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Topic: *Industry News* 2015 - 2024

Six medals for European Juniors Team at the Word Championships

Emil Andre Gangfløt (c) L. Yaroslavtsev

The European Juniors just recently competed in Moscow, Russia, for the coveted title in the Girls, Under 17 and Under 19 divisions. Though no gold medal could be won this year, the outcome of six medals in total can be regarded as fairly successful.

In the Under 17’s division, team Europe achieved its best result with Emil Andre Gangfløt from Norway becoming runner-up, winning the silver medal in this age group. That was an overall huge surprise since others were meant to be the favoured players. Gangflot just made the team through a qualifying event. He then played high class pool all through the event and found himself in an unexpected final match where he met Mahkael Parris (USA). Ganfløt seemed to be vrey nervous in the final and committed too many easy mistakes. He left the 9-ball hanging over the pocket two times. That was easy prey for Parris who resides in US Virgin Islands. The draw in the group was a bit unlucky for Europe. Denis Laszkowski (GER) was drawn against Christoffer Lentz (DEN) which meant that two rays of hope clashed in an early stage. The match went 9:8 in favour of Lentz. The only medal that did not go to team Europe in that round was the gold medal. Christoffer Lentz and Christian Mrva (SVK).

Team Europe Final Results Under 17

Emil Andre Gangfløt NOR - Silver medal

Christoffer Lentz DEN - Bronze medal

Christian Mrva SVK - Bronze medal

Denis Laszkowski GER - 5th

Quinten Pongers NED - 5th

Artem Lukin RUS - 5th

Ivan Galic CRO - 9th

In the Under 19’s division, the level of play was very high. The tournament was determined by a lot of clashed between European players in the early stage of the event. Fedor Gorst (RUS) was sent to the loser’s side by Wiktor Zielinski (POL). Jan van Lierop (NED) was eliminated by Gorst. Then Gorst got ousted by Christian Fraulich (GER). Gorst and Zielinski were definitely two hopes to make it to the final but they did not. Zielinski committed a huge mistake in his semi-final match against Robbie James Joaquin Capito (HKG) when he missed an easy 7-ball. That mistake allowed Capito to come back and runout the rack at hill-hill. Fraulich just got smashed in his semi-final match by later Champion Kin-Ling Yip (HKG).

Team Europe Final Results Under 19

Christian Fraulich GER - Bronze medal

Wiktor Zielinski POL - Bronze medal

Fedor Gorst RUS - 5th

Vladimir Matvienko RUS - 5th

Sanjin Pehlivanovic BIH - 9th

Jan van Lierop NED - 9th

Alen Salic GER - 13th

Vladislav Shopik BLR - 13th

Stanislav Akhtiamov RUS - 17th

Ragnar Ossian Grinsten SWE - 17th

Illia Nekleenov RUS - 17th

Micke Strom FIN - 17th

In the girls division, the Taiwanese Chia-Hua Chen was second to none. She took the title this year. Best European girl was My Nguyen (SWE) who took the Bronze medal. From the European angle, the biggest match was the winner’s qualification match between Nguyen and April Larson (USA) when Nguyen was already trailing 0:4 and 4:6 but still took the match against the US player.

Team Europe Final Results Girls

My Nguyen SWE - Bronze Medal

Daria Siranchuk UKR - 5th

Nina Torvund NOR - 7th

Palina Chernik BLR - 7th

Valeriia Trushevskaia RUS - 9th

Hearn - Snooker Is The Land Of Opportunity

This week’s BetVictor Northern Ireland Open in Belfast has seen more than half of the top-16 ranked players crash out in the opening round, underlining the strength in depth of players throughout the World Snooker Tour.

The tournament started on Monday with 15 of the world’s top 16 among the field, and eight of those lost their opening match. Seven of those defeats came against players ranked outside the top 60, with John Higgins (4) losing to Rory McLeod (61), Barry Hawkins (6) beaten by Chen Zifan (89), Mark Allen (7) losing to Niu Zhuang (90), Kyren Wilson (9) beaten by Lee Walker (95), Shaun Murphy (10) losing to Sam Baird (110), Stuart Bingham (12) beaten by Peter Lines (73) and Marco Fu (16) losing to Chen Feilong (126).


World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: “This amazing set of results justifies the format for this event and highlights the unprecedented quality of players throughout our tour. The players ranked among the top 16 are rewarded in the fact that they are seeded in the draw so that they can’t meet another top-16 player until the third round, but it’s a level playing field which is what top level sport should be. And they are vulnerable in the first round because there are so many good players throughout the rankings. The standard this season and the number of centuries and 147s being made has never been higher.

“Snooker is a land of opportunity and only the cream will rise to the top. All sport is about chasing dreams, but new players need the opportunity to chase that dream, and we have that now. We have a progressive system which is based on talent rather than reputation. The top 16 have huge benefits because they are invited to the Masters, the Shanghai Masters, the Championship League, seeded into the final stages of the World Championship, and seeded in the draw for every tournament. But in most ranking events they start in the same round as all 128 players and that is a fair system.

“Our overall prize money has grown from £3.5 million to £15 million within the past decade, and there are more and more players earning a good wage. In our current rankings there are 56 players who have earned £100,000 or more from ranking events within the past two years, whereas at the end of the 2015/16 season that figure was just 33. We are extremely ambitious in our plans to grow the sport further and create more opportunities for every player on our tour.”

Mosconi Cup 2018 - STATEMENT: MARIO HE

Mario He has withdrawn from the European squad for the forthcoming Mosconi Cup after receiving notification of a failed drugs test.

The case is ongoing, however, He has decided to withdraw from the European Mosconi Cup squad while he awaits the outcome of the investigation.

He said: “I‘m so, so sad that this happened. There is never a right time for this but this was the worst time I could imagine. The Mosconi Cup was always my dream and I made it, but now I can’t play it because I was tested positive by a doping test by a non-performance enhancing drug.

“It’s unreal and like a nightmare, which I will never forget in my life. I have high blood pressure, which I have had since a young age and my mum has it as well. I got a medicine which was not on the doping list. However, it didn’t work and we changed the pill. The new medicine had the same name just with a Plus on it, so that‘s why I was not concerned about it. But this wasn‘t legal.

“I want to say sorry to the organisations and federations that have to do some work because of my fault.”

He qualified for the 2018 Mosconi Cup through finishing second on the European Team ranking. He will be replace by Greece’s Alex Kazakis, who was the next highest placed player on the combined ranking list. The full, final ranking list can be viewed here: http://www.matchroompool.com/wp-content/uploads/euro-rankings-2018-18.pdf

Coral To Sponsor New Snooker Series

This season’s World Grand Prix, Players Championship and Tour Championship will now be sponsored by leading betting operator Coral, with snooker’s top players also set to battle for the newly created Coral Cup.

These tournaments were previously sponsored by Ladbrokes but the Ladbrokes Coral Group has taken a strategic decision to change the three title sponsorships to the Coral brand.

The Coral World Grand Prix will run from February 4-10 at Cheltenham Racecourse, with the top 32 players from the one-year ranking list to earn a place.

The top 16 on the one-year list will go on to the Coral Players Championship at the Guild Hall in Preston from March 4-10.

And only the top eight will make it to the Coral Tour Championship at Venue Cymru in Llandudno from March 19 to 24.

The top prizes at the three Coral Series events will be £100,000, £125,000 and £150,000 respectively, and any player taking all three titles will have his total rounded up from £375,000 to £500,000.

The player earning the most overall prize money across the three events will receive the inaugural Coral Cup.

All three events will receive extensive television coverage from ITV4.

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: “The race is on to qualify for the Coral World Grand Prix with only three counting events to go, the UK Championship, Scottish Open and German Masters, before the cut off point falls. Only the best 32 players of the season will make it to Cheltenham, and then the field becomes more and more elite for the events in Preston and Llandudno.

“Every pound counts over the coming weeks and it is a huge incentive for players to qualify for the Coral Series events because they have a high level of prestige and a fantastic level of prize money. Those who make it have the chance to push further ahead in the world rankings.

“We are thrilled to be working with the Coral team on what will be an outstanding trip of tournaments which will be watched by many millions of fans across the world.”

Simon Clare, Ladbrokes Coral PR Director said: “We are delighted to be partnering with World Snooker to launch such an exciting, new snooker series. Coral has a long history of sponsorship in snooker, but this decision to sponsor three such prestigious events and the inaugural Coral Cup is the biggest commitment we have ever made to the sport and one we are very proud to make. We can’t wait to get started.”

Tickets for all three Coral Series events are on sale now, for details visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

Currently among the top 32 of the one-year list are the likes of Mark Allen, Mark Selby, Judd Trump, Mark Williams, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Neil Robertson and John Higgins.

Betway Hoping For 147 Or 100 Centuries To Trigger Charity Donation

UK Championship title sponsor Betway are hoping for a centuries blitz or a maximum break at this year’s tournament, with a £10,000 donation to Jessie May Children’s Hospice At Home on the line.

The tournament at the York Barbican starts today and runs until December 9th, with 128 players battling for one of snooker’s Triple Crown titles.

Star names in the field include Judd Trump, Mark Selby, Mark Williams, John Higgins, Shaun Murphy, Neil Robertson, Ding Junhui and defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan.

And a 147 maximum break OR a total of 100 centuries in the whole tournament would trigger the £10,000 donation to World Snooker’s official charity Jessie May.

Since 2015, Betway has donated a total of £48,788 to World Snooker’s charity partners.

Alan Alger, PR Manager at Betway, said: “We’re looking forward to a fantastic two weeks of action in York. The best 128 players in the world are in the field and so there is no doubt the standard of play will be incredibly high.

“There have been five 147s made in the UK Championship since 2012 so there’s a good chance of another this year. And on the century count, last year there were 99 and in each of the previous two years there were 105 so we’re confident the players we’ll get to 100 this time.

“We’d love to make this donation to a wonderful cause in Jessie May so it’s over to the players to show their skills on the table!”

Jessie May Children’s Hospice at Home, based in Bristol, provides a hospice at home service for terminally ill children, offering care to families in the Bristol area.

Lindsey Horton, Corporate Partnerships Officer for Jessie May, added: "We can't believe this amazing and generous offer from Betway and on behalf of all our families and Nurses we send a HUGE thank you for your ongoing support. We're always cheering on the players and we know that they'll do us proud! Bring on the centuries."

For more information on Jessie May see www.jessiemay.org.uk

WPBSA Press Statement

WPBSA Disciplinary Hearing Result

At hearings that took place on 21st September and 2nd November 2018 before a three person Independent Tribunal Chaired by David Casement QC, Cao Yupeng and Yu Delu admitted breaches of the WPBSA Members Rules. This followed a lengthy investigation by the WPBSA Integrity Unit working with Sportradar Integrity Services and with support from the SBIU at the UK Gambling Commission.

In the case of Yu Delu the Tribunal found that he engaged in deliberate and premeditated corruption to secure substantial financial gain for his friends/associates and himself. He was involved in match-fixing on five occasions in five tournaments and his activity covers a period of 2 and a half years and he did this for substantial reward. He also admitted lying to the investigator, failing to cooperate with the investigation and betting on snooker when prohibited from doing so.

The finding of the Tribunal was that the starting point for Mr Delu was a suspension of 12 years. He was given credit for his plea of guilty, albeit late in the proceedings, and the actual sanction imposed was a suspension of 10 years and 9 months to run from 25th May 2018 until 24th February 2029. He was also ordered to pay £20,823.80 towards the WPBSA costs.

In the case of Cao Yupeng, he admitted to fixing the outcome of three matches in 2016 and failing to fully cooperate with the WPBSA enquiry.

The finding of the Tribunal was that the starting point for Mr Yupeng was a suspension of eight years. He was given credit for his plea of guilty which reduced the suspension to six years. Of that period he will serve a suspension of two and a half years unconditionally. The remaining three and a half years shall be suspended provided there is compliance with the written terms agreed between Mr Yupeng and the WPBSA to provide significant assistance to the WPBSA in its anti-corruption work.

Provided Mr Yupeng complies with his written agreement with the WPBSA, his suspension will run from 25th May 2018 until 24th November 2020. He was ordered to pay £15,558 towards the WPBSA costs.

Jason Ferguson Chairman of the WPBSA said: “It is very sad when talented players are attracted to the opportunity to make money from fixing matches. The WPBSA has very effective prevention and monitoring processes that protect the sport. Where players ignore this, they risk their careers and they will be caught. Cao Yupeng has shown true remorse and he will assist the WPBSA in player education and in its fight against corruption, which is reflected in his reduced sanction.

“The sanctions handed down to these players by the Independent Tribunal reflect how seriously the WPBSA treats such cases. This was a lengthy and difficult enquiry for which the Tribunal commended the WPBSA for its skill and professionalism in the investigation and presentation of the case.”

The full findings of the Independent Tribunal can be found here.

Both Players have 28 days to appeal the decision of the Tribunal

Yu Delu charges admitted

1.     That you agreed to fix the outcome of your match with Martin McCrudden at the Indian Open Qualifiers on 12th February 2015 in breach of Rule 2.1.2.1 ,

2.     That you agreed to fix the outcome of your match with Dominic Dale at the Paul Hunter Classic in Germany on 29th August 2015 in breach of Rule 2.1.2.1 ,

3.     That you agreed to fix the outcome of your match with Ian Glover at the Welsh Open in Wales on 15th February 2016 in breach of Rule 2.1.2.1 ,

4.     That you agreed to fix the outcome of your match with Michael Georgiou at the European Masters Qualifiers on 4th August 2017 in breach of Rule 2.1.2.1 ,

5.     That you agreed to fix the outcome of your match with Kurt Maflin at the Shanghai Masters on 15th November 2017 in breach of Rule 2.1.2.1 ,

6.     Between June and October 2017 you were approached to fix a match that you were to play in and you failed to report the approaches within 24 hours to the Company Secretary or Tournament Official in breach of Rule 4.1 of the WPBSA Members Rules.

That you failed to cooperate with the investigation by failing to provide material that was requested of you during the investigation in breach of Rule 4.4 of the WPBSA Members Rules.

That you have been betting on snooker in breach of Rule 2.1.1.1 of the WPBSA Members Rules,

Cao Yupeng charges admitted

That you agreed to fix the outcome of your match with Ali Carter at the Welsh Open in Wales 15th January 2016 in breach of Rule 2.1.2.1 ,

That you agreed to fix the outcome of your match with Stuart Bingham Indian Open Qualifiers on 30th June 2016 in breach of Rule 2.1.2.1 ,

That you agreed to fix the outcome of your match with Stephen Maguire at the UK Championships in York on 24th November 2016 in breach of Rule 2.1.2.1 ,

That you failed to cooperate with the investigation by failing to provide material that was requested of you during the investigation in breach of Rule 4.4 of the WPBSA Members Rules

WPBSA Betting Rules extracts:

2. Betting misconduct

2.1 It shall be a breach of these Rules for a Member to do any of the following:
2.1.1 Betting:

2.1.1.1 to place, accept, lay or otherwise make a Bet with any other person in     relation to the result, score, progress, conduct or any other aspect of the Tour and/or any Tournament or Match in events sanctioned by the         WPBSA, WSL or WBL;

2.1.2     Corruption:

2.1.2.1    to fix or contrive, or to be a party to any effort to fix or contrive, the result, score, progress, conduct or any other aspect of the Tour and/or any Tournament or Match;

4.     Reporting Breaches

4.1.                 In the event that a Member is approached or solicited in any way (whether directly or indirectly) to influence the outcome or conduct of any game of snooker or billiards whether or not in return for payment or any other form of remuneration or benefit (an "Approach"), that Member (the "Reporting Member") shall report such an Approach to the WPBSA (via the Company Secretary or a Tournament Official) as soon as reasonably practicable and in any event not later than 24 hours after any such Approach being made. Further, the Reporting Member shall provide the WPBSA (via the Company Secretary or a Tournament Official) with all information in his or her knowledge relating to the Approach and shall co-operate in any subsequent investigation and/or other action(s) arising out of such a report.

Each Member shall co-operate with the WPBSA in any investigation carried out by the WPBSA under the provisions of these Rules including (but not limited to):

4.4.1.    Providing a written statement setting out in detail all of the facts and circumstances with respect to any alleged breach;

4.4.2.    Attending to answer questions and provide such information at a time and place determined by the WPBSA

4.4.3.    Providing to the WPBSA upon its request any documents, information or any other material of any nature whatsoever held by the Member; and

4.4.4.    Procuring and providing to the WPBSA upon its request any documents, information or any other material of any nature whatsoever not held by the Member which the Member has the power to obtain.

4.4.5.    Providing the WPBSA with access to all records relating to the alleged breach. This includes, but is not limited to; betting accounts, bank records, telephone records, internet service records, social media accounts, email and other records stored on phones, tablets, electronic devices, computer hard drives or otherwise. To facilitate this, the Member will surrender any such devices for examination by the WPBSA or its representative.

The full WPBSA Members Rules can be viewed here.

Matchroom and Rasson announce new three-year deal

Matchroom Multi Sport can announce that RASSON BILLIARDS of Jiujiang City, China have inked a new three-year agreement that sees them continue their outstanding work as Official Table Supplier for Matchroom Pool’s prestigious international events. Rasson first started working with Matchroom Pool in 2016 and over the following three years, their Victory II table has garnered acclaim around the world for its quality, playability and stylish good looks.

With the World Pool Masters set for Gibraltar in March, and the partypoker Mosconi Cup returning to Mandalay Bay Resort, Las Vegas in December 2019, Rasson’s tables will continue to be seen on pool’s global stage over the next three years.

Commented Junny Song, General Manager of RASSON BILLIARDS, "We’re delighted to renew the contract with Matchroom. We’re so happy for the cooperation in past three years which was a great success!

“Matchroom did fantastic job on holding all the events and they bring the sport to a new level. Matchroom are synonymous with top-quality events, more and more people all over the world know Rasson and Rasson products through Matchroom events. They’ll know eventually that Rasson is also a synonym for top-quality products.

“It’s our belief to build truly great billiard products that combine both a unique look and top quality.

There’s no doubt we’ll continue working with Matchroom to support the sport. We look forward to closer cooperation with Matchroom on more programs in the future!"

Emily Frazer, COO of Matchroom Multi Sport said, “We are delighted to be continuing our relationship with RASSON across our Matchroom Pool events. Their Victory II table has proven a huge success and we are very much looking forward to building our relationship in the future.

“RASSON produce the highest-quality tables, as evidenced by the quality of play witnessed at Matchroom Pool events including the recent Mosconi Cup, which was one of the best ever. We continue to strive to ensure Matchroom Pool events are the best in the industry in every way and the quality and style of RASSON’s tables are a perfect fit for our events.”

15-17 JAN 2019, EXCEL LONDON

Three Essential Days For Your Business

For 10 years visitors from around the globe have been travelling to EAG International & VAE, secure in the knowledge that if it’s new and relevant to amusements and leisure, then it will be there.

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https://eaginternational.reg.buzz/

Allen - I'll Handle Masters Pressure

Mark Allen believes he will cope with the challenge of defending the title when he heads to the Dafabet Masters next week.

Allen won the title for the first time a year ago, beating Kyren Wilson in the final. He went on to have the best year of his career in 2018, winning the International Championship and Scottish Open ranking events as well as reaching the final of the UK Championship.

The 32-year-old from Antrim has been drawn against Luca Brecel in the opening match at Alexandra Palace in London on January 13 at 1pm.

“I’ve got to deal with the tag of being defending champion and whenever I have had it before I have done reasonably well,” said Allen. “I don’t see why it should be different this time just because it is the Masters. There is a lot of pressure with the Masters because it is an elite tournament, but I am looking forward to it.

“Everyone in the top 16 can play to a really high level. Ronnie O’Sullivan aside – because he is so talented – the difference is mental. They can all beat each other on any given day. Players like Mark Selby and Mark Williams do it more consistently because they are so strong mentally. The mind is so important in elite sport.”

World number six Allen feels that, given his recent success, he deserves to be considered among the best ever players from his homeland.

“I don’t want to speak out of turn, but I feel like I am the best snooker player that has ever come from Northern Ireland, although perhaps not the best winner yet,” he said. “Obviously Alex Higgins and Dennis Taylor have won three world titles between them. In my mind, if I want to get in the conversation, I have to win the World Championship. If I do that, then perhaps I will deserve to be talked about in the same league as them.”

Other top stars in the field at the Dafabet Masters, which runs from January 13 to 20, include Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Selby, Mark Williams, John Higgins and Judd Trump.

It’s snooker’s biggest invitation event and one of the Triple Crown tournaments alongside the World and UK Championships. An elite field of the world’s top 16 players are chasing the £200,000 top prize and famous Paul Hunter Trophy.

Tickets for most sessions are still available but BOOK NOW because they will sell out fast. VIP and corporate packages are also available for an extra special experience.

For details call 0871 620 7052 (calls cost 13p plus network access charges) or visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

The WPA and CSI to Produce the 2019 WPA Players Championship in Las Vegas

January 7, 2019

The World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) and CueSports International (CSI) are excited to announce a collaboration to produce the 2019 WPA Players Championship. The event will be staged at Griff’s Billiards in Las Vegas, April 16-19, ahead of the US Open 9-Ball Championship, which will be held April 21-26 at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. This WPA Category 3 Ranking event, with $50,000 added prize money, will provide players, especially those competing in the US Open 9-Ball Championship, even more opportunity in Las Vegas.

WPA President, Ian Anderson said, “The WPA is delighted to be staging its own ranking event in the legendary hub of pool, Las Vegas. Our goal is for this event to be the first of more to follow.”

The event will be limited to 64 players in a single elimination format with a 32-player consolation event for those eliminated in the first round. The main event will be a race to seven with the semi-final and final being a race to nine. The consolation event will be a race to five with the semi-final and final being a race to seven. 48 of the 64 players in the main event will be chosen by the WPA rankings and WPA member federations. A single $250 entry fee will cover the main event and the consolation tournament.

The remaining 16 spots will be filled by four qualifier tournaments, one per day, held at Griff’s Billiards April 12-15. The top four finishers from each qualifier will receive a paid spot in the main event. A single *$250 qualifier entry fee allows players to compete in all four qualifiers and will also gain free entry into the main event for those who qualify. Qualifiers will be single elimination, race to five and open to anyone not already entered in the main event. The field is limited to 96 players each day on a first come basis. Details will be available soon on how and where to enter.

(*a daily entry of $100 is an option)

“We are honored to assist the WPA in producing this event,” said CSI CEO, Ozzy Reynolds. “Professional pool is experiencing a resurgence in the U.S. and we are glad to be part of it. This is great for the players and the entire industry."

​Prize funds are guaranteed by the WPA, and the payouts for the main event and consolation tournament will be as follows.

WPA Players Championship Payouts

1 - $10,000
2 - $7,000
3/4 - $5,000 ea.
5/8 - $3,000 ea.
9/16 - $1,500 ea.
17/32 - $400 ea.

Consolation Tournament Payouts

1 - $1,500
2 - $1,000
3/4 - $500 ea.
5/8 - $250 ea.
9/16 - $150 ea.

Mark Griffin, owner of Griff’s Billiards, said, “We are thrilled that the WPA chose Griff’s as the host location for this event and we are excited to be part of the continued growth of professional pool.”

All other details will be released in the coming weeks at https://wpapool.com/wpa-players-championship/.

The World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) is the international governing body for pocket billiards and is comprised of six member federations representing North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. The WPA is the world-recognized body for sanctioning World Championship events. It is also one of the three member organizations of the World Confederation of Billiards Sports (WCBS), representing the billiard disciplines of pool, snooker and carom. For more information about the WPA, visit www.wpapool.com.

CueSports International (CSI) is an international pool league and event leader and is currently comprised of three divisions: CSI leagues, CSI events and CSI media. CSI leagues manages the BCA Pool League and USA Pool League, CSI events produces numerous amateur and professional events around the globe and CSI media creates live streaming and digital content. Through its vision and strategic alliances, CSI is “shaping the future of pool.” For more information about CSI or any of its divisions, visit www.playcsipool.com or find CueSports International on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.

Rasson and EPBF extend partnership

Rasson Billiards have confirmed their partnership with the European Pocket Billiard Federation EPBF for another year. Once more, the Jiujiang City, China, based company will stand side by side with Europe’s governing body for pool billiards.

Established in 1990, the Rasson slate has conquered the World’s market for slates rather quickly. The name Rasson is very famous for high quality slate that many table manufacturers chose for their product in order to meet the highest quality standards of the game and provide the best material for the athletes. “We’re delighted to extend the contract with EPBF for another three years! We’ve been cooperating with EPBF for over 10 years which proves sufficiently we’re happy for the relationship with each other. EPBF has been a leading and excellent federation in organizing pool events for professional players, also provides a great platform for more young and new generation. RASSON as a leading enterprise in billiards, it’s our honor also mission to support the sport and let more fans from all over the world enjoy the game. We look forward to a longer and closer cooperation with EBPF in the future!” stated Junny Song, General Manager of Rasson Billiards. „It is great that our partners, Rasson Billiards, are again with us in 2019 and they will be supplying the table slate for all our events this year. It is an important part of our equipment and with the standard already set, we are happy that we can continue supplying the best equipment at all our events in 2019„ said David Morris, President of International Billiard Promotion IBP.

Mezz Cues on board once more

The EPBF is proud to announce that Mezz Cues will be on board the EPBF sponsor family for another year.

Mezz Cues is part of the Miki Co., Ltd. Miki has more than 50 years of experience and achievement in cue making filled with continuous innovations. Based in Tomioka, Gunma in Japan, Miki uses the world’s most advanced technology to create billiard equipment that makes the game easier and more fun for players. Miki has been and will continue to commit itself in creating superior pool cues, carom cues, snooker cues and other accessories to enhance your playability.

Said Juri Talu, representative of Mezz Cues: "We are happy to extend our cooperation with the EPBF for another season as we always want to be as much as possible available for the sport and athletes. Therefore we want to invest our part into EPBF efforts to help our beloved sport to grow and naturally we want to give back something to the pool community.“ “Mezz are one of the oldest cue makers in the world and established in 1960, they have become an integral part of the billiard world, it’s fantastic that they will again be a partner at our events in 2019” commented IBPF President David Morris.

Snooker Ace O’Sullivan To Play On Opening Night In Cheltenham

Snooker’s leading players will be in Cheltenham next month for the Coral World Grand Prix, with crowd favourite Ronnie O’Sullivan to play on the opening night.

Staged at the Centaur arena, it’s the first ever professional snooker event to be held at Cheltenham Racecourse. The world ranking event runs from February 4 to 10 with a top prize of £100,000 up for grabs.

The leading 32 players on snooker’s one-year ranking list qualify for the event. The field is not yet confirmed as there is still one more counting event, the German Masters which finishes on February 3.

However many top stars are already guaranteed a place in the draw. The following first round matches, for the current top eight players on the one-year list, have been scheduled:

Monday February 4

7pm
Five-time World Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan v opponent
2018 Masters champion Mark Allen v opponent

Tuesday February 5

1pm
Current World Champion Mark Williams v opponent
Triple Crown winner Neil Robertson v opponent

7pm
Northern Ireland Open champion Judd Trump v opponent
Cheltenham's rising star Jack Lisowski v opponent

Wednesday February 6

1pm
World number one Mark Selby v opponent
World Open finalist David Gilbert v opponent

Other top stars currently in line to qualify include John Higgins, Shaun Murphy, Stuart Bingham, Kyren Wilson, Barry Hawkins and Ding Junhui. The full draw and format will be announced as soon as it is available.

A spokesman for World Snooker said: “It’s looking like an incredibly strong field for Cheltenham, we’re delighted to see a superb line up building. This is going to be a great opportunity for the local fans to see the very best players on the planet and experience the unique thrill of live snooker.

"We have scheduled matches for the top eight so that fans know when their favourites will be in action. We expect tickets to sell extremely fast for those sessions so they must be booked quickly.

“There is a great sense of anticipation among the players to compete at the world famous Cheltenham Racecourse for the first time and we have no doubt that this will be a wonderful week of top class sporting action.”

Televised by ITV, the Coral World Grand Prix is the first in the Coral series, to be followed by the Coral Players Championship in Preston and new Coral Tour Championship in Llandudno.

Tickets for Cheltenham are now on sale and start at just £15, tremendous value for money.

For an extra special experience there are also amazing hospitality packages available for all sessions, for up to 18 people in a private box.

For details call 0871 620 7052 (Calls cost 13p per minute from a BT landline plus network charges) or visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets


Ronnie O'Sullivan won the World Grand Prix last year

KAMUI BECOME OFFICIAL CHALK AND TIP OF MATCHROOM POOL EVENTS

Matchroom Multi Sport is delighted to announce a new three-year partnership which sees KAMUI become the Official Chalk and Tip of Matchroom Pool events.

The 26th annual World Pool Masters, to take place in Gibraltar in March, will be the first event in the new partnership. KAMUI will also be the Official Chalk and Tip of April’s US Open 9-Ball Championship, the 43rd staging of the prestigious event and the first under the promotion of Matchroom Multi Sport.

This summer’s World Cup of Pool and the partypoker Mosconi Cup, which returns to Mandalay Bay Resort, Las Vegas in December, will also have KAMUI as their Official Chalk and Tip.

Masato Hiraoka, President of KAMUI BRAND said: "We are very excited to announce that we have agreed this partnership with Matchroom Multi Sport. We have been driving cue sports to a better stage by spreading KAMUI BRAND's mission, ‘Quest for Excellence’. Together with Matchroom Multi Sport, we will be able to present the greatest experience to all the fans of cue sports."

Emily Frazer, Chief Operating Officer of Matchroom Multi Sport, said: “We are thrilled to have KAMUI on board as our Official Chalk and Tip partner across the Matchroom Pool events.

“This is an exciting new partnership for us and we cannot wait to work with KAMUI. They place an emphasis on quality and their brand mission ‘Quest For Excellence’ is something we share at Matchroom Pool.”

Trump Craves More Titles

Judd Trump believes he can build on his Masters triumph and win more titles in the remainder of the season.

Trump captured his second career Triple Crown title, and first for eight years, by beating Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-4 in the final of the Masters earlier this month.

And the 29-year-old from Bristol is determined to keep his momentum going as he looks ahead to a run of tournaments in the coming months.

This week he’ll be in Berlin competing for the German Masters crown, then next week the circuit heads to Cheltenham for the Coral World Grand Prix.

Trump will be part of a star-studded 32-man field at the Centaur arena at Cheltenham Racecourse, alongside the likes of O’Sullivan, Mark Selby, John Higgins, Mark Williams, Mark Allen and Neil Robertson.

Running from February 4 to 10, it’s the first in the Coral Series of three tournaments televised by ITV. A top prize of £100,000 will be up for grabs at the world ranking event in Cheltenham.

“I don’t want to stop here,” said world number five Trump. “I want to go on and win as many tournaments as I can while I’m playing well and enjoying it. I just have to go away and keep working hard in practice and hopefully the titles will follow.

“The Masters was one of the tournaments I always wanted to win as a kid growing up. I take a lot of confidence from the way I played.

“Cheltenham is close to where I come from so it’s a tournament that I want to do well in. I’ll have a few friends and family up from Bristol and hopefully some local support as well. I’ve never been to the venue but (local favourite) Jack Lisowski has told me it’s a lovely place.

“All of the top players enjoy playing in these ITV events. They have really taken off because the fields are very strong, they are tough to win, similar to the Masters in a way.”

Tickets for Cheltenham are now on sale and start at just £15, tremendous value for money.

For an extra special experience there are also amazing hospitality packages available for all sessions, for up to 18 people in a private box .

For details call 0871 620 7052 (Calls cost 13p per minute from a BT landline plus network charges) or visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

2018 US Open 8-Ball Championship Matches Released on YouTube

February 4, 2019

CSI is pleased to announce that recorded matches from the 2018 US Open 8-Ball Championship have been released on the CSI YouTube Channel. Seventeen (17) videos featuring many of the world's best players such as Shane Van Boening, Alex Pagulayan, Skyler Woodward, Thorsten Hohmann, Dennis Orcollo, Corey Deuel, Eklent Kaci and more can be viewed in their entirety – absolutely free!

The 2018 US Open 8-Ball Championship was held July 21-24 at Griff's Billiards in Las Vegas, NV and was made possible by the following sponsors:

​CueSports International (CSI): www.playcsipool.com

Griff's Bar & Billiards: www.griffslv.com

​Simonis Cloth: www.simoniscloth.com

Cyclop Balls: www.diamondpooltables.com/Cyclop-Ball-Sets

RECORDED MATCHES

Match 1: Mitch Ellerman (USA) vs Chris Robinson (USA)

Match 2: Eklent Kaci (Albania) vs Rory Hendrickson (USA)

Match 3: Skyler Woodward (USA) vs Omar Al-Shaheen (Kuwait)

Match 4: Ernesto Dominguez (Mexico) vs Alex Olinger (USA)

Match 5: Chris Robinson (USA) vs Jeffrey De Luna (Philippines)

Match 6: Billy Thorpe (USA) vs Dennis Orcollo (Philippines)

Match 7: Dennis Hatch (USA) vs Brandon Shuff (USA)

Match 8: Corey Deuel (USA) vs Josh Roberts (USA)

Match 9: Shane Van Boening (USA) vs Eklent Kaci (Albania)

Match 10: Oscar Dominguez (USA) vs James Aranas (Philippines)

Match 11: Dennis Orcollo (Philippines) vs James Aranas (Philippines)

​Match 12: Alex Pagulayan (Canada) vs Eklent Kaci (Albania)

Match 13: Shane Van Boening (USA) vs Oscar Dominguez (USA)

Match 14: Alex Pagulayan (Canada) vs Thorsten Hohmann (Germany) HOT SEAT MATCH

Match 15: Shane Van Boening (USA) vs Dennis Orcollo (Philippines)

​Match 16: Shane Van Boening (USA) vs Thorsten Hohmann (Germany) SEMI-FINAL MATCH

Match 17: Alex Pagulayan (Canada) vs Shane Van Boening (USA) FINAL MATCH

Please SUBSCRIBE to the CSI YouTube Channel to be notified whenever we upload new content.

CueSports International (CSI) is an international pool league and event leader and is currently comprised of three divisions: CSI leagues, CSI events and CSI media. CSI leagues manages the BCA Pool League and USA Pool League, CSI events produces numerous amateur and professional events around the globe and CSI media creates live streaming and digital content. Through its vision and strategic alliances, CSI is “shaping the future of pool.” For more information about CSI or any of its divisions, visit www.playcsipool.com or find CueSports International on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.

Diamond is Official Table of 43rd US Open

DIAMOND Billiards will be the Official Table Supplier of the US Open 9-Ball Championship for the next two years, Matchroom Multi Sport is pleased to announce.

The news means DIAMOND Billiards will continue its long-standing partnership with the US Open 9-Ball Championship and will provide all 34 match tables for this year’s event, which will take place at Mandalay Bay Resort, Las Vegas from April 21-26.

With a full field already confirmed for the event, 33 tables will be used at the double elimination stage to whittle the 256 entrants down to the final 16. At that point, the event continues in the DIAMOND Arena when the format switches to straight knockout with every match played on the TV table and broadcast live around the world.

Chad Sharlow, President of Diamond Billiards, said: “We are very excited to continue the long running relationship between DIAMOND and the US Open 9-Ball Championship.

“As the Official Table for the US Open, DIAMOND looks forward to elevating the game with unsurpassed playability and quality, assisting Matchroom Multi Sport in taking this great event to the next level.

“It is awesome to have an event of this magnitude in the United States and to have a US manufacturer provide the Official pool tables. The US Open is the longest running 9-Ball event in the United States and DIAMOND has been the Official pool table for many years. We are excited to continue this relationship between the most prestigious billiards promotion company in the industry paired with the best playing pool tables in the world.”

Emily Frazer, COO of Matchroom Multi Sport, added: “We are thrilled that Diamond will continue to provide the match tables for the US Open 9-Ball Championship. Both Matchroom Pool and the US Open have a long history with DIAMOND and it is great news for our full field of 256 players that they’ll be playing on the world-class DIAMOND tables again this year.

“DIAMOND is one of the longest-established and most respected brands in pool and we are thrilled to have them on board for the US Open for at least the next two years. Our TV Arena for the final three days of the event will also take DIAMOND’s name, giving global prominence to their association with the US Open 9-Ball Championship.”

DIAMOND, which was formed in Louisville, Kentucky and is now based in Jeffersonville, Indiana has seen its table used in well over 100 major tournaments around the world.

Tickets for the 43rd US Open 9-Ball Championship are available now at www.matchroompool.com from as little as $10 with VIP packages also available for the final three days of the tournament.

The tournament will be split into two stages with the full field playing double elimination down to the final 16 from Sunday April 21st until Tuesday April 23rd across multiple tables. From Wednesday April 24th until Friday April 26th the final 16 players will play straight knockout in the TV Arena in front of a global television audience.

The prize fund for the 43rd US Open 9-Ball Championship is set at a minimum $300,000.


Emily Frazer, COO of Matchroom Multi Sport and Chad Sharlow, President of Diamond Billiards

Letter to Players from WPA about CBSA Event

Dear Players

China (CBSA) has recently announced it intends to run the Chinese Pool World Championship in Yushan, 15-21 March 2019.

The contract between WPA and CBSA for this event has been terminated for breach of contract and therefore the event is no longer sanctioned. This means, as an international event, it cannot be considered as a legitimate world championship and has no credibility as such.

Because of this, the WPA respectfully asks players not to support such an event in the best long-term interests of the sport. Penalties will be applied to players who do participate as it against the rules of the WPA. It has been decided by the WPA that any player who does participate will lose all of their WPA ranking points and will not be permitted to participate in the next WPA Ranking event (the WPA Players Championship).

In addition, there may also be other penalties applied, including fines, imposed by the local, national and/or continental federations against participating players. Any offending player will have no ranking points to their credit for the start of 2019, and will not be considered for any wildcard nominations, meaning the only way into a ranking event tournament will be through Stage 1, the qualifying system.

Thanks for your attention and support.

Regards

Gre Leenders
WPA General Secretary

MATCHROOM MULTI SPORT AND PREDATOR EXTEND LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP

Matchroom Multi Sport is thrilled to announce that Predator will continue as the Official Cue, Bridge & Glove of Matchroom Pool events for a further three years.

Predator and Matchroom Multi Sport have a long-standing partnership that will now continue until at least 2021 with Predator as Official Cue, Bridge & Glove of the Mosconi Cup, US Open 9-Ball Championship, World Pool Masters and World Cup of Pool.

In addition, Predator will host the 2019 US Open 9-Ball Championship Asia Qualifiers, on March 2nd and March 3rd at Fifth Avenue Club, Malaysia where two players will earn entry into the US Open 9-Ball Championship.

Karim Belhaj, CEO of Predator, said: “We are happy to see our 17-year partnership with Matchroom grow. Their approach is different and innovative all while keeping the players at the center-stage of every event. It’s a natural fit with Predator’s vision to grow our sport and inspire more people to play worldwide.

“We are excited about being part of the new US Open in April 2019 and all the cool new events Matchroom has planned for the coming years.”

Matchroom Multi Sport COO Emily Frazer said: “Predator are a world-leader in billiards products and we are delighted to extend our partnership for a further three years across our pool events. Karim and the team at Predator have a passion for the sport and driving the billiards industry to the next level. They are a great company to work with and we are excited to be able to continue our great relationship with them for a further three years.”

The next Matchroom Pool event is the World Pool Masters from 29-31 March in Gibraltar and that is followed by the US Open at the Mandalay Bay – 21- 26 April. The World Cup of Pool follows in June and November sees the 26th annual Mosconi Cup which again takes place at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

John Leyman Named CSI Director of Rules & Referees

March 5, 2019

CueSports International is pleased to announce John Leyman as the new CSI Director of Rules & Referees.

John brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position. He has been a certified referee for the past 20 years and is frequently called upon by other organizations to serve as Head Referee and Tournament Director for many events across the U.S. John has also been a loyal BCA Pool League Operator since 1997.

CSI recognizes the importance of quality referees and John will help enhance what is already the best referee program in the U.S.
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Please help us welcome John to his new position!

CueSports International (CSI) is an international pool league and event leader and is currently comprised of three divisions: CSI leagues, CSI events and CSI media. CSI leagues manages the BCA Pool League and USA Pool League, CSI events produces numerous amateur and professional events around the globe and CSI media creates live streaming and digital content. Through its vision and strategic alliances, CSI is “shaping the future of pool.” For more information about CSI or any of its divisions, visit www.playcsipool.com or find CueSports International on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.