DARREN Morgan says clinching the IBSF World 6 Reds Championship for the second year in a row evoked emotions that he has rarely felt during his long and distinguished snooker career.

Newbridge potter Morgan, 51, defended his title with a 6-4 defeat of India’s Kamal Chawla in Hurghada, Egypt – he won nine matches in all on the way to lifting the trophy again.

“To win it last year at the age of 50 was brilliant,” he said. “But to defend my title at 51, I had to pinch myself.

“I actually got very emotional, which is unlike me, as I potted the last couple of balls because I knew then I was going to win.

“I never really get emotional, I just think it was down to the fact that you never know when you’re going to win your last world title, especially as you get older.

“I played as well as I can and it was terrific to win it for a second time and an eighth world title in all.

“Winning it last year was special so to go back and do it again was something else, and to do it in the same year that I also defended my European Open and Masters titles.

“It was a bit surreal. Everyone was patting me on the back and congratulating me on how well I played.”

A 100 per cent record in the group phase was followed by a last 64 whitewash of Libya’s Ala Wali.

Egypt’s Mohamed Ismail and Afghanistan’s Saleh Mohammadi were then seen off 4-1 and 4-2 respectively in the next two rounds.

Morgan made breaks of 74, 72 and 63 against Hong Kong’s Fung Kwok Wai in the quarter-finals but was still taken to a deciding frame before winning 5-4.

Lee Chun Wai, also of Hong Kong, was Morgan’s semi-final victim and 38-year-old Chawla fell to the Welshman in the final.

“It was 6-4 but I probably should have won 6-2,” added Morgan.

“I was 4-2 up and lost a bad frame, he then made it 4-4, but I played two great frames with breaks of 60 and 45.

“I was also in the masters team event with my brother Wayne and we reached the final but lost 5-3 to Thailand – Wayne had a really good tournament too.”

Hot on the heels of his Egyptian triumph, Morgan heads to India today to play for the Bengaluru Buddies in the inaugural Cue Slam competition.

He then travels to Thailand for the main snooker tour’s Six Red World Championship.

Meanwhile, Blackwood’s Andrew Pagett joins Morgan in the Cue Slam as he represents the Gujarat Kings.

Pagett was knocked out in the last 32 of the individual event in Egypt and, alongside Wales teammate Alex Taubman, reached the semi-finals of the men’s team tournament.

The duo, European champions in June, lost 4-0 to Pakistan in the last four.