The 1980 World Amateur Snooker Championship was the ninth edition of the tournament also known as the

IBSF World Snooker Championship The IBSF World Snooker Championship (also known as the World Amateur Snooker Championship) is the premier non-professional snooker tournament in the world. The event series is sanctioned by the International Billiards and Snooker Federation. A nu ...

. The 1980 tournament was played in

Launceston, Tasmania Launceston () or () is a city in the north of Tasmania, Australia, at the confluence of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River (kanamaluka). As of 2021, Launceston has a population of 87,645. Material was copie ...

from 26 October to 9 November 1980.

Jimmy White James Warren White (born 2 May 1962) is an English professional snooker player who has won three seniors World titles. Nicknamed "The Whirlwind" because of his fluid, attacking style of play, White is the 1980 World Amateur Champion, 2009 ...

defeated Ron Atkins 11–2 in the final to win the title.

Tournament summary

The first World Amateur Snooker Championship was held in

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Co ...

, and, after the second event in

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo ...

, had been played every two years since. The 1980 tournament was held at the Albert Hall in

from 26 October to 9 November 1980, with 28 participants playing in four seven-player round-robin groups followed by a knockout to determine the champion.

Cliff Wilson Clifford Wilson (10 May 193421 May 1994) was a Welsh professional snooker player who reached the highest ranking of 16, in 1988-89. He was the 1978 World Amateur Champion and won the 1991 World Seniors Championship. He was a successful junior ...

, the 1978 champion, had turned professional in 1979.

, aged 17, was the top

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

in the event, and reached the final where he played Ron Atkins. Atkins, president of the Tasmanian snooker association, and a resident of Launceston, had entered the competition as late replacement, filling a place vacated by Chris Cooper from the Isle of Man. White led 9–1 after the first session and won the match 11–2, becoming the youngest player to win the World Amateur Championship. His application to turn professional after the tournament had previously been accepted by the

World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) is the governing body of professional snooker and English billiards based in Bristol, England. It owns and publishes the official rules of the two sports and engages in promotion ...

. Eugene Hughes compiled a record World Amateur championship of 127 against Arvind Savur in the group stage, which remained the highest break of the 1980 tournament.

Qualifying groups

The final tables are shown below. Players in bold qualified for the next round. The top eight seedings are shown in parentheses. Group A Group B Group C Group D

Knockout

Players in bold denote match winners.

Final

Scores in bold indicate winning scores.

Notes

References

{{reflist Snooker amateur tournaments International sports competitions hosted by Australia 1980 in snooker Sport in Launceston, Tasmania