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Former pro Harvey Chandler has spent most of the past four years in Morocco helping snooker's popularity to grow in the region, but is now back in the UK with ambitions of returning to the tour via Q School.
Chandler played on the pro tour for two seasons from 2018-2020, notably reaching the last 16 of the Paul Hunter Classic and the last 32 of three other ranking events. Since then, he has focussed on a very different role in North Africa.
"I first went to Morocco in 2019 for an exhibition and really enjoyed it there," explains 30-year-old Chandler, originally from Northamptonshire. "When I dropped off the tour I had an opportunity to go back, and ended up staying for six or seven months. Since then I have spent a lot of time there. I started doing some coaching and playing more exhibitions in clubs in different cities. I was amazed by how popular snooker is in Morocco, people love it. In the clubs there are crowds of people just waiting to get a chance on a table. So I want to help the game grow there because there is so much potential. I would love to see a big tournament there one day.
"I have mainly been in Casablanca, at a place called the Crucible Academy, and in Marrakech at a new place called the Black Spot Academy - I think those are the best two snooker facilities in Africa, they are fantastic. The people in Morocco are amazing, they look after you as if you are part of their family."
For now, Chandler is back in the UK and is based at Barratts in Northampton where he practises with the likes of Kyren Wilson, Rory McLeod, Jamie O'Neill and Martin O'Donnell.
At the EBSA European Championship in Turkey in March, Chandler was just a frame away from regaining a tour card, as he reached the semi-finals before losing 4-3 to 14-year-old Polish wonderkid Michał Szubarczyk. He recalls: "I had actually practised with Michal a few weeks before and I expected to beat him. I had a terrible attitude in that match because I thought I couldn't lose, so that was a lesson learned for me. It would be great to get back on tour though there is no pressure on me at Q School."