Malta’s professional player Tony Drago is guaranteed a top 48 place at the start of next season following another positive season, despite failing to make it to the finals of any ranking tournament.

The Valletta-born player is in Malta after his elimination from the world championship, but is expected to be in action in Bugibba, at the Dolmen Hotel, where he will be one of Malta’s team members in the EBSA European team championship starting next Saturday.

Drago, who started the season at 54, is presently ranked 46 although there are still the China Open and World Championship to be played. However, he cannot be overtaken, he claimed yesterday.

Addressing the press at the Grand Hotel Excelsior, where he is accommodated, Drago said this season was not as good as the previous one, but it was still good enough to enable him to enter the Top 48, just after two seasons when he had to start from scratch.

However, Drago admitted that he will have to be at his very best next season. “It will be a very difficult year and, to earn points, I will have to play well consistently. I have to be more cautious and produce some good defensive play if I am to maintain my top 48 ranking. Twenty five years ago, I was in the same position as the several top youngsters in action today. Then I used to go for a pot from every angle with a lot of success. The standards now are even higher as there are much more youngsters entering the game than when I did as a professional in 1985,” he said.

Drago still plays 9-ball pool as well, but said snooker will be the favourite game all his life. “I have been playing it since I was 10 years old, that is a whole 36 years, 26 of which as a professional. I only started playing pool 11 years ago,” he added.

Drago said players from Asia are now taking part with a certain amount of success. He added: “Near the end of last year we had two Asians – Junhui and Fu - contesting a final at Wembley for the first time. I predict that in the next 10 years or so, there will be at least 10 Chinese players making it to the Top 16 of world snooker.”

Asked about his participation in the forthcoming European championship in Malta for teams, Drago said he was looking forward to take part. “It is not just meeting old and new faces, but it will also be an experience for me to see the improving levels of amateur snooker, though there will be a few other professionals taking part,” he said.

Drago thanked the general manager of the Grand Hotel Excelsior, Norbert Grixti, for his hospitality, adding that before the end of the year, he will be doing everything within his possibilities for a top class invitation tournament to be staged at the hotel in Floriana. “It will be a high-level tournament between me and three top world players or a 2-3 day exhibition between me and a former world champion.”

Drago also commented on the World Cup of Snooker to be held in Bangkok in July. He said Malta is not yet certain of its place among the 20 two-man teams taking part, but he felt sure (99.9 per cent) a Malta team will be there. If that happens, he will probably be accompanied by the Malta champion.

Drago also insisted that chances for the Malta Cup to be revived locally are remote, but added that it was still a possibility. “With Barry Hearn at the helm of World Snooker, it is difficult for such a tournament to be held here even if the players relish the chance to return to the island every year – they simply love Malta. However, Hearn is working hard to get the game back on its feet after some turbulent years and is not yet in a position to concede anything financially,” said Drago.