9-Ball
Topic: Word Pool Championships Qualifiers 2007

Just thought I'd post on here to see what everyone elses opinions are.

I'm on the SAPPA tour and can't play in the WPC qualifiers, which is a SAPPA ranking event, because I'm English. The qualifiers were restricted to Scottish players so that Matchroom could guarantee a Scottish player on the tour (something to do with publicity about Scots wearing kilts). But Pat Holtz has already qualified, so they have a representative.

There aren't any English qualifiers either, so the only way I can play in a qualifying event is to get myself over to Holland. But with work commitments, this isn't going to be possible. Plus, I've been told that the reason England didn't have qualifiers was that some English players had already qualified and England was therefore already represented.

Seems like one rule for one, and one rule for another. Matchroom feel quite strongly about this, I'd just like to know how SAPPA can check that players are Scottish. It's not like they've got Scottish passports.

I read on the forums that a UK Switzerland guy, who has apparantly achieved quite a lot in Switzerland cannot play in a tournament (think its a different one, but still organised by Matchroom Sport) as he isn't Swiss. But he can't play for the UK because he doesn't live there?

I for one do not think that is fair at all. He should be able to represent Switzerland due to that he lives there. The only difference is that he can apply for citizenship of Switzerland (and therefore be able to represent Switzerland), I cannot get citizenship for Scotland because one doesn't exist as it isn't a separate country (yet).

So if Pat Holtz or Michael Valentine moved to England, they wouldn't be able to represent Scotland? Surely not because they don't live in Scotland. But they're Scottish.

So which is it? Is your nationality determined by where you were born? What your parents were? Where you currently live, work etc? What tour you play on?

If Scotland was a separate country, which it isn't, then I would be able to apply for a Scottish citizenship as I live and work here and could therefore represent Scotland. So to stop English players representing Scotland, it's best for you to stay part of the UK as it isn't possible to differentiate between the two.

It seems very inconsistent, especially that new players to the game aren't given the same chances as everyone else, and there is always talk about how to make the sport popular in the UK. How many English kids are there that would love to play in the WPC qualifiers but aren't given the opportunity?

In short, it's messed* up.

This is just one of a 1K reasons why I would be happier to never waste my time going for the WPC.

As far as I'm concerned, the US Open, DCC, Glass City Open, and the Nationals in Vegas, are better quality and bigger entry field, than the Worlds.

In short in my eyes, this qualification system BS for the WPC is a waste of time and they (Matrchroom & the WPA) should start thinking of system that is more fairly and properly organized.

I am not looking to take anything away from SAPPA here because they all put a huge effort into making their tour what it is today and have achieved quite alot

Willie

*Admin Edit: Unnecessary profanity deleted.

I completely agree with you there about SAPPA.
They are just restricted by the rules Matchroom apply to the qualifier. It's Matchroom that I have the main problem with at the moment.

I don't have a problem with the Matchroom at all. They do what they believe is the best for the rating.

My mainproblem is with the EPBF/WPA who accepts it.

Same rules for everyone!

Wish it was same rules for everyone!

I've spoken to Luke Riches about this, and he told me that the SAPPA qualifier is for Scottish players only in order to have a Scottish player in the WPC! In much the same way that the top four at the Philippines National Championship get into the event as they want to have Filipinos in!

It is a privilege of the promoter to allocate the promoter's wildcard spot.



The other ways European player's may qualify/have qualified for the 2007 World Pool Championships are as follows:

EUROPE

Categories 1 – 3

Category 1
Previous five winners of the WPA World Pool Championship (in 2007 that would be R Alcano, Wu CC, A Pagulayan, T Hohmann, E Strickland) 1

Category 2
Previous three beaten finalists at the WPA World Pool Championship (in 2007 they would be R Souquet, Kuo PC, Chang PW) 1

Category 3
Last 16 finisher at the previous WPA World Pool Championship (in 2007 they would be R Alcano, R Souquet, Li HW, Fu CW, Wu CC, Luong CD, Liu CC, R Luat, Kuo PC, P Holtz, J De Luna, S Tot, T Edey, K Stepanov, D Alcaide, S Davis) 6

Category 4

The Top Eight players in the 9-Ball division at the 2007 European Pool Championships

The Gold Medallist in the Straight Pool division at the 2007 European Pool Championships

Category 5

Winner and runner-up of all Euro Tour events that take place between 1st May 2006 and 30th April 2007.

Category 6

The top 28 ranked European players on the EPBF Euro Tour Rankings up to 30th April 2007

Category 7

The next five players ranked between 29-50 on the EPBF Euro Tour Rankings up to 30th April 2007 representing five different European countries not represented in the Categories 4, 5 & 6.

Category 8

Team Europe representatives at the previous three Mosconi Cups.

Category 9

Winner of qualifying event held in Europe after 30th April cut-off date. This shall be for players not already qualified and is open to any player regardless of nationality.


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Authorised Pro9 forum advertiser/sponsor

does anyone know if there will be qualifiers in the philippines the week b4 the wpc as there usually are?

I almost certainly think that there will be.


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Chris @ Pro9

STUPID RULES!!!! ARGH

Yes Indy there are qualifiers........

Darkside..........Ill be there too "1nd1ana"

Big Dave you didn't list all the ways you could reach the Worlds...

Category 10
Persons reaching the finals of the Southern classic St Albans masters.


So if someone wants to send me my tickets and then I can let the matter rest.

i think its good for scottish pool that they have 2 spots and if your not scottish you shouldnt be in the event.........sorry jonny

On 2007-08-20 18:34 , indiana Wrote:

Qualifiers will be held in the Star Billiards Centre, Quezon City starting on the the 27th October.
You can play in five tournaments for a cost of $400.

Full details an be found here....

Qualifiers

a qualifier should be open to everyone. Whats the point in having a qualifier if not? You could just look at the national ranking... A world championship is... ohhh... exactly: a WORLD championship. The qualifier must be the same.


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Ine
www.inehelvik.com

With regard to the SAPPA WPC qualifier...

A few misunderstandings need to be cleared up.

The "S.A.P.P.A." WPC Qualifying event is as it reads. ie. A WPC spot for the SAPPA organization.

SAPPA will run a tournament (Sep 16th, Falkirk) and the 1st prize will be a coveted spot in the 2007 World Pool Championship as granted by Matchroom Sport.

This qualifier is open to ALL fully paid SAPPA members who joined at the start of the 07/08 season.

Currently the SAPPA membership includes Scottish, English, Greek (guess who!), Polish & Irish players. So, if you joined at the start of this season you will be eligible to play (and win) the SAPPA WPC spot.

Hope this helps.

BS

Thats it then....Sign the Darkside up..

I will now confirm that i wil play ALL sappa comps,BS when does the season start ?

Darkside......Going Scottish

THE WEST INDIES DONT EVEN GET NOTICED

I did a quicck research and confirmed what I thought was correct. SAPPA is the scottish federation and I still mean what I wrote in my previous post.

What I dont understand is why Scotland is so different from the other countries? I dont mean that Scotland dont deserve this, I dont know the reason they got it in the first place. I just dont see how someone can decide that one country gets a spot and a qualifier when there is so many that is never even considered?

If SAPPA gets to hold a qualifier it should be open to everyone as long as not every federation gets the same chance. This is not criticism of SAPPA, but of the inkonsekvent rules from WPA.

Good luck anyway, for those of you that get to play. For the rest of you, go to Deurne


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Ine
www.inehelvik.com

It should be remembed that Scotland do not have two spots. Pat Holtz is in Manila because of the great performance that he recorded last year. So he is a category 3 entrant/

Cheers BlueSuede, sorry for the confusion I've caused!

I can play! (yay!)

Darkside, all the info is here...

http://www.scottish9ball.com/