Q-Tip Magazine's Pool Hall of Fame (2)

Through the annals of time the green baize of the pool table has acted as a battle ground as warriors young and old have locked both cues and wits in combat. We at Q-Tip magazine, pool's number one periodical, are proud to announce that we are inaugurating the official Pool Hall of Fame, which will see those great warriors remembered and honoured for their achievements.

These inductees will be selected on a number of criteria, ranging from their on-table success, to their impact on the sport, and taking into account each aspect of what makes a great pool player.A new inductee will be announced every few weeks, along with a brief biography of their career, and an abridged version of the induction.

The second inductee into the Pool Hall of Fame played an integral role in the worldwide growth of the industry. He made his reputation as one of pool's nice guys, both on and off the table, and through his endless charity work he continues to use his gift for the benefit of others. For bringing a new sense of style and grace to the common room, and for his huge impact on both the doubles and singles scenes, this man truly deserves to take his place in the Q-Tip Magazine Pool Hall of Fame.

The second inductee into the Q-Tip Magazine Hall of Fame is the Big Ukrainian Potter, Andrej Kaminskyj.

Life was hard for the young Andrej Kaminskyj, toiling under the harsh regime of Communist Russian. But unlike so many of his countrymen who have ended up dead, or close to it, Kaminskyj had a gift that would see him leave the poverty of the Soviet Union behind, and start a fresh life in England. It all started when he sent a promo video of himself to Nick Billinge, a video that he filmed on a camera he managed to buy for a loaf of bread. Billinge was uneasy about bringing over an untried youngster from another country, but there was something about Kaminskyj's table manner that he liked.

Once in England, Kaminskyj set about proving to his new boss that he was capable of being a top star, and was a stand-out in the pool training facility, The Corner Pocket. After only a few weeks of training, and coming to terms with the English lifestyle, Billinge decided to give Kaminskyj his big break on television. On the August 7th 1998 edition of Saturday Night That Bag, Kaminskyj debuted as The Big Ukrainian Potter. The fans were at first unsure of what to make of this newcomer, who spoke very little English, but when they saw his potting ability, they soon took to him.

While Kaminskyj's potting ability was impressive, his lack of killer instinct and charisma made it difficult for him to reach the top, and made it hard for Billinge to find a suitable role for him. He had an entertaining run as Jagjit Dusanjh's partner in The Foreign Fanatics, but when Dusanjh joined up with his relatives in The Family, Kaminskyj was back on his own. Things took a turn for the better when he won the rumble match at the second Thy Royale Rumble pay-per-view, last eliminating Darren Hibbert, but he never seized on the opportunities the win created. He finally decided to call it quits on his career when Billinge pitched the idea of playing a Communist character, and being the head of a new faction, The Communist League of International Terrorists. As the supposed founder of CLIT, Kaminskyj filmed a number of vignettes, but he was opposed to the angle from the beginning and informed Billinge that he wanted a release from his contract. The request was granted.

Andrej Kaminskyj inducted into the Hall of Fame by Jagjit Dusanjh.

JD: It was a surprise and an honour to be asked to induct this man into the Hall of Fame. Some people get recognised for talent. Drive. Determination. Will to succeed. This man loved the game. He loved the fans. He gave so much to the world of pool, and took so very little. He wasn't a guy who was going to make it to the top, no matter who he stepped on. He was a guy who made it by being respected by his peers, and by just simply playing good pool. People say he squandered his talent, but you measure a man not by what he achieves, but by what he gives to others. I think back to the time when we were partners, and I wonder how far we could have gone if he'd have just cared more about winning, just had a little bit of fire inside of him. In many ways I'll never forgive him. But nevertheless, I'm proud to introduce to you, the newest inductee into the pool Hall of Fame, Andrej Kaminskyj.

AK: Thank you, Jagjit. Thank you, Q-Tip magazine. This is truly an honour. Excuse my tears of joy, I beg you. What can I say? I look back on my career with so many fond memories. Nicky Billinge, God bless you. Thank you. You took a chance on a kid from the Ukraine. I tried my best for you, always. People say I never tried to win, but I've been a fighter all my life and I've seen things that make you realise winning a pool match isn't that important. But I tried my best, Nicky. To all my great opponents, I thank you for the memories. And the fans especially, I thank you. I came to this country with nothing more than the clothes on my back, and a pool cue, and because of the way you took me into your heart, I now boast an ample wardrobe, and three pool cues. You welcomed me as one of your own and I only hope I didn't let you down. God bless you all.

What the stars say:

Darren Hibbert: He brought things to this game that people hadn't seen before. He was just one of the most amazing potters you'll ever see. But his real legacy lies in how willing he was to give, to impart his knowledge. We're in an industry where people are afraid to help the other guys, in case they became better than them. But with Andrej, maybe it was because he knew that Adam and I were already better than him, but he was always happy to give us advice.

Adam Russell: Two words; Black Magic.

Alan Gillingham: It was such a pleasure to commentate on his matches, because he was always capable of pulling out a new shot that you've never seen before.

Nick Billinge: I always look at Andrej as a missed opportunity. He had the natural ability to be a multi-time world champion, and to have great rivalries with the likes of Appleby and Apno, but it just never quite worked out. I wish he'd have given the CLIT thing a chance to be honest, because I think that could have really been a good storyline. But I suppose if he wasn't feeling CLIT, there's nothing you can do about it.

Konrad Nowacki: I'm very grateful to him. I was going to be a part of CLIT, but thanks to him retiring they held my debut back a couple of months and I never looked back. I was pissed off at the time though.

Andrej Kaminskyj: CLIT was a low point. But it was probably the only one. I had a great time teaming up with Jagger. It was perfect because he was such a character, yet lacking in talent, whereas I had the talent, but lacked charisma. I enjoyed the rumble match, and the subsequent matches against Darren (Hibbert). I think we put on some great matches. I'm very proud. And of course, I still like to make an appearance now and then. But I'm happy with my charity work. Now my biggest adversary is global warming, and the only thing I'm trying to pot is cancer.

There will be a new inductee shortly.