By Elliott West
Introduction
Mention the name Quinten Hann and you often get a raised eyebrow or a feeling that you have said the wrong thing. Hann, an Australian player, who fell from grace faster than a lead balloon and resigned from the WPBSA in 2006 over allegations of match-fixing, was actually a very talented player but was tempted by the darker side of the sport. A great shame because it clouded over his impressive career that included the 1999 WEPF World Eight-ball title and 1994 World Under-21 champion, left him being remembered for his fatal error.
Career
Born in 1977 in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, an only child came from a fractured household after his parents split up and his father disappeared. Hann first became interested in snooker when his mother bought him a snooker table for him to practice on, aged nine. This love for cue sports grew when a friend introduced him to pool, aged ten. Quinten then started playing pool at weekends in public houses, much to the annoyance of his mother. Brought to breaking point, his mother asked a local snooker coach to teach her son the game.
So the snooker journey began with the Australian becoming the youngest ever qualifier for the 1989 Australian Masters, aged only 12. A fantastic achievement and one that helped him reach the last 16, losing to the under-21 national champion, Steve Mifsud. Encouraged by his efforts and despite a subsequent motorcycle accident, Quinten went on to win the Victoria Under-12 championship. A feat that happened in spite of breaking his left wrist and having it in plaster.
This inspired child was quickly nurtured by his mother and she made a maternal decision to fully support her son, taking the brave decision to sell the car and family possessions to finance a move to the United Kingdom so her son could fully pursue his career in sport. She also wrote to Barry Hearn and he offered his services.
The prodigal son carried on his quest for his big time and at the age of 13 scored his first-century break of 103 in his match against Melbourne Senior Champion, Gary Cullen. He later produced a break of 100 at the 1991 World Masters under-16 tournament. This break made him the youngest player to compile a televised century break. He then reached the final of the Australian Amateur Championship at age 14 and subsequently took part in the IBSF World Snooker Championship.
However, a scandal was to follow as in 1991, Hann was given a suspended ban by the Australian Billiards and Snooker Council, not being allowed to play in any domestic or overseas events for spitting at a competitor’s mother. Additionally, he had sworn at a referee when he felt the official made a decision favouring his opponent. Hann’s family appealed the ban in the Australian High Court and the decision was reduced to a one-year suspension. Not phased by the judgment, Quinten went to win the 1994 IBSF World Under-21 Championship, beating David Gray, 11-10.
Turning professional in 1995, Hann quickly climbed the rankings, reaching 237 by taking part in satellite tournaments. It was at this time that he came across the prolific character, Brandon Parker. He saw his potential and agreed to manage him. The Australian could now take part in tournaments abroad, competing in the 1996 World Cup, representing Australia, and in the 1997 Thailand Open.
His promising form continued, compiling a 143 break in the Grand Prix and he became the first player since Eddie Charlton to qualify for the 1998 World Championship. He also won the Lindrum Masters in Newcastle, New South Wales, and the WEPF World 8-Ball Pool Championship in the 1999-2000 season. By winning this pool championship, he became the first player born outside the UK and Ireland to win the title.
Good form followed in snooker with Quinten chipping away in tournaments. A high ranking of 14 in 2002 was the highlight of his career and Hann went to fine-tune his game when he moved to Ealing and practiced regularly in the Ealing Snooker Club. However, a twist was going to unfold in his success, and in 2005, ranked now 18th in the world, an earlier sex attack on a South African woman in a London hotel in 2001 ended in court with an acquittal. Thinking this was the end of his troubles, Hann gasped a sigh of relief but another darker storm was about to ensue.
In 2005, the Sun newspaper alleged that Quinten agreed to lose a match against Ken Doherty at the China Open. A match fix that reportedly earned him £50,000. This story was initially held back so that it wouldn’t prejudice his sex allegation trial with footage and transcripts of the transaction between an undercover Sun journalist and the Australian were sent to the WPBSA to view as evidence. At the time, Hann was about to enter the 2005 Grand Prix but suddenly withdrew, citing medical grounds and submitting a medical certificate. He received a £3,000 fine from the WPSA. He also later failed to show up for the UK Championship, giving no specific reasons.
A hearing on his conduct occurred in February, 2006 with Quinten failing to attend. In his absence, the hearing went ahead. They found that although the Sun newspaper didn’t go through with the monetary transaction, Hann still accepted the bribe and so fell foul of rule 2.8 in the snooker rule book which states :
“a member shall not directly or indirectly solicit, attempt to solicit or accept any payment or any form of remuneration of benefit in exchange for influencing the outcome of any game of snooker or billiards.”
Snooker rule book
Hann subsequently resigned as a member from the WPBSA, saying later in a press interview :
“I was just the perfect scapegoat for them. I was a foreigner, I’d pretty much given up snooker and so I was fair game for them.”
Quinten Hann
Summary
Quinten Hann was definitely a great player but his character left him open to temptation. Like Stephen Lee and others, he accepted the carrot and so brought the game of snooker into disrepute. This moment of madness cost him his career and had he ignored the offer, he may have joined the ranks of Neil Robertson and Eddie Charlton before him, for being one of a breed of successful, Australian players. His mistakes tarnished and discredited his name and reputation, leaving a temporary stain on the sport.
The player who once had a boxing bout with Mark King in 2004, dubbed ‘Pot Whack’ at York Hall in Bethnal Green after a spat in a match at the World Championship with Andy Hicks. Hicks refused to fight him and King stepped in. Hann had called Hicks “short and bald”, a grudge that dated back to their junior days. Quinten won the fight. Development programmes of the Dagenham and Monteagle Boxing Clubs benefited from the fight, which was sponsored by the EA Sports game Fight Night 2004. A fight that came with a £10,000 monetary prize.
Hann now lives in Belgrave in the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria. He can often be spotted outside a local burger bar near a pool hall at Ferntree Gully on his motorcycle. He no longer plays snooker or pool, having switched his hand to the property market. He is reported to have turned over a new leaf. A changed man who is now married and has a child.
