Dene O’Kane Death:- A horrific accident at his Waiheke Island home killed New Zealand snooker legend Dene O’Kane. Snooker colleagues and friends said O’Kane, who won New Zealanders’ hearts 30 years ago with his World Snooker Championships heroics, fell at home this week and died in hospital yesterday.
The 61-year-old gained famous after reaching the 1987 and 1992 World Snooker Championships quarterfinals. He retired as a pro with £415,000 ($864,910) after reaching number 18 in 1991/92 and staying in the top 32 until 1996.O’Kane became a real estate agent, but he also played snooker and cue sports as a senior and in exhibition tournaments abroad.
Premier cue club Massé chairman and secretary Bernie Endres said O’Kane’s death was terrible today. Endres and his flatmates and friends watched O’Kane reach the World Snooker Championships quarterfinals in 1987 on TV. The feat was duplicated five years later in 1992. In 2016, Endres and O’Kane played an exhibition event with Stephen Hendry, Dennis Taylor, and Steve Davis in the UK. “He was respected,” Endres said.
At the demonstration tournament on World Snooker Championships day, Endres described the supporters following O’Kane a “eye-opener”.Dennis Taylor praised Dene. Getting onto the pro circuit was hard for UK players, let alone someone from the bottom of the earth. Someone who left home at his age without money to survive and become a pro.”
Two years ago, O’Kane discussed his career with sportscaster Mark Watson.” It could have been better,” I say. But when you’re at the top, you take what you can get, and I had some great years on the pro tour.” As New Zealand champion and 17-year-old amateur, he headed to the UK.That was early 1981 in the middle of February, which is a stupid time to go because it’s cold, but I went to Heathrow. Two suitcases of snooker cues and 700 quid in my pocket.”
He went pro in 1984: “That was really the start of a serious career for me.” After watching Pot Black on Sunday mornings, Christchurch-born O’Kane was inspired. He used a table tennis table, broom handle, and ping pong balls to construct a snooker table at 12. After moving to Auckland with his family, he started playing on genuine tables in Birkenhead and Takapuna clubs after reading library books on the sport and top players.“I was young and dodged the police for years.”
The game captivated and delighted me. It was love-at-first-sight when I saw it.” John Spencer and Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins were his heroes. “Alex, a Northern Ireland renegade, won the world championship in 1972, making headlines. He was a highly skilled and speedy player, with a personality similar to George Best in football.
Across his career, O’Kane won 10 New Zealand titles, two Australian opens, two Oceania championships, and three World Masters Championships in 2004, 2005, and 2008.