Jadin Nobin (22) of Preston, Park Rynie, is an insurance broker by day and pro pool player by night. The youngster has managed to balance both work and pleasure and has been succeeding in both fields so far.
“It does get hard from time to time, because work can be hectic and then I still have to make time and save energy to practice pool for upcoming tournaments,” he said.
Jadin was introduced to pool at a very young age. He was given a pool table at the age of two by his father and has been ‘obsessed’ with the game ever since.
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Even though he’s been playing the game most of his life as just something to keep him busy, he began taking it more seriously in 2013, when he entered his first national pool tournament, which took place in Worcester. This was the first time Jadin had experienced what it was like to play professionally and even though he didn’t do as well as he would’ve liked, he wanted to expose himself to more situations like this and improve his skills.
“After witnessing how good some people actually are at this sport in this country, I wanted to test myself and see where I would fit in should I start training on their level. So I decided to give it a shot and I’ve been practicing and taking part to the best of my ability ever since,” he explained.
Training-wise, Jadin usually dedicates four hours of his day after work. He practices whenever and wherever there is a pool table available. One of the biggest achievements in his pool career so far was when he earned himself first position in the KwaZulu-Natal U23 division for Pool South Africa.
“This win was different from others because it was more widely recognised,” he said.
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Since then, Jadin has taken part in several competitions over the years, grabbing trophies, receiving prizes and some cash prizes along the way, too.
One of his most recent contests was a R10 000 tournament at Aces and Eights Chill Zone in Chatsworth, which he won.
“There were 32 entries and we started at 1pm on the Sunday and finished at 4am the next day. It was a best of 17 frames right till the final and I was 8-5 down in the finals, my opponent only needing one frame to win the tournament and I won 4 consecutive frames to win the tournament with 9-8,” Jadin said.
He explained that he’s made it this far in his pool career all through hard work and commitment.
“In order to progress in life or better yourself, you need to accept failure, persevere and show dedication in all that you do,” he said.
He also gives special thanks to Castello Naidoo and Dale O’Reilly (chairman of the Sapphire Coast Pool Federation) for guiding him and showing him the true spirit of the game, as well as to Liverna Naicker for always believing in him and being there through all the victories and defeats.
Jadin hopes to one day be recognised for his pool talent on a wider basis and not just in local towns. He is also hopes one day to get sponsors to help him in the process and help him throughout this ‘pooling journey’.
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