and 200,000 baht in prize money. Runner-up Santhiphap Iimboonsu received 80,000 baht. The highest break of the tournament went to "Tum Maownam" Ekarat Thananan with 144 points, earning 20,000 baht.
The next tournament, "Buriram Cup," will take place August 10-15 in Buriram province. Thai Billiards Association President Sunthorn Jarumant congratulated Nuk Songkhla on his back-to-back wins and praised Gig Phitsanulok for his rapid skill development, expressing confidence that the Buriram tournament will be equally compelling and help identify future national team prospects.
Nuk Songkhla acknowledged the difficulty of winning, stating he had to double his concentration and precision, as Gig Phitsanulok is an accurate and highly experienced player. For the next tournament in Buriram, Nuk Songkhla aims to secure a triple crown before representing the Thai national team at the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Saudi Arabia later this year.
