Australian snooker great Eddie Charlton died in a New Zealand hospital on Monday after a short illness, his New Zealand managers said. He was 75.
Peter Heremaia, whose company Country Promotions organised Charlton’s exhibition tours of New Zealand, said Charlton was taken to Palmerston North Hospital on Sunday. He’d complained of stomach pain as early as Friday.
Charlton died at 12.10pm local time on Monday (11.30pm GMT on Sunday), hospital spokesperson Dennis Geddis said.
Heremaia said Charlton had arrived in New Zealand last week and was to make several exhibition appearances, mainly at provincial clubs and pubs, until December 23.
His condition deteriorated and he was forced to cancel several weekend appearances before being admitted to hospital at Palmerston North, on New Zealand’s North Island.
Heremaia said Charlton’s condition deteriorated on Sunday night and he was moved to the hospital’s intensive care unit. His death was apparently from a cardiac arrest, said Heremaia.
Manager Mary Heremaia said Charlton was apparently suffering from a tumor on the bile duct. He had complained of fluid retention and had been dieting to lose weight.
Two of Charlton’s five children were expected to arrive in New Zealand early on Tuesday morning. He is also survived by eight grandchildren.
Charlton, who was born in Mereweather, Australia on October 31, 1929, worked as a coal miner before becoming a professional snooker player in 1964 at the age of 34.
”Eddie was still actively playing the game he had loved for so long right to the end,” World Pool Association president Ian Anderson said in a statement.
”Eddie will be best known for his appearances in Pot Black, the most popular snooker show of all time.”
He won Pot Black three times, during which he established a break of 110 which was never bettered.
Charlton won the Australian professional snooker championship for the first time in 1964 and held the title for 20 of the next 21 years.
He was ranked third in the world between 1976 and 1982 and won the world match play championship in Melbourne, beating Ray Reardon, on the only occasion that title was contested.
He reached the final of the world snooker championship three times — in 1968, 1973 and 1975 — losing twice to Reardon. He reached the world championship semifinals on several more occasions, most recently in 1982.
He reached the final of the world billiards championship three times, losing twice to Rex Williams in 1974 and 1976 and to Mark Wildman in 1984. – Sapa-AP