At 16, Dakarai Turnquest continues to make inroads in the game of pool never achieved before in The Bahamas, or among Bahamians.

The young pool shark from Deadman's Cay, Long Island, won the nine-ball singles at the 2023 West Coast Challenge Florida Pool Tournament in Orlando, Florida, over the weekend, and was third in eight-ball singles, solidifying himself as a threat to top pool shooters locally, from around the region and indeed from around the world.

Turnquest becomes the latest Bahamian to win the nine-ball singles at the West Coast Challenge Florida Pool Tournament, and at just 16, is the youngest person to ever do so. The tournament sanctioned by the Valley National Eight-Ball Association (VNEA), and Turnquest has qualified for the VNEA Junior World Championships and the VNEA Senior World Championships, both later this summer.

"I'm ecstatic," said Turnquest in an interview from Orlando on Sunday. "First and foremost, I just want to say thanks to all my family and friends who have been supporting me from day one - my mom and dad and my siblings, and all of my extended family. Thanks to all of my friends from NGM Major High in Long Island and also a special thanks to Ellis and Ingrid Major from Long Island. They own a pool club in Long Island and none of this could be possible without them. They sponsor me to come to these tournaments and I cannot thank them enough."

Ellis and Ingrid Major are the proprietors of the Lloyd's Sporting Lounge and Entertainment Center in Deans, Long Island, and are avid supporters and contributors of the game of pool on that island, and in The Bahamas. Young Turnquest doesn't own a pool table at home and he said it's a tough task balancing his school work and practicing for major tournaments. He usually frequents Lloyd's Sporting Lounge about once per week to work on his game.

"It takes a lot of determination, focus and hard work to play pool at a very high level, and there are a lot of people who are very supportive of me and I must thank them for that," said Turnquest. "The game of pool is very common in The Bahamas, but at the same time, we as pool shooters don't get the recognition from the government that we need to advance even more in the sport. Coming from a small nation like The Bahamas, if we come to tournaments like the West Coast Challenge and do as well as we are doing, we should be able to get the recognition and financial support that other people who represent The Bahamas in sports, and other cultural aspects, get."

The five-day pool tournament, featuring some of the best pool shooters in the United States, particularly in the state of Florida, wrapped up on Sunday at the Wyndham Orlando Resort in Orlando. This is Turnquest's third time participating at the West Coast Challenge Tournament. In 2021, he competed in the 'B' division and came 13th. In 2022, Turnquest competed in the 'A' division and came fourth.

He has also played in the US Open Pool Championships, the world junior championships and the BCA (Billiard Congress of America) Pool League World Championships.

Turnquest won seven matches on Friday to get to the final, including beating Angel Martinez, 5-1, Mike Bottoms, 5-3, and Connor McFadyen, 5-4. On Saturday, Turnquest played in the final and defeated Jason Richko, 5-3.

There were other Bahamians who took part in the tournament as well. Brian Gibson, also from Long Island, finished second in the eight-ball singles. That division was won by McFadyen who appears to be a new rival for the young Bahamian.

"There is always rivalries in sports, and way I look at it, it helps the players to sharpen their iron. Players in rivalries always push each other to get better, and I always try to take in as much experience as I could get from playing some of the top pool shooters," said Turnquest.

Apart from Turnquest and Gibson, there were other Bahamians who took part in the tournament. Eugene Wallace was fifth in the eight-ball singles, Dario Woodside came sixth in the eight-ball singles, and the team of Turnquest, Gibson, Woodside, Harrison Knowles and Alex Burnside, known as the Lloyd's Sharp Shooters, finished third in the eight-ball team competition.

Turnquest said he emulates his game after former world champion Shane Van Boening of the United States. He was able to meet Van Boening at the SVB (Shane Van Boening) Junior Open segment of the US Open Pool Championships last year. Turnquest advanced to the quarterfinals of that tournament and later finished fourth at the 32nd Annual VNEA World Junior Championships in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Turnquest said he hopes to play in more international tournaments in the not too distant future, constantly looking to improve and reach the pinnacle in the game of billiards in the world. He is the youngest pool master in the country and is regarded as one of the top pool shooters in the country.

Turnquest said he is passionate about the sport and looks to continue to excel.

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