ENGLAND ace Mark Cottingham cannot wait to take on the world later this month.

Cottingham is set to make his debut for England’s top men’s team at his first World Blackball Champ-ionships in Perth, Scotland.

The event features the best exponents of blackball pool from around the globe, including all the home nations and the likes of South Africa, France and Australia.

And, after qualifying to play for England’s A team at trials in Mans-field earlier this year, Cottingham is determined to make his opportunity count.

“I’m really looking forward to playing in my first World Championships and my first tournament with the England A team,” he said.

“It’s the premier event on the calendar and certainly the biggest tournament in my career.

“I’m more than up for it and hopefully I can come back to Weymouth as a world champion.

“England have won the last two big tournaments, the Nations Cup and European Championships, so I would have thought we will be one of the frontrunners.

“South Africa and Australia will be strong as well and the standard is going to be high.”

The men’s team tournament – players are also going to play for individual honours – is made up of 16 countries. Two groups of eight play in a round-robin format before the top four in each section go through to the quarter-finals.

As well as the men’s event there are competitions for seniors, masters, ladies and wheelchair players.

Libya, Uganda, Catalonia and the Shetlands Islands are also represented in Perth and the championships run from October 26-31.