SNOOKER youngsters Arjun Lavingia, has now set his sight on the international stage after missing the Dar Open Snooker title on the hand of Omar Balsara at the Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club (DGC) over the weekend.

In the seven frames thrilling final, Lavingia, the 2009 champion, lost by 3-4 against tough contender -- Dar es Salaam based US star Balsara in the all-Gymkhana tie best.

Lavingia said all is not lost for him and was now preparing for the African Championship that is scheduled to be held in Morocco this April. The 25-year-old told the 'Daily News' that he believed he could still continue to keep his talent at an international level.

"I'm looking forward to battle into international level; it has always been my dream to be there. I do not have sponsors yet, but hope people will be there for me. I only need to be focused," he said. He said that preparations for the trip are going on well.

This will be the second time for Lavingia to take part in the Africa Snooker Championship. The first time was at the 2010 edition in Cairo, Egypt, where he was the first Tanzanian to compete in the Africa tournament.

His Cairo performance where he managed to reach the quarter final in the field of 84 players earned him a place in the World Snooker Open, Damascus, Syria later that year. His trip to Cairo was made possible by supports from Cargo Stars Managing Director Dioniz Malinzi.