Kai Claims 17’s & Under Title

Proudly sponsored by Alfreton SC

Today, the fifth instalment of the Under-17s competition took place at Alfreton SC. Sixteen young players competed, with the youngest being one of the newest members of Alfreton’s junior club. Six-year-old Harlow is, to my knowledge, the youngest player ever to compete in a CDSL competition.

Following the initial group stage, topped by Louis Oughton, Kai Hopkins, Jack Shawcroft and Alfie Sainsbury, the semi-finals got underway.

In the first semi-final, the youngest of the last four, 10-year-old Louis Oughton, faced previous winner Jack Shawcroft. Jack made a strong start by taking the opening frame, but Louis—who had been in fine form throughout the day—responded by pulling one back. A tense deciding frame followed, with Louis sinking the pink to secure his place in the final.

The second semi-final saw Kai Hopkins, 14, produce the dominant snooker he had shown all day, defeating Alfie Sainsbury 2–0. This victory earned Kai his third consecutive appearance in the final.

Despite having played for less than two years, Louis looked completely unfazed as he competed in his first final in front of a strong crowd. He produced several impressive pots to the delight of the spectators, but Kai proved too strong, running out a 2–0 winner to claim his first title at the third attempt.

Congratulations to Kai, and well done to all the players who took part.

Thanks also go to the competition sponsors, Alfreton SC, and all the referees and helpers on the day. A special mention to Alan Crownshaw for his continued efforts in developing the junior players—many of whom are now competing regularly in the league. Well done, and keep up the excellent work.

Class of 2026

Gallery

17's & Under Competition — 2026

Group A Standings

Player	P	W	L	Pts F	Pts A	Diff
Louis Oughton (+28)	2	2	0	114	-77	37
Rocco (0)	2	1	1	133	-119	14
Akil (+35)	2	0	2	64	-114	-50
Ronnie (+49)	0	0	0	0	0	0

Group A Matches

Match	Score	Opponent
Rocco	0–1	Louis (+28)
Akil	DNP	Ronnie (+14)
Rocco	DNP	Ronnie (+49)
Louis	1–0	Akil (+7)
Rocco	1–0	Akil (+35)
Louis	DNP	Ronnie (+21)

Group B Standings

Player	P	W	L	Pts F	Pts A	Diff
Kai Hopkins (+7)	3	3	0	225	-128	97
Tommy (+28)	3	2	1	173	-160	13
Teddy (+42)	3	1	2	137	-149	-12
Colin (+35)	3	0	3	82	-176	-94

Group B Matches

Match	Score	Opponent
Kai	1–0	Tommy (+21)
Colin	0–1	Teddy (+7)
Kai	1–0	Colin (+28)
Tommy	1–0	Teddy (+14)
Tommy	1–0	Colin (+7)
Kai	1–0	Teddy (+35)

Group C Standings

Player	P	W	L	Pts F	Pts A	Diff
Jack Shawcroft (+14)	3	2	1	159	-143	16
Homan (+28)	3	2	1	118	-58	12
Aiden (+35)	3	1	2	167	-141	26
Harlow (+49)	3	1	2	147	-122	25

Group C Matches

Match	Score	Opponent
Jack	0–1	Homan (+14)
Aiden	1–0	Harlow (+14)
Jack	1–0	Aiden (+21)
Homan	0–1	Harlow (+21)
Jack	1–0	Harlow (+35)
Homan	1–0	Aiden (+7)

Group D Standings

Player	P	W	L	Pts F	Pts A	Diff
Alfie Sainsbury (+28)	3	2	1	162	-74	88
Lias (+28)	3	2	1	138	-110	28
Riley (+21)	3	2	1	123	-109	14
Gideon (+42)	3	0	3	147	-161	-14

Group D Matches

Match	Score	Opponent
Riley	0–1	Alfie (+7)
Lias	1–0	Gideon (+14)
Riley	1–0	Gideon (+21)
Alfie	0–1	Lias
Alfie	1–0	Gideon (+14)
Riley	1–0	Lias (+7)

Semi Finals & Final

Stage	Result
Semi Final	Louis Oughton +14 def Jack Shawcroft (2–1)
Semi Final	Kai Hopkins def Alfie Sainsbury +21 (2–0)
Final	Kai Hopkins def Louis Oughton +21 (2–0)

Breaks 20+

Player	Breaks
Kai Hopkins	21, 20, 16
Louis Oughton	16
Riley	16
Tommy	16

Previous Winners

2025: Rocco Amalou

2024: Jack Johnson

2023: George Wright

2022: Jack Shawcroft