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BARRY HEARN is set to become the oldest person to appear in a professional pool tournament in the UK.

The British sports promoter, 76, has been given a wildcard to play at the UK Open Pool Championship, which takes place at the Telford International Centre between May 6-11.

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Barry Hearn will appear at the UK Open Pool Championship[/caption]

Hearn, who has vowed to practise daily in the build-up, will be involved in at least two games and his goal is to win one of them.

It follows his appearance at last summer’s US Open Pool Championship at Atlantic City where he won one rack in a 9-1 opening-round loss to Polish star Konrad Juszczyszyn – and this cost son Eddie a lot of money in a family bet.

His progress and performance should feature in the new Netflix documentary – ‘Matchroom: The Greatest Showmen’ – which has been following the Hearn family as they promote darts, snooker and boxing.

Given his company run the World Nineball Tour, it was not exactly hard to secure the spot but he told the haters: “I don’t really care – I’m entering.”

Speaking to SunSport, Hearn said: “The US Open was a dream achieved. But there was nothing planned afterwards until now.

“If I thought I was keen before that, I’m four times keener now. I have had the taste.

“I won one rack, which cost Eddie a fortune. He had to take me out for this lavish meal.

“The bet was ‘you won’t win a rack’. And he had to pay for the most expensive lunch you can ever arrange, which we did.

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“We went to a Smith & Wollensky restaurant. A private room. It will be on the Netflix documentary.

“Nineball has become an addiction with me. I thought the US Open was supposed to be a one-off and a bucket list item ticked off.

“It has caused chaos in my household but I have cleared out a room and my own table will arrive in the next few weeks. I will play every day.

“I have a clearer understanding of how difficult the game is, how enjoyable it is and I have the desire to be better.

“Now, I want to win a game. I’m the oldest person in the tournament.

“My struggle is the same for those 76-year-olds out there that dreamed of being at Wembley and scoring the winning goal – or hitting the winning runs at Lord’s.

“I’m 27 years older than Ronnie O’Sullivan and he’s contemplating retirement from snooker. I’m just starting this journey in the sport. I have no excuses for not getting better.

“I think I have earned my wildcard. I don’t care what people think. I have paid my dues. I’m not thinking I’m a risk to the eventual winner.

“There should be no boundaries in sport. Ability is the only criteria. I am not good enough to win it but I might do better than at the US Open and that is my goal.”

talkSPORT presenter Andy Goldstein is the other celebrity to be involved in the 256-player field, which features the top-128 professional players.

Troy Deeney, the former Watford striker, was due to play in the 2024 UK Open but pulled out with an injury suffered during boxing training.

Goldstein said: “My practice begins this week, and this year, my goal isn’t just to win a match.

“I’m determined to break into the world rankings and secure my status as an official professional pool player.”

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Troy Deeney pulled out of the tournament last year[/caption]

THE dad of the captive Bibas brothers is still desperately “clinging to hope” his young sons and wife will soon be released by their Hamas captors.

Ex-hostage Yarden Bibas, 34, was finally freed earlier this month after 484 days inside Gaza’s terror tunnels but fears are continuing to grow each day over the health of his family.

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Yarden is the only member of the Bibas family to be freed so far with baby Kfir, two, Ariel, five and Yarden’s wife, Shiri all still believed to be captives[/caption]

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The moment Yarden, 34, was finally freed earlier this month after 484 days inside Gaza’s terror tunnels[/caption]

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Fears are growing over the health of the Bibas brothers and their mum[/caption]

Baby Kfir, two, Ariel, five and Yarden’s wife, Shiri were all kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz during Hamas’ October 7 bloodbath.

Kfir was only nine months old when he was barbarically forced to spend the majority of his life as a Hamas prisoner. 

The family were taken hostage together but the dad was quickly separated from his loved ones and put through 15 months of constant torment on his own.

Yarden was finally released during a fragile ceasefire agreement, which has faced serious issues ever since starting in January.

But the rest of the Bibas family are yet to be seen publicly since their kidnapping.

This has caused serious concerns over the trio’s well-being as the original terms of the ceasefire deal stated children and women would be released in the first phase.

Yarden’s sister Ofri, who has been by her brother’s side ever since his freedom on February 1, says the family still believe they will be completely reunited again soon.

Ofri told Channel 12 news: “He understands that there is fear – fear for their lives, but he knows that there is no certainty, and he holds onto the hope.

“And we’ve held onto [that hope] for 15 months and we continue to hold onto it, and continue to expect them and to wait for them here at home.”

She continued: “He needs the certainty. We all do. To close the circle.

“We are asking for that from a place where we are still clinging to hope. We’re not giving up hope for a second, especially now he’s here with us.

“But yes, we want them home.”

It comes as Ofri also revealed that Yarden was lied to by his Hamas captors after they said his family was safe in Tel Aviv.

He was then told at the end of November 2023 that all three had died in captivity – a claim Hamas also publicly announced.

In November, the terror group said Shiri and her sons had been killed in an Israeli airstrike.

Israel has not verified the claims of any of the Bibas family with millions across the globe still hoping for their freedom.

Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari previously said that the IDF is “very concerned and worried” about the condition of the Bibas children and their mother.

Ian Whittaker

Kfir is the youngest Hamas hostage after being kinapped at just nine months old[/caption]

Ian Whittaker

Ariel was also taken hostage alongside his brother and parents[/caption]

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The boys were last seen wrapped in their mum’s arms as the frightened family was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists on October 7[/caption]

In the days after Yarden’s release a family statement said “a quarter of our heart has returned to us” with the Bibas clan still being “incomplete”.

They added that despite the father’s safe return he has come back to an “unbearable reality” without his sons.

Yarden was finally discharged from Sheba Medical Center on Monday after completing all the necessary medical check ups.

It comes as freed Israeli captives have revealed they were chained, gagged and burned by Hamas thugs in a horrific campaign of abuse.

Innocent civilian captives are also reportedly being hung by their feet and starved while held in Gaza, according to the devastated mum of hostage Eliya Cohen.

Furious Donald Trump even said the latest releases “looked like Holocaust survivors”.

The US president said he was losing his patience with the hostage deal after seeing footage of Eli Sharabi, Or Levy and Ohad Ben Ami, who appeared gaunt upon their release.

So far, 16 of the 33 hostages to be released have come home, as well as five Thai hostages who were returned in an unscheduled release.

In exchange, Israel has released hundreds of prisoners and detainees, ranging from prisoners serving life sentences for deadly attacks to Palestinians detained during the war and held without charge.

But Hamas has accused Israel of dragging its feet on allowing aid into Gaza, one of the conditions of the first phase of the agreement, a charge Israel has rejected as untrue.

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Yarden reunited with his mum at the Sheba Hospital after his release[/caption]

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Ofri also revealed that Yarden was lied to by his Hamas captors after they said his family was safe in Tel Aviv[/caption]

ANGE POSTECOGLOU has a point — Tottenham’s injuries have hit them more than any Prem club.

And Spurs’ crisis is statistically 25 per cent worse than any top-flight side competing in Europe this season.

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Ange Postecoglou has had a lot of injuries to deal with this season[/caption]

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Tottenham have had more than any other side in the Premier League[/caption]

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Dominic Solanke was one player to be sidelined recently[/caption]

In total, they have had 213 absentees across their 39 fixtures, which is a whopping 44 more than the next most badly hit — North London rivals Arsenal.

Those numbers back up Aussie boss Postecoglou, who claimed after Sunday’s 2-1 FA Cup defeat at Aston Villa that critics are not factoring in the crippling effect of injuries when blaming him for  Spurs’  poor form.

Under-fire Postecoglou was without ELEVEN crocked first-team stars for the fourth-round tie at Villa Park.

Remarkably, that was the FIFTH game this season the absentee list due to injury or illness has hit double figures.

All of those have come since mid-January and largely ruled out crucial men, including keeper Guglielmo Vicario, defenders Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie, as well as forwards Brennan Johnson and Dominic Solanke.

Spurs have not had one game this term without a player missing through injury or illness but the crisis took hold in the last two months.

Since the December 12 Europa League tie at Rangers, Spurs have not had a single fixture without fewer than SIX players out.

They have plummeted to 14th in the Prem and are now out of both domestic cups, with the Villa defeat coming after last week’s Carabao Cup semi-final exit to Liverpool.

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Postecoglou snapped at Villa Park: “There’s got to be a better appreciation for what a very small group of players have been doing for the last 2½ months.”

And he claimed the criticism was “agenda-driven” to get him the sack.

Postecoglou said no other club has had to deal with the same amount of injuries  — and the stats support him.

Of English sides competing in Europe this term, Spurs have had 213 absentees through illness and injury.

In comparison, Arsenal have 169, Manchester City 158, Manchester United 157, Liverpool 100, Aston Villa 97 and Chelsea just 79.

It is not just the quantity of absentees but the individuals missing, too.

Back-up full-backs Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney account for 55 of the Arsenal total of 169 — more than 30 per cent. Yet first-choice centre-backs Van de Ven and Romero amount to 52 of Spurs’ 213.

Frustrated fans point to the fact that both Romero and Van de Ven started in league defeats to  Arsenal, Brighton, Chelsea and Crystal Palace.

While many also suspect Postecoglou’s intense training methods contribute to the high volume of muscle injuries, which also happened at his previous clubs.

But sessions are understood to have been extremely light over the last few months due to the relentless schedule.

The ex-Celtic boss said last week: “I know people look at our training, but I guarantee you we’ve hardly trained for the past four months.

“We’re looking at our processes but the wiser thing to do is stay calm, investigate it properly and make sure we make the right decisions.”

Crucially, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has factored in the injury crisis when analysing the alarming form.

There does appear to be light at the end of the tunnel with some players very close to a return.

Then the pressure will truly be on Postecoglou with no injury excuses, legitimate as they are, to fall back on.

After all, it was he who unnecessarily upped the ante by declaring in September he “always wins things” in his second year” in a job.

To do that he will have to go all the way in the Europa League, which represents Spurs’ last shot at salvation.

Arsenal are back in action away to Leicester on Saturday.

Rangers are battling to round up a large group of feral pigs thought to have been deliberately released in a national park.

Around 20 of the boar have been spotted in woodlands in Cairngorms National Park in Scotland recently.

A local farmers’ group said it was ‘extremely concerned’ the animals ‘could pose a significant disease risk to livestock, wildlife, and even humans’.

It warned they could spread diseases such as bovine tuberculosis, foot-and-mouth disease and leptospirosis.

‘Wild boar and feral pigs are not usually aggressive [but] they can be dangerous in certain situations.’

It comes weeks after four lynx were illegally released in the park last month, one of which died not long after they were recaptured.

The Cairngorms National Park Authority said it is ‘likely’ the pigs were also illegally released.

The animals ‘appear to be relatively domesticated’, the authority added.

Wild boar were once widespread in Scotland but became extinct in the 13th century due to overhunting and human destruction of their habitat.

In recent years their descendants have occassionally been spotted in the countryside after escaping or being deliberately released from captivity.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].

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A BURGLAR who once raided footie boss Jose Mourinho’s hotel suite is in jail again for two more high-value break-ins.

Jamie Filan, 44, stole £100,000 of jewellery from the ex-Chelsea, Man Utd and Tottenham manager’s wife, Matilde, in 2013.

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And on January 31 last year, he swiped earrings and a necklace worth £6,500 at a London hotel.

Days later he took watches worth £30,000 from the Chelsea-owned Stamford Bridge Hotel.

At Southwark crown court last week, Filan admitted two burglaries and was jailed for two years and five months.

Filan was jailed for two years and seven months for stealing from the then Real Madrid manager’s room at a Chelsea hotel.

It was one of a lengthy list of convictions read to Judge Martin Griffith, who told him: “I’ve never seen a list like this.

“It’s amazing.

“You have an appalling record, which is evident by the number of appearances you have made before court.

“You are not very good at this because you get caught every time.”

Jailing the crook for two years and five months, he added: “If I see you again, boy will I be mad”.

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A burglar who once raided footie boss Jose Mourinho’s hotel suite is in jail again for two more high-value break-ins[/caption]