BLACKBURN hotshot James Brookens is looking forward to his first crack at the World Eight Ball Pool Championships.

The 37-year-old got through the qualifying tournament for the first time in April when he won six matches in two days in Great Yarmouth.

Brooken’s will face Northern Ireland’s Andrew Maguire in the first round of the World Championships which get under way at the Imperial Hotel, in Blackpool today.

He said: “I’ve tried to qualify quite a few times but I’ve never made it before. I usually go through the local qualifiers where you get one person from 16 qualifying, but this year we were in Great Yarmouth for a team event so I entered down there.

“It was much tougher to qualify though, there were 500 people entering and only four places to qualify, but I managed to win six matches and get through to the worlds.”

Brookens holds the record for the most individual title wins in the Blackburn and District Monday Pool League.

He has previously appeared in World Masters events but this is his first time at the world championships, which will conclude on Wednesday July 3.

Brookens will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Lynette Horsbrough, who won the ladies 2008 world title and represented the Black Bull in the Blackburn and Darwen League.

“I will be meeting up with Lynette before the tournament,” said Brookens. “I’ll be getting a bit of advice and getting some practice in with her which will be a good experience.

“Before the tournament starts I will be on the practice tables looking to get ready.

“It is going to be a great experience and I am really looking forward to playing in the world championships.

“I’ll be going in with the football cliché of one game at a time, I don’t want to get too far ahead so at the moment I’m looking no further than the first round.”

Brookens has secured sponsorship for the event for his waistcoat and will be displaying the logo of Oswaldtwistle-based drinks firm JPK Drinks.