Site News
Topic: *Industry News* 2014

September is Third Annual National Juniors Pool Month

A Month Dedicated to the Future of our Sport!

August 10, 2014 (Denver, CO): The Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) reminds billiard players, fans and retailers of September being the third annual Juniors Pool Month across the country. Support the organization and its billiard student-athletes by helping to raise money for junior pool programs, including leagues, tournaments, scholarships and pool in school programs.

Once again, the BEF challenges the industry, players, and enthusiasts to arrange and support fundraising campaigns coast to coast. Many ways people are supporting juniors pool across the nation include fundraiser tournaments, raffles, auctions, monetary and product donations, and through spreading the word about the BEF and its efforts to promote the next generation of players and fans.

For more information on ways to get involved, contact Executive Director Samm Diep directly at 303-926-1039 or samm@billiardeducation.org, or visit billiardeducation.org/support-bef/.

The Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) was formed in 1993 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity committed to promoting a lifelong love of pool and building the next generation of players through youth programs and academic scholarships. Visit billiardeducation.org or call (303) 926-1039 to learn more about junior billiard programs in your area.

2014 Longoni Benelux Open | Participants list

((( 2014 Longoni Benelux Open )))

Participants list | 138 enlisted, so far | updated Sunday August 10th 1.07 pm

!!! You can still enlist for groups B/C/D/E/F/G. Registration for a specific closes 30 minutes prior its start. Enlist via beneluxopen@gmail.com or during the event, at the tournament desk!!!

((( Check in with the tournament organisation at least 30 minutes before the start of your group to pay your entry fee. Otherwise you will not be taken up in the draw )))

((( Group A | 19 participants | rounded up )))

Sunday July 27th 11:00

1 Stefan Osnabrug NL
2 Cees Hogchem NL
3 René Beysens NL
4 Julien Livens B
5 Csaba Honffy HUN
6 Arco van der Velden NL
7 Joeri Vandenbroeck B
8 Kenny Voets B
9 Christophe Monzein F
10 Visal Peou F * QUALIFIED FOR FINAL 32
11 Michael Castro PHI
12 LuisitoCruz PHI
13 Nick Souchkin B
14 ((( Kamila Khodaeva B ))) * QUALIFIED FOR FINAL 32
15 Jan Mortelé B
16 Thomas Vanbroekhoven B * QUALIFIED FOR FINAL 32
17 Christophe Hagnere F
18 Ivo Aarts NL * QUALIFIED FOR FINAL 32
19 Lieven Praet B
(20) Nicolas Rimbot F cancelled
(21) Brice Elskens B cancelled due to delay
(22) Carlito Del PHI ((( NO SHOW )))
(23) John Roels B ((( NO SHOW )))
(24) Jefrey Guiban PHI ((( NO SHOW )))

((( Group B | 38 participants,sofar )))

Friday August 15th 11:00

1 Johan van Beek NL
2 Stéphan Cohen F
3 ((( Micha Beuriot NL )))
4 Oi Chung Chan NL
5 Noël Bruynooghe B
6 Thierry Tobailem F
7 Sap-nhi Tsan F
8 Patrick Schmale D
9 Daryl Peach ENG
10 Jan Rempe NL
11 Brandon Overeem LUX
12 ((( Roxanne Overeem LUX )))
13 Pascal de Smit NL
14 Huidji See NL
15 Kem Sen TUR
16 ((( Delphine Pizzinat F )))
17 Alex Montpellier F
18 François Li F
19 Pascal Loial F
20 Gino De Ruyter B
21 Tim De Ruyter NL
22 ((( Stella Julien F )))
23 Pepijn de Wit NL
24 Peter Eriksson SWE
25 Kevin Dijkstra NL
26 Per Widberg SWE
27 ((( Veronica Lundström SWE )))
28 Magnus Svenäng SWE
29 Björn Karlsson SWE
30 Jörgen Haglund SWE
31 SørenHartner Terp DK
32 Andreas Lagemyr SWE
33 ((( Alyce Marcotte F )))
34 Jeroen van Loon NL
35 Lennaert Speijker NL
36 Elliot Sanderson ENG
37 Richard Daalhuizen NL
38 Kenny Voets B
(39) Thierry Delesalle F cancelled

((( Group C | 18 participants, sofar )))

Friday August 15th 15:00

1 ((( Nathalie Seichter NL )))
2 Espen Falkenhaug NL
3 DavidSimón ES
4 NikolaDukiç F
5 RedaBelhaj F
6 MorenoKraljevic TRI
7 RickTelehala NL
8 Chi-KinChong NL
9 RobertHaag SWE
10 MagnusLindgren SWE
11 TomStaveley ENG
12 Larsvan Dijk NL
13 Laurent Solari F
14 TomPenrose NL
15 StefanOsnabrug NL
16 CrelisHogchem NL
17 Arcovan der Velden NL
18 Fauzi Halaby NL
(19) ValentinBeaufils F cancelled


((( Group D | 8 participants )))

Friday August 15th 19:00

1 ElroyJanssen NL
2 Albert Casellas ES
3 KarlBoyes ENG
4 JokTang NL
5 MarcoTeutscher NL
6 KarloDalmatin CRO
7 Feng Chen NL
8 OliverOrtmann D

((( Group E | 25 participants, sofar )))

Saturday August 16th 11:00

1 David Krewitt D
2 Andreas Roschkowsky D
3 Valery Kuloyants D
4 Csaba Honffy HUN
5 Rafael Rivera Sanchez LUX
6 Sebastian Beuel LUX
7 Christian Graser LUX
8 ((( Cristina Delagarza Tschudi USA )))
9 DanielSchneider CH
10 ((( Mirjam Alfons NL )))
11 Can Salim D
12 Kevin Becker D
13 Julian Kortüm D
14 Tobias Bongers D
15 Djay Latuputty NL
16 Attila Nyeste HUN
17 ((( Jennifer Vietz D )))
18 ((( Kristina Schagan D )))
19 BriceElskens B
20 Timour Khodaev B
21 Danny Hessing NL
22 MarcBijsterbosch NL
23 Hugo Leung NL
24 Christophe Monzein F
25 Christophe Hagnere F
(26) ((( Manting Cheng NL ))) cancelled
(27) Joeri Rodenrijs NL cancelled

((( Group F | 19participants, sofar )))

Saturday August 16th 15:00

1 Rattapol Sassmann D
2 Thomas Schlegemilch D
3 ((( Vivien Schade D )))
4 Emir Seçener TUR
5 Sven Andomeit D
6 Zoltan Kojsza HUN
7 Pascal Bruckmann D
8 MicheleDanieli CH
9 Andreas Sommer D
10 ((( Jana Krumbe D )))
11 Jonas Krumbe D
12 Joshua Filler D
13 Lars Kuckherm D
14 Nicolas Baumanns D
15 ((( Martine Christiansen NOR )))
16 BenjaminZenner LUX
17 Tjeerd Hoekema NL
18 Bernard Walker USA
19 ((( Ka Yu Man NL )))
(20) Frank Werner D cancelled
(21) Sydney Florisson NL cancelled
(22) Geronimo Weissenberger D cancelled
(23) ((( Stefanie Arndt D ))) cancelled

((( Group G | 5participants, sofar* )))

Saturday August 16th 19:00

1 Tom D'haeseleer B
2 ChristophReintjes D
3 ValentinaSolovjev D
4 Laurens Cansier B
5 Jan Mortelé B

* Group G is expected to be traditionally SOLD OUT with rebuys

((( Main Event | Final 32 )))

Sunday August 17th 9:00 (all 16 matches)

1 Nick van den Berg NL Reigning Champion
2 Niels Feijen NL World Champion | Longoni Benelux Open MVP
3 Serge Das B 2010 Longoni Benelux Open Champion | Longoni Ambassador
4 Ralf Souquet D Hall of Fame Inductee | 2013 Longoni Benelux Open Runner-up
5 Ivo Aarts NL (Group A, winners side) 2013 Longoni Benelux Open Semi Finalist
6 ((( Kamila Khodeava B ))) (Group A, winners side) Multiple European Champion
7 Thomas Vanbroekhoven B (Group A, one loss side)
8 Visal Peou F (Group A, one loss side)
(…)

32 yet to be determined

Dress code: smart pants (no jeans), shirt with collar (no t-shirt), smart shoes (no sneakers), just represent and be professional.

Defending Champion Manuel Pereira out before single elimination

The defending Champion in senior straight pool, Manuel Pereira (POR) did have a bad day today. He lost his opening match to Julien Livens (BEL) with 61:75. Then he defeated Gianni Campagnolo (ITA) 75:48 just to lose his next match to unheralded Maura Vialetto (ITA). This eliminated him from the straight pool competition before the single elimination round even started. HIs teammate Henrique Correia (POR) was more successful today. He won four consecutive matches over Joost Maertens (BEL) 75:37, Gijs van Helmond (NED) 75:43, Tom Bjerke (NOR) 75:15 and Frank Willner (GER) 75:35. This last victory bought him a seat in the quarrel-final match of the straight pool competition. There, he will have to deal with Jouni Nykanen (FIN) who came from the loser’s side.

Andreas Buchner (SUI) took out Vegar Kristiansen (NOR) in the round of the final 32 players. Kristiansen had won a Gold Medal in the juniors division in 1990 and a Bronze Medal in the men’s division in 2008 in straight pool. He was definitely considered a contender for the title. But his hopes have been turned upside down today by Buchner.

Rado Doroslovac (SLO) belongs to the surprise players of today. He expectedly wiped the floor with Jesse Thehu (NED) 75:36, but then he defeated Steffen Gross (GER) by a whisker with 75:73. Doroslovac will encounter Reiner Wirsbitzki (GER) tomorrow in the quarter-final which will be played at 16:30 CET.

The Dynamic Billard European Championships 2014 for Seniors and Ladies will continue tomorrow morning at 09:00 CET with matches of the 10-ball individuals.

All matches can be viewed LIVE at www.kozoom.com. 22 tables in HiRes quality are providing you with all the action of the event. You do not miss out one single match! Join today!

More information about participants, schedules, achievements, rankings, etc can be found on the event website www.epconline.eu.

The event is hosted by the European Pocket Billiard Federation EPBF and organized by International Billiard Promotion Foundation IBPF.

McDermott Announces Free Cue Giveaway for August 2014

MENOMONEE FALLS, WI (August 1, 2014) – McDermott Cue Mfg. LLC is a leading manufacturer and worldwide distributor of pool cues, performance shafts and billiard accessories. McDermott is proud to announce the Custom Cue of the Month Giveaway for August 2014.

Each month, McDermott gives away a free pool cue to a lucky contestant. For August, the giveaway cue is the G226C4, a customized version of their popular G226 model. It features a custom Rosewood forearm & sleeve with bone urethane points and a bone urethane butt plate. The G226C4 comes standard with McDermott’s high-performance G-Core shaft.

To enter the contest, visit www.mcdermottcue.com/giveaway and fill out the simple survey. There is no limit to the number of times you can enter the contest. At the end of the month, McDermott will randomly select a winner to receive a free G226C4 pool cue. Congratulations to last month’s winner, Elizabeth Vollbach of Leonard, MI. She won a G229 pool cue.

McDermott Cue is headquartered in Menomonee Falls, WI and markets under the brands of McDermott Cue, Star Cue, Lucky Cue, Element Cue, Wildfire, Pool Prodigy, Intimidator i-Shafts, G-Core Shafts, Big Boy Shafts, Sledgehammer Break Cue and Stinger Break/Jump Cues.

Wirsbitzki over Correia in seniors straight pool

Reiner Wirsbitzki from Germany is the new European Champion in straight pool seniors division. He defeated Henrique Correia (POR) with 100: 50 in the final match.

The final match was a one man show by Wirsbitzki. He had the better start and ran away with over 50 points after the first five innings. He never left a shot for Correia and took a comfortable 53:1 lead over the Portuguese. That gap proved to be too big for Correia to close. Correia was also not very lucky. When he tried to launch a comeback on Wirsbitzki, the cue ball scratched in the side pocket. Altogether, the clear victory for Wirsbitzki is very much deserved and displays his solid performance throughout the whole competition. The German took his third Gold Medal in the seniors after winning the 8-ball competition 2011 in Luxembourg and the 10-ball last year in Sarajevo. „This title was hard work for me“, stated Wirsbitzki after the final match, „I am tired and exhausted but also very happy“. „The title in straight pool means a lot to me. I have been a favorite quite some time but I never won it. Today, I knew it was going to be my final“. Tied for third were Rene Peeters (NED) and Kent Karlsson (SWE).

Earlier today, the day started with the 10-ball competition. 79 players in the seniors and 15 ladies started the matchday. Just like in straight pool, the defending Champion lost his first match quite unexpectedly. Reiner Wirsbitzki (GER) received a 6:7 defeat from Rene Peeters (NED). He had to go to the loser’s side where he qualified for the single elimination round of the final 64 players. There, he will play Csaba Nagy (HUN) who defeated Arto Taavila (FIN) 7:5 and Tom Eksell (SWE) 7:1. Last year’s runner-up Vegar Kristiansen (NOR) was a bit more consistent. He won his first match 7:1 teammate Tom Bjerke (NOR) and has now gotten Mika Maatta (FIN) in the next match. One big name in European senior pool, Henrique Correia (POR) lost completely unexpected 3:7 to Jorgen Nilsen (NOR). He then whitewashed Tomaz Benedicic (SLO) 7:0 to also enter the final elimination stage where he will have to deal with Magnus Vesterlund (SWE). Surprise player Rado Doroslovac (SLO) won 7:4 over Marco Devruscian (ITA) before he had to give in with 6:7 to Frank Willner (GER). He was lucky and received a walk-over on the loser’s side. He was drawn against Espen Saltnes (NOR) in the next round. The single elimination of the final 64 players will be played tomorrow at 09:00 and 10:45 CET.

In the ladies division, defending Champion Barbara Bolfelli (ITA) had a walk-over in the first round. She then made short work of Anja Hehre (GER) and taught her a lesson 5:1. Bolfelli will meet Susanne Wessel (GER) in the winner’s qualification round. Wessel comes with two impressive victories under her belt, 5:1 over Ilona Zalmanova (CZE) and 5:0 over Patrizia Ignesti (ITA). The other match in the winner’s qualification round will be played between Karin Michl (GER) and Cristina Moscetti (ITA). On the loser’s side, among others Ann-Sofie Löfgren (SWE), Nathalie Rohmer (nothing) and Monika Oeschger (SUI) struggle to stay in the competition.

The Dynamic Billard European Championships 2014 for Seniors and Ladies will continue tomorrow morning at 09:00 CET with matches of the 10-ball individuals.

All matches can be viewed LIVE at www.kozoom.com. 22 tables in HiRes quality are providing you with all the action of the event. You do not miss out one single match! Join today!

More information about participants, schedules, achievements, rankings, etc can be found on the event website www.epconline.eu.

The event is hosted by the European Pocket Billiard Federation EPBF and organized by International Billiard Promotion Foundation IBPF.

viagogo extends partnership with World Snooker Limited

viagogo, the world’s largest ticket marketplace, has extended its partnership with World Snooker Limited as the official international ticketing partner and marketplace for the 2015 World Snooker Championship.

Under the terms of the deal, viagogo will continue to provide a secure online platform on which snooker fans from all over the world can buy and sell tickets for the annual tournament, which is held at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre.

A spokesperson for World Snooker said: “We are delighted to extend our relationship with viagogo, the industry leader in international ticketing. The service has already proved to be extremely popular, so we want to continue working together to provide a seamless ticketing experience that gives fans the best access to world-class snooker.”

A viagogo spokesperson added: “Our mission is to help people get access to any event, anywhere in the world, and enable them to buy and sell tickets in their own language and currency. The World Snooker Championship is the biggest event in the snooker calendar and we’re proud to continue working with World Snooker Limited to give even more snooker fans the chance to attend.”

The tournament, which was won for the first time by Mark Selby last season, runs from 18th April to 4th May 2015. All tickets are protected by viagogo’s guarantee, meaning buyers will get a valid ticket in time for the event.

Date: Tuesday August 12, 2014

Hospice Pockets From World Snooker Partnership

South Yorkshire’s only children’s hospice, Bluebell Wood, is going snooker loopy having pocketed over £152,000 from its long-standing charity relationship with World Snooker.

The two-year partnership began in the 2012/2013 season when World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn read about the hospice, which is based in Sheffield, the city of snooker and home of the World Championship.

Realising that Bluebell Wood has to raise over £3 million every year in running costs in order to support children and young adults with a shortened life expectancy, Hearn was keen to get involved and pledged his support.

During the partnership, World Snooker took on a whole host of fundraising initiatives including holding bucket collections at events, donations from century breaks, auctioning memorabilia, naming the Bluebell Wood Open in Doncaster after the hospice and even donating player fines to the charity - so every time a player breached his contract the hospice benefited.

Hearn said: “We have raised an incredible amount of money for Bluebell Wood and I am grateful to everyone who has helped the cause. Anyone who visits the hospice can see clearly how important it is that we give our support any way we can. We often take our health for granted and when we see children with life-limiting conditions it makes us realise how fortune we are.

“It has been an honour to work with the dedicated Bluebell Wood team and I urge everyone to take an interest in their work and keep the donations flowing.”

The children have loved meeting the snooker stars who have chatted with them, posed for photographs and joined in with their games. Barry Hawkins, Mark Davis and Neil Robertson have all spent time at Bluebell Wood, while Mark Selby visited the hospice this year, just days before winning the World Championship for the first time.

Julie Hampson, corporate fundraiser said: “It has been an absolute honour to have the support of Barry Hearn and World Snooker for the last two years.

“Not only has the partnership generated an incredible amount of income for Bluebell Wood, the international awareness from the relationship is unprecedented for our charity.

“We cannot thank them enough for everything they have done for us and our families. All the funds they have raised for our hospice will help us to ensure that we are doing everything we can to put smiles on the faces of our children with life limiting conditions.”

For more information and to make a donation see www.bluebellwood.org

Kick off Longoni Benelux Open, tomorrow

Dear pool friends,

The 2014 Longoni Benelux Open kicks off, tomorrow, on my 45th birthday. I couldn't find any other suitable date in the international calendar. Ah well, two celebrations are in order, then.

Friday August 15th (qualification rounds*)
11.00 am Group B | 3.00 pm Group C | 7.00 pm Group D

Saturday August 16th (qualification rounds*)
11.00 am Group E | 3.00 pm Group F | 7.00 pm Group G

Sunday August 17th
9.00 am Final 32 and onwards, to the final

IMPORTANT!
Check in with the tournament organisation, ((( at least 30 minutes ))) prior to the start of your qualification group. Otherwise you will NOT be taken up in the draw.

The game is 10ball, alternate break, with Magic Ball Rack PRO, race to 6 in the qualification rounds and race to 8 on Sunday.

All match tables have been refitted with brand new Iwan Simonis 860 cloth and the pockets have been shimmed to pro size. The official balls of the event are, as every year, brand new Super Aramith PRO-CUP TV balls.

We expect more than 230 entries, this year, making it the biggest Longoni Benelux Open to date. With pool billiards supperstars 'The Terminator' Niels Feijen, 'El Niño' Nick van den Berg, 'Kaiser' Ralf Souquet, 'The Tornado' Tony Drago, 'The Machine' Oliver Ortmann, 'The Dazzler' Daryl Peach, 'Guapo' Karl Boyes, Stéphan Cohen and many more, this 6th edition of the event promises to be spectacular, again.

* And the best thing is, you can still enlist for any of the qualification groups. E-mail beneluxopen@gmail.com to enlist.

Cheers! Game ONNN!

Çakti Aswan

((( FREE ))) LIVE VIDEO STREAM from Friday at 11:00 am: www.ebillard.fr
Updates via facebook: www.facebook.com/events/1492193584329312/1515815431967127


The 2014 Longoni Benelux Open is brought to you by DASWAN PROMOTIONS in cooperation with Loontjens Biljarts | Kamui tips | Iwan Simonis | Aramith | Serge Das Billiards | Thurston Rotterdam | Thurston Wilrijk | ebillard.fr | BPBF | KNBB | Topsport Rotterdam

The tournament organization reserves the right to refuse entries. All information may be subject to change.

Correia and Wessel wear the 10-ball crown

Henrique Correia (POR) and Susanne Wessel (GER) won the 10-ball competition of the 2014 Dynamic Billard European Championships for seniors and ladies in Hotel Bernadin Resort, Portoroz, Slovenia.

Correia already took the silver medal in straight pool yesterday. Today, he wanted more. He felt it coming his way today. „My opponents need to play better if they want to beat me“, said likable Correia with a smile after the final match. He had just defeated Vegar Kristiansen (NOR) with 7:5. The final match was a close affair with Correia showing the better nerves in the end. After 5:5, he took two more racks for the victory. Kristiansen won the Gold Medal. The Bronze Medals went to Dino Cerimagic (BIH) and Jesse Thehu (NED).

In the ladies division, Susanne Wessel now holds all three titles for two days. Two from last year and the 10-ball from today. In the final match, Wessel defeated defending Champion Barbara Bolfelli with 5:3. Things looked like a walk in the park for Wessel. After five racks she was ahead with 4:1. But then Bolfelli got in gear and pulled back rack after rack. At 3:4, Bolfelli dogged the 10-ball big time. Wessel said thank you and pocketed the final ball for her 10-ball title 2014. Tied for third place are Cristina Moscetti (ITA) and Karin Michl (GER).

The medal table displays Germany in the lead after two events, followed by Portugal and Italy.

The Dynamic Billard European Championships 2014 for Seniors and Ladies will continue tomorrow morning at 09:00 CET with matches of the team competition in the first round. Then, the 8-ball individuals will begin.

All matches can be viewed LIVE at www.kozoom.com. 22 tables in HiRes quality are providing you with all the action of the event. You do not miss out one single match! Join today!

More information about participants, schedules, achievements, rankings, etc can be found on the event website www.epconline.eu.

The event is hosted by the European Pocket Billiard Federation EPBF and organized by International Billiard Promotion Foundation IBPF.

Ups and downs for Trudnowski

Poland’s Maciej Trudnowski had a tough day with many hard work ahead of him.

Today, the 8-ball individuals of the 2014 Dynamic Billard European Championships for seniors and ladies have started. Maciej Trudnowski (POL) met Jean-Pierre Makelberge (BEL) in the first round. The match went back and forth and it lead to a hill-hill situation. There, Makelberge had the break shot. He was unlucky since he executed a nice break but the cue ball scratched in the corner pocket. Trudnowski got to the table and started pocketing the striped. However, he almost dogged the 15-ball. It wiped its feet and decided to still fall in the pocket. From then on, Trudnowski made no more mistakes. Probably that was his wakeup-call in that rack. He cleared the table and won the match with 7:6. In the next round, Trudnowski met Manuel Pereira (POR), the defending Champion. Hard but true, the Polish had no chance against Pereira. 7:3 was the final result in favor of Pereira. But Trudnowski made it back into the single elimination round of the final 64 players. He defeated Tero Kaivonen (FIN) in the loser’s qualification round and was then dean against Heiko Mueller (GER) in the round of the last 64 players.

In the ladies division, Ann-Sofie Löfgren (SWE) and Nathalie Rohmer (nothing) had a tough encounter. The match went 4:4 with Rohmer to break. Löfgren took the striped but could not run the table. She missed a makable ball and allowed Rohmer back to the table. The French lady saw that three of her group’s balls were blocked by one of Löfgren’s so she turned the match into a safety battle. After a few exchanged safety shots, Rohmer had the chance to win since Löfgren left her a long shot. But Rohmer missed it. Löfgren then took the initiative and ended the match in her favor, winning with 5:4.

The Dynamic Billard European Championships 2014 for Seniors and Ladies will continue tomorrow morning at 09:00 CET with matches of the team competition in the first rounds. Then, the 8-ball individuals will continue with the finals to be played at 20:30 CET.

All matches can be viewed LIVE at www.kozoom.com. 22 tables in HiRes quality are providing you with all the action of the event. You do not miss out one single match! Join today!

More information about participants, schedules, achievements, rankings, etc can be found on the event website www.epconline.eu.

The event is hosted by the European Pocket Billiard Federation EPBF and organized by International Billiard Promotion Foundation IBPF.

Bolfelli and Karttunen snatch the 8-ball Gold

Barbara Bolfelli (ITA) and Sami Karttunen (FIN) just won the Gold Medals at the Dynamic Billard European Championships for Seniors and Ladies.

Karttunen had a tough battle to fight with Jesse Thehu (NED) in the seniors final. The match went back and forth and in the 12th rack, Thehu tried to break up two solids which were not playable. He managed to pocket the intended ball, break up the problem but unfortunately for him the cue ball scratched in the side pocket. That brought Karttunen back to the table. He had ball in hand and ran out the rack in order to win the final match with 7:5. It is a very remarkable victory for him since he played his first European Championships at all. „I am more than happy and thankful. A big part of this Gold Medal belongs to my great team“, stated a modest Karttunen after the match.

In the ladies division, Barbara Bolfelli had to deal with Dana Stoll (GER). Everything looked like smooth sailing for her. She took a comfortable 3:0 lead in a race to five. But in rack four she suddenly missed an easy shot and gave second life to Stoll. The match became very exciting and went hill-hill. There, Bolfelli had the better end on her side.

The medal table after three of five events displays Germany in 1st position, followed by Italy and Portugal.

During the first half of the day, the team competition was continued. Several surprising results happened there. Already in the first round of the day at 09:00 CET, Team Italy defeated Team Germany with 2:1 in the first winner’s round. Willner (GER) won 10-ball with 7:4 over Mariano (ITA) while Vialetto (ITA) got the better of Gross (GER) 7:5 in 8-ball and Giacomelli (ITA) overpowered Schwedes (GER) in 9-ball 9:6. In the next round, team Italy played The Netherlands. That duel clearly went in favor of the Dutch team. A clear 3:0 victory took the Dutch players in the semi-final while team Italy needs another victory. Probably the most unexpected result of the day was the 2:1 victory of team Finland over team Portugal. The Portuguese had Correia and Pereira in the team but both of the favorites lost. Correia fell 3:7 to Sami Karttunen and Pereira lost 5:9 to Hartikainen. The Finish join the Dutch in the semi-finals while Norway plays Italy and Austria takes it up against Portugal for a seat in the semi-final.

The Dynamic Billard European Championships 2014 for Seniors and Ladies will continue tomorrow morning at 09:00 CET with matches of the 9-ball individuals in the first rounds. Then, the team competition will continue with the finals scheduled to begin at 22:00 CET.

All matches can be viewed LIVE at www.kozoom.com. 22 tables in HiRes quality are providing you with all the action of the event. You do not miss out one single match! Join today!

More information about participants, schedules, achievements, rankings, etc can be found on the event website www.epconline.eu.

The event is hosted by the European Pocket Billiard Federation EPBF and organized by International Billiard Promotion Foundation IBPF.

Dynamic Best of the East - Romania 10-Ball - Bucharest 16-17.08.2014

- live-scoring on http://bilard-sport.pl/wyniki_best.php?turniej_id=361
90 participants from - Poland, Bulgaria, Moldova, Russia, Belgium, Liban, Armenia, Israel and Romania.


Marcin Krzeminski
www.makmarketing.pl
www.ebc-billiard.com

CSI Calendar of Events -- Updated August 2014

Dear Members of the Billiards Press, Bloggers, Friends and Colleagues:

Our updated CSI Calendar of Events is below. Please check your publication / website and add the items below if they are not already listed on your calendar.

Since this is a monthly rolling list, NEW or UPDATED items are listed with a DOUBLE ASTERISK, for your convenience.

ADDITIONS THIS MONTH:
17th Annual Western BCA 9-Ball Championships
2nd Annual Chinook Winds Open 10-Ball Championships
39th BCAPL National Championships

08/28 - 09/01/ 2014
5th Annual BCAPL Southwest Regional Championships
Radisson Fort McDowell
10438 North Fort McDowell Rd.
Scottsdale, Arizona 85264
Contact: CueSports International
Online Registration: www.ctsondemand.com
www.playbca.com
info@playbca.com
(702) 719-7665

10/09 - 12/2014
10/16 - 19/2014
17th Annual Indiana 8 & 9-Ball Championships
John Wayne’s Pub & Eatery
2367 East Stop 11 Road
Indianapolis, IN 46227
Contact: CueSports International

www.indyBCA.com
(317) 460-3123

**10/10 - 12/2014
2nd Annual Chinook Winds Open 10-Ball Championships
$15,000 ADDED
Chinook Winds Casino Resort
1777 NW 44th Street
Lincoln City, Oregon 97367
Contact: Mike Jenson (360) 703-4081
Or Andrew Monstis (503) 422-0623
tr@westernbca.org
www.westernbca.org

**10/13 - 19/2014
17th Annual Western BCA 9-Ball Championships
(Must be BCAPL and WBCA member to play)
$20,000 ADDED
Chinook Winds Casino Resort
1777 NW 44th Street
Lincoln City, Oregon 97367
Contact: Mike Jenson (360) 703-4081
Or Andrew Monstis (503) 422-0623
tr@westernbca.org
www.westernbca.org

02/16 - 22/2015
22nd Annual US Bar Table Championships
10-Ball, 9-Ball, 8-Ball
Grand Sierra Resort and Casino
2500 East Second Street
Reno, Nevada 89595
Contact: CueSports International
Online Registration: www.ctsondemand.com
www.playcsipool.com
info@playcsipool.com
(702) 719-7665
Hotel Information: www.grandsierraresort.com

**07/22 - 08/01/2015
39th BCAPL National Championships
8-Ball, 9-Ball & 10-Ball Events
Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino
3700 W. Flamingo Road
Las Vegas, Nevada 89103
Contact: CueSports International
info@playcsipool.com
www.playcsipool.com
(702) 719-7665

Cerimagic among top 32 in 9-ball
The Dynamic European Championships - Youth, Seniors & Ladies
Portoroz, Slovenia - 1-16 aug 2014

Dino Cerimagic (BIH) is among the top 32 players in the 9-ball individuals.

Victories over Jesse Thehu (NED) 9:7, Dirk Schwedes (GER) 9:6, Zdenko Lisic (SVK) 9:5 and Robert Gronli (NOR) 9:5 brought Cerimagic in the round of the last 16 players where he faced Henrique Correia (POR). The Portuguese is definitely favored in this match. However, Cerimagic should not be underestimated.

Germany’s Reiner Wirsbitzki ousted Julien Livens (BEL) in the round of the last 32 players with 9:5. Last year’s runner-up Johny van Rijkel (BEL) met Manuel Pereira (POR), another hot favorite in the round of the final 16 players. All those matches were still played late at night.

In the ladies division, Barbara Bolfelli (ITA) defeated defending Champion Susanne Wessel (GER) 5:4 and went into the semi-final match undefeated. She and Anja Hehre (GER) are now waiting for their opponents in the round of the final four players. They will come from the matches between Karin Michl (GER) v Patrizia Ignesti (ITA) and Ann-Sofie Löfgren (SWE) v Susanne Wessel (GER).

Just as last week in the youth Championship, drug testing was performed by the European Pocket Billiard Federation EPBF. Two players were randomly picked and the results will be published as soon as they are known.

Due to delays in the matches today, the time schedule was amended by the EPBF Sports Director Anamaria Matesic (CRO). The finals of the team competition as well as the finals of the 9-ball individuals will be played tomorrow.

The Dynamic Billard European Championships 2014 for Seniors and Ladies will continue tomorrow morning at 09:00 CET with matches of the team competition in the first rounds. The team final will be played at 12:30 CET. Then, the 9-ball competition will continue with the finals scheduled to begin at 18:30 CET.

All matches can be viewed LIVE at www.kozoom.com. 22 tables in HiRes quality are providing you with all the action of the event. You do not miss out one single match! Join today!

More information about participants, schedules, achievements, rankings, etc can be found on the event website www.epconline.eu.

The event is hosted by the European Pocket Billiard Federation EPBF and organized by International Billiard Promotion Foundation IBPF.

Michl, Kristiansen and Team Netherlands win Gold Medals

Karin Michl (GER) and Vegar Kristiansen (NOR) have won the Gold Medals in the 9-ball individuals at the Dynamic Billard European Championships for seniors and ladies.

Michl had to compete against Barbara Bolfelli (ITA) in the semi-final. She played rock solid and achieved a fully deserved 5:2 victory over the Italian top player. Her opponent in the final match, Anja Hehre (GER) ousted the defending Champion and teammate Susanne Wessel (GER) also with 5:2 in the semi-final. The final match between Michl and Hehre was packed with drama and excitement. After eight racks, the match went hill-hill. Then, Michl remained as focussed as one could get and pocketed ball after ball for a 5:4 victory and the title. „I have practiced a lot before I came here and I hoped for a chance to win a title, but I am absolutely overwhelmed that I have finally done it,“ said moved Michl after the match.

In the seniors division, we had a rematch between Kristiansen and Henrique Correia (POR). Earlier this week in the 10-ball competition, Correia won the final match between the two so Kristiansen was up for revenge now. The final match went back and forth. A few unlucky scratches from Correia brought Kristiansen in the lead. He kept that advantage and took the match and the title with 9:6. „I played great in 10-ball and I lost; I played great in 8-ball and I lost. In 9-ball, I played not so great but I have won the title“, said Kristiansen with a smile after the match.

In the team competition earlier today, the Dutch Team conquered the Gold Medal for the first time in years. They defeated team Finland in the final with 2:1. 15 teams have announced for the competition in total. The way for the Dutch team started with a 2:1 victory over team Sweden. the Scandinavians are usually known to show up with a strong contingency. However, this year the Dutch got the better of them. The next step was defeating team Italy 3:0 in the winners qualification round. Then, team Austria was the net opponent. They had a bit the statute of the „dark horses“ in the team competition since they ousted last year’s champion team Germany and favorite team Portugal one after the other. But the Dutch team, consisting of Rene Peeters, Gijs van Helmond and Jesse Thehu prove again to be too strong for the Austrians. 3:0 was the clear result in favor of the Ducth team which booked them a seat in the final match. The opponent there was team Finland. The Finnish seniors with Sami Karttunen, Jouni Nykanen and Marko Hartikainen began their journey with a 2:1 victory over team Croatia. Then, their neighbors from Norway had to fall. 2:1 was again the final score in favor of the Finnish guys. In the winner’s qualification round, Finland surprisingly defeated team Portugal with 2:1. In the semi-final, team Italy was defeated with 2:1 by the Finnish. That booked them a seat in the final against the Dutch. The final match started quite furious. Jesse Thehu defeated Sami Karttunen in 10-ball extremely clear with 7:1 and brought the first point to The Netherlands. At this point in time, Rene Peeters was struggling against Marko Hartikainen in 9-ball. He had been in the lead but suddenly Hartikainen overtook him and it looked like he could snatch the match off Peeters. At a score of 6:5 for Hartikainen it was Gijs van Helmond who played an amazingly strong 8-ball match and sank the needed balls for the Dutch victory, defeating Jouni Nykanen with 7:4. The Gold Medal was won by the Dutch team. The Silver Medal went to team Finland. The Bronze medallists were team Italy and team Austria.

The final medal table displays Germany in the lead, followed by Portugal and Italy.

That concludes the coverage of the Dynamic Billard European Championships 2014 for Seniors and Ladies. We will be back with more action from Portoroz next week with the Euro-Tour for Men and Women.

More information about participants, schedules, achievements, rankings, etc can be found on the event website www.epconline.eu.

The event was hosted by the European Pocket Billiard Federation EPBF and organized by International Billiard Promotion Foundation IBPF.

Allison Fisher & OB Cues Support BEF at APA National Team Championships

August 20, 2014 (Englewood, CO): If you’re attending this year’s APA National Team Championships, or if you simply live in Las Vegas, you can support the Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) this week while challenging legendary “The Dutchess of Doom” Allison Fisher. OB Cues graciously welcomes the Hall-of-Famer these next three days in their booth for challenge matches open to everyone.

“The challenge games are $20 per person and 100% of all of the money raised will be donated to the Billiard Education Foundation. Allison will be appearing at the following times: 11am to 1pm & 2pm to 5pm on Tuesday August 19th, Wednesday August 20th and Thursday August 21st,” said Shane Sinnott, Director of Sales & Marketing for OB Cues.

The billiard manufacturer is already a quarter of the way to reaching their $2,000 goal for the week.

“The BEF truly appreciates and counts on initiatives like this throughout the industry to stay alive. Way to kick off September’s Juniors Pool Month! Huge Thanks & Kudos to OB Cues, Allison Fisher, and all the challengers for your support! We are ever so grateful,” said Samm Diep-Vidal, Executive Director for the Billiard Education Foundation.

For more information on the Third Annual Juniors Pool Month, visit: billiardeducation.org/2014-jpm/

Headquartered in Plano, Texas, OB is a leading manufacturer of High Performance Pool Cues and Pool Cue Shafts made 100% in the USA since 2005. For more information on OB Cues or OB shafts or to become an authorized dealer, please visit www.obcues.com or the OB Facebook page at www.facebook.com/obcues.

The Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) was formed in 1993 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity committed to promoting a lifelong love of pool and building the next generation of players through youth programs and academic scholarships. Visit billiardeducation.org or call (303) 926-1039 to learn more about junior billiard programs in your area.

BEF Launches Nationwide Junior State Championship Program

August 20, 2014 (Denver, CO): The Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) proudly announces its nationwide Junior State Championship program. The long awaited national program is an opportunity for each state to showcase their top young billiard stars. Through junior state championships, these student-athletes earn entry into the BEF Junior Nationals where they have the opportunity to compete for academic scholarships and a chance to represent the U.S. at the annual World Championships.

Each state may host up to four junior state championships, one for each of the four age divisions held at junior nationals: 18 & Under Boys, 18 & Under Girls, 14 & Under Boys, and 14 & Under Girls.

There are three ways to get involved! Host, Sponsor, or Compete in a Junior State Championship event.

HOSTS: Help grow the future of our sport by hosting a Junior State Championship. Qualify your local young players for the BEF Junior Nationals and reserve your room as the “home of” your state’s Junior State Championship.

Hosts always receive a sponsored prize package exceeding the value of their commitment, along with first dibs for the next year.

SPONSORS: Sponsors help keep participation costs affordable for the junior players in turn encouraging more participation. Exclusive sponsorship opportunities are still available for this national opportunity. We are a 501(c)(3) so your contribution is tax deductible as permitted by law.

Join the industry’s “smart money” by investing in the future of our sport!

JUNIORS: Compete with the best young players in your state. Qualify for next year’s Junior Nationals and World Championships through your state championship! Earn academic scholarships, prizes, and recognition for your talents.

For more details on the national BEF Junior State Championship program, visit: BilliardEducation.org/Events/JSC/

Some of the current program sponsors making smart marketing investments and a positive impact on our sport: Aramith, Simonis, PoolDawg.com, and more to come!

The Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) was formed in 1993 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity committed to promoting a lifelong love of pool and building the next generation of players through youth programs and academic scholarships. Visit billiardeducation.org or call (303) 926-1039 to learn more about junior billiard programs in your area.

Allen First In Fürth

Mark Allen won his third European Tour title within the past year by beating Judd Trump 4-2 in the final of the Arcaden Paul Hunter Classic in Fürth, Germany.

World number nine Allen won two European Tour titles last season and has now won the second of the current campaign, and tops the Order of Merit having been runner-up to Mark Selby at the Riga Open.

Watched by a packed crowd at the Fürth Stadthalle, Northern Ireland’s Allen collected the trophy and a cheque for 25,000 Euros after getting the better of world number six Trump.

A dramatic opening frame came down to a respotted black after Trump had missed frame-ball green, and he was made to pay as Allen took it. Trump hit back with a break of 92 before a scrappy third frame went Allen’s way for 2-1.

In the fourth, Allen had a chance to clear but missed a tough last red to a baulk corner, and Trump took advantage to level the match. Allen regained the lead after a poor safety from his opponent on the last red in the fifth. And the 28-year-old from Antrim sealed victory in the next with a fine break of 88.

“I’m glad I won this one, having been 3-0 up on Selby in the final in Riga and lost 4-3,” said the player nicknamed the Pistol. “It shows that I’m going in the right direction, having got to the last two finals.

“I’ve actually played poorly this weekend so I’m glad the final was a bit scrappy – if it had been open then Judd would have scored heavily.

“I still feel I need to get more consistent. I don’t know why I do better in the European Tour events than the main ranking events because I don’t prepare any differently.

“The crowds here are amazing, everything about the tournament reflects well on the name of Paul Hunter and the players feel proud to be a part of it.”

Earlier in the semi-finals, Trump beat Ricky Walden 4-1 while Allen edged out veteran Rod Lawler 4-3.

The 2014/15 European Tour series comprises six events across the continent, with the top 24 in the final Order or Merit to go through to the Players Championship next March to battle for the £100,000 jackpot.

The next event is the Bulgarian Open in Sofia from October 2-5.

Results (Last 16 onwards)

Last 16
Mark Selby 4-1 Liang Wenbo
Ricky Walden 4-2 Fergal O’Brien
Judd Trump 4-2 Stephen Maguire
Tian Pengfei 4-2 Ronnie O’Sullivan
Dechawat Poomjaeng 4-2 Neil Robertson
Rod Lawler 4-0 Fraser Patrick
Alan McManus 4-2 Xiao Guodong

Quarter-finals
Walden 4-3 Selby
Trump 4-3 Tian
Lawler 4-2 Poomjaeng
Allen 4-3 McManus

Semi-finals
Trump 4-1 Walden
Allen 4-3 Lawler

Final
Allen 4-2 Trump

WPBA Announces Host for 2015 Regional Tour Championships

The Women's Professional Billiard Association (“WPBA”), through the Regional Tours Committee, is pleased to announce that Breakers Sky Lounge in Herndon, VA will host the 14th Annual WPBA Regional Tour Championships (“RTC”). The WPBA would like to thank Shanna Lewis, Billiards Operational Manager at Breakers Sky Lounge, for completing the RFP process and congratulate Breakers Sky Lounge for being selected to host the ultimate event in regional tour competition.

The RTC will be held January 8th-11th, 2015 and consist of 64 players competing in a double, round robin/single elimination format. WPBA Regional Tour Players from across the U.S. and Canada, who qualify through one of (14) WPBA Regional Tours and are WPBA members in good standing, will be invited to participate. The winner of this prestigious event takes home the title "2015 WPBA Regional Tour Champion", a portion of over $11,000 in prize money (based on a full field), and WPBA Exempt Player status which guarantees an invite to each 2015 WPBA Tour Event.

This will be the first combined, RTC on the east coast since 2008 and is sure to delight many local billiard enthusiasts. Spectators will enjoy watching the best amateur and semi-professional players the sport has to offer. The WPBA invites you to come and share in the thrill and excitement of the Regional Tour Championships. If you are unable to attend, please tune in to thelive stream at www.wpba.com. For venue information please visit www.BreakersSkyLounge.com or call (703) 793-6233.

About the Women’s Professional Billiard Association (WPBA)

The WPBA was established in 1976 under the name of the Women’s Professional Billiard Alliance and is celebrating its 38th anniversary in 2014 as the oldest pro player organization in the sport. The WPBA sanctions and produces the Women’s Pro Billiard Tour, which features the greatest women players from around the world. For more information about the WPBA, its top players, and sponsors, visit www.wpba.com.

The new season kicks-off with the Superprestige!

Every year, the top 16 Belgian players meet in Lommel at the beginning of the season. The number 1 in the world and reigning World Champion Frédéric Caudron is of course a favorite, but everything is still possible knowing the talent and achievements of his opponents... After a day dedicated to Belgian young talents, qualifier groups will begin on Monday at 6PM. 4 groups of 4 players will play in the evenings from Monday to Thursday, followed by the the quarter finals on Thursday night, and by the finals on Saturday afternoon. All matches will be broadcasted live for Premium members. If you don't have your Premium Pass yet, order it here.

If you don't have your Premium Pass yet, you can order it now.