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| World Conker Championships: Annual event gets underway | World Conker Championships: Annual event gets underway |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| The annual World Conker Championships has got underway with fans gathered from around the world. | |
| Organisers say 190 competitors from countries including Russia, USA and Japan are competing in the games in Southwick, Northamptonshire. | |
| A US serviceman from RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk who has never played the game before says he is "determined to win." | |
| Since it began in 1965, the event has raised about £400,000 for blind and visually impaired charities. | Since it began in 1965, the event has raised about £400,000 for blind and visually impaired charities. |
| Tyler Knepper said: "I come from Ohio where we don't play conkers but I am determined to win. I've never played conkers before but I'm a quick learner". | |
| Last year Steven Prescott and Amy Farrow were crowned King and Queen Conker. | |
| A new conker is used for every round. StJohn Burkett said preparations had been tough this year because of a shortage of decent conkers. | |
| He said: "We collect a couple of thousand and we have to get the proper Championship-sized conkers. They're quite rare. | He said: "We collect a couple of thousand and we have to get the proper Championship-sized conkers. They're quite rare. |
| "We usually rely on two secret trees but even they haven't produced this year so we've had the whole committee out collecting." | "We usually rely on two secret trees but even they haven't produced this year so we've had the whole committee out collecting." |
| Official rules | Official rules |