Site News
Topic: *Industry News* 2015 - 2024

MATCHROOM LAUNCHES INDEPENDENT MEDIA PRODUCTION ARM

Matchroom is delighted to announce the launch of Matchroom Media, a new independent media production arm under the Matchroom brand.

Utilising over 40 years of experience in producing and globally distributing live sporting events – this new division will be home to production of live events, original documentaries and shoulder programming for all broadcast platforms.

Despite the challenges faced in 2020, Matchroom produced over 800 hours of live original programming and expects that to grow beyond 1,200 hours in 2021. With a 12-sport calendar, expected to include the undisputed Heavyweight World Championship with Anthony Joshua, boxing’s Pound for Pound star Canelo Alvarez, the Professional Darts Corporation, World Snooker and Matchroom Multi Sport schedule – the ability to create engaging content is more important than ever.

The latest innovation came in the form of Matchroom.Live, an in-house OTT platform taking advantage of over 13,000 hours of archive footage, whilst also giving a platform for fans around the world to watch Matchroom events live.

Matchroom Media will be headed up by current Director of Programming Katie Hearn who has been at the forefront of Matchroom’s TV expansion since 2004. Katie began at Sky Sports in 1996 and became one of the first women to work on the Premiership and International Football production team. Hearn worked as an Associate Producer on Premier League, FA Cup, England International Matches, Pay Per View Football and European Cup football.

Katie Hearn said: "Matchroom has positioned itself at the forefront of creating and delivering original and unique programming to sporting audiences around the world. We’re excited to expand to produce not only more live sport, but engaging new content to support these events and the sportsmen and women that drive them. From outside broadcasts, live streams and shoulder programming, we’re committed to bring global audiences epic sporting moments and the inspiring stories that are behind them."

Group Managing Director Eddie Hearn commented: “Content has never been more powerful and as we continue our global expansion, in house production of our own live events will help us align the narrative from idea to execution. We plan to assemble the best production team and sharpest talent for our live broadcasts and bring you compelling content and storylines around our 12 sports. We have unique access that will allow us to grow the hype and narrative through powerful shoulder programming and keep the fans and viewers constantly engaged.”

ABOUT MATCHROOM

Matchroom has grown into one of the world’s largest suppliers of sports programming over the past four decades. Leaders in its field with a diverse portfolio of twelve sports: Boxing, Darts, Snooker, 9-Ball Pool, Golf, Fishing, Basketball, Netball, Ping Pong, Gymnastics, Ten Pin Bowling and Poker.

For more information:

Daniel Barnard

Head of Media, Matchroom Boxing UK
daniel.barnard@matchroom.com
+44 7384 796109

Celtic Manor Resort To Host Snooker's BetVictor Welsh Open

The Celtic Manor Resort will stage snooker’s BetVictor Welsh Open for the first time next month, behind closed doors.

The world ranking event will run from February 15 to 21, with 128 of the world’s best players battling for the Ray Reardon Trophy.

Televised by BBC Wales, Eurosport, CCTV5 and various other broadcasters, the tournament has a global television audience of hundreds of millions.

Shaun Murphy will be defending the title against a field packed with snooker’s top stars. The draw and format will be announced in due course.

Since June 2020, WST has staged the majority of tournaments at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes, where strict Covid-19 regulations can be followed. The only exception was the World Championship which was staged in Sheffield.

WST has full confidence that the same rigorous Covid-19 regulations can be followed at Celtic Manor, which successfully staged the Celtic Classic and ISPS HANDA Wales Open tournaments on golf’s European Tour behind closed doors with Covid-secure protocols in August 2020.

Also the host venue for the 2010 Ryder Cup, the resort near Newport in South Wales will now stage a professional snooker event for the first time.

WST Chairman Barry Hearn OBE said: “We are delighted to be staging this huge tournament at Celtic Manor for the first time. This event has such a rich history in Wales, and along with our partners at BBC Wales and Eurosport, we were determined to keep it there.

“In order to stage events of this magnitude we need to ensure that the venue has the right facilities and is big enough to welcome 128 players plus everyone who works on the event while observing social distancing, hygiene, isolation and all of the other Covid-19 regulations which are essential on our events.

“We have no doubt that Celtic Manor ticks all of these boxes, it is a fantastic venue and the players will love it. Unfortunately fans can’t come to watch but it will be seven days of tremendous entertainment for television viewers across the globe.”

Celtic Manor Resort Chief Executive Ian Edwards said: “We are very excited to host a professional snooker tournament for the first time. It is a shame that fans will not be able to attend, especially as South Wales is such a hotbed for snooker, but we all recognise the public health priorities at this time and we will draw on our experience over the past 12 months to provide the safest possible environment for the players and officials.”

The BetVictor Welsh Open is the fifth event in the BetVictor European Series, with the leader of the Order of Merit after six events to bank a £150,000 bonus. Mark Selby is currently the front runner, but just two of the six events have been played so far.

It is also the fourth and final Home Nations event of the season, following the English Open, Northern Ireland Open and Scottish Open.

CAZOO LAUNCHES PARTNERSHIP WITH WORLD SNOOKER TOUR
Sponsorship of new Cazoo Series to cover 3 major tournaments

Cazoo, the UK’s leading online car retailer, which makes ordering a car as simple and seamless as buying any other product online today, announces that it has signed a multi-year deal with the World Snooker Tour (WST) as the main sponsor of the Players Championship, Tour Championship and World Grand Prix.

This trio of prestigious events on the snooker calendar will be known as the Cazoo Series and will see prominent Cazoo branding on the main set, players’ waistcoats and interview and media conference backdrops and will have extensive live coverage on ITV and a range of broadcasters across the globe.

The Cazoo Players Championship will take place from February 22 to 28, contested by the leading 16 players on the one-year ranking list, followed by the Cazoo Tour Championship which will run from March 22 to 28, featuring an elite field of the world’s top eight.

During the 2021/22 season, the Cazoo Series will start with the Cazoo World Grand Prix, scheduled for early December.

This latest deal with WST adds snooker to Cazoo’s impressive portfolio of major sports sponsorships announced over the past year which includes principal sponsorship of the Rugby League World Cup, The Hundred cricket tournament as well as Premier League football teams Everton and Aston Villa.

Cazoo owns and fully reconditions all its cars before offering them on its website. Cazoo has thousands of cars available at any time for either delivery or collection in as little as 72 hours. Every Cazoo car comes with a full 7-day money back guarantee and a comprehensive 90-day warranty.

Cazoo is pioneering the shift to online car buying in the UK and, since its launch just over one year ago, has already delivered over 15,000 cars to consumers across the UK who have embraced the selection, transparency and convenience of buying high quality used cars entirely online.

Alex Chesterman OBE, Founder & CEO of Cazoo said, “We are delighted to partner with Barry and his team at the World Snooker Tour to launch the Cazoo Series. This partnership will help to further grow our audience as we continue to build Cazoo into a household brand and we look forward to engaging with and delivering the best car buying experience to snooker fans across the UK.”

Barry Hearn OBE, Chairman of WST said: “We are excited to welcome Cazoo to the snooker family and are looking forward to introducing our significant global audience to the Cazoo brand. The events in the Cazoo Series are some of the highest quality tournaments on the calendar because they bring together the cream of the crop and only the players in form earn a place in the draw.”

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
EPBF / WPA Press Release February 2nd, 2010

UPDATE ON CROWDFUNDING FOR SANDMAN

Until today, the EPBF has received 9.900,-€ in order to help the Sandman family after the tragic incident in late December last year when their home and most of their belongings were lost in a landslide.

This huge amount was brought together by various donors, federations, members from the billiard industry as well as private donors who felt it necessary to help. A great „THANK YOU“ goes out to all those individuals!

The crowdfunding will continue until February 20th, 2021. Anyone who is still
interested and/or willing to donate for Jörgen and his family is very welcome to do so.

Account holder: European Pocket Billiard Federation
Reason for Payment: Crowdfunding Sandman
BIC Nr. / Swift Code: INGBNL2AXXX
IBAN: NL53INGB0664794386
Account Nr.: 0664794386

All donations received will be forwarded to the Sandman family. The EPBF will update the amount forwarded to the Sandmans on a regular basis.

POOL FANS WORLDWIDE, LET’S HELP – NOW !!!

PREDATOR JOIN FORCES WITH MATCHROOM TO TITLE SPONSOR CHAMPIONSHIP LEAGUE POOL

Matchroom Multi Sport and Predator are excited to announce an extension of their current long-term partnership that will see Predator title-sponsor the brand-new Championship League Pool this March 22-29.

Building on a relationship which is entering its 20th year, Matchroom and Predator will deliver the first major pool event of 2021 as 19 players compete over eight action-packed days in Milton Keynes, England.

Predator Championship League Pool has a prize fund of $85,950 and will stream two tables of action live around the world, with 12 matches played on each table daily.

Every day features a seven-player group, with each player facing every other player once in a race-to-5. At the end of the group the top four will advance to the play-offs, playing a semi-final and then final, also played as race-to-5. Play-off champions will advance to the big-money Winners’ Group on March 29, which will provide the showpiece conclusion of Predator Championship League Pool.

Players who finished bottom of each group are eliminated from the event, while the remaining five players in each group will continue to the next day’s play, where two new players enter the tournament.

Emily Frazer, Managing Director of Matchroom Multi Sport, said: “There is a great deal of excitement within the Matchroom camp right now with our biggest ever year of pool scheduled, despite the current climate. The launch of our new event, Championship League Pool has been warmly welcomed by our partners at Predator who share our determination and vision of further expanding the sport.

“The unique format of Predator Championship League Pool has refreshingly allowed both us and Predator to think outside the box and push new boundaries on creativity and advertisement. I am confident that between both teams involved, innovative ideas can be produced delivering a further exciting product for fans across the world who are yearning for live professional pool right now; and what better event than Predator Championship League Pool - giving everyone access to 24 matches, 20 hours a day for eight days solid.

“It is one thing to introduce a new event, it is another to have such a determined partner to share the journey with us!”

Karim Belhaj, CEO of Predator Group also shares his enthusiasm for the event: “Our purpose is to innovate and inspire more players to play the game we love. With the new Championship League Pool format that the Matchroom team came up with, we see an exciting event that matches our vision. We’re really thrilled to expand our partnership with Matchroom and kickstart the 2021 professional season with the Predator CLP.”

The first players taking part in Predator Championship League Pool will be announced later this week. For all the latest news and announcements follow Matchroom Pool on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

PRESS RELEASE

EPBF ends suspension of Croatian Billiard Association HBS by December 1st, 2020

The Board of the European Pocket Billiard Federation has decided to end the suspension of the Croatian Billiard Association HBS as per December 31st, 2020.

The HBS was suspended during 2020 since one of their members who is currently suspended by WADA for four years for failing to conduct an antidoping test was playing several events which were at least in parts organised and/or sanctioned by HBS. The HBS did nothing in order to stop this athlete from participating in such events. After several attempts by the Board of the EPBF to stop this conduct, the EPBF saw no other choice but to suspend the HBS by June 17th, 2020.

The HBS appealed against that decision and the Court of Arbitration (CoA) of the EPBF was asked to deal with the matter. After hearing all parties involved, the EPBF CoA decided that the Board’s decision would stand and rejected the appeal.

Since the Board of the HBS was open to understand their misconduct, the Board of the EPBF now decided to end the suspension by the end of last year. That means, that members of HBS are from now on free to participate in events organised by the EPBF.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

EPBF / WPA Press Release
February 27th, 2021

FINAL INFO ON CROWDFUNDING FOR SANDMAN

The crowdfunding for Jörgen Sandman and his family which was raised by the EPBF and the WPA in January this year after the dramatic incident has finally come to an end. The incredible amount of 15.335,-€ was collected to help Sandman get back into a normal life.

We would like to thank these individuals, companies and federations to make this effort possible:

The money will be forwarded to the Sandmans very soon. The European Pocket Billiard Federation would like to thank all people involved for their help and their concern.

Ryythy, Marko
Nikl, Kristijan
Maurer, Jochen
Ullmann-Hybler, Yvonne
Haapanen, Mari
Kronlachner, Andreas
Koninklijke Nederlandse Biljart Bond
La Riviere, Willem & Wife
Gennaro, Carlone
Difflipp, Heiko
Andrikoupoulos, Petros
Babica, Radoslaw
Szewczyk, Tomasz
Union Mondiale de Billard
Dynamic Billard Organisation GmbH
Predator Cues
Swedish Billiard Federation
Saluc S.A.
World Confederation of Billiards
Brikmanis, Tomas
British Pool Federation
British Wheelchair Organisation
Simonis S.A.
Federata Kosovare E Biliardos
Grönquist, Karin & Bo Göran
Leenders, Marina & Gre
Curfs, Mira
Souquet, Ralf
Krzeminski, Marcin
Manurat, Anand
Ouschan, Jasmin
Anderson, Ian
WPA
EPBF

****NOTICE: 2021 DATE CHANGE****

JUNE 24-27, 2021

As many of you may have anticipated, we are once again changing the dates of our annual Super Billiards Expo. The event has been pushed back to June 24-27, 2021

We’ve been monitoring local regulations and have been in discussions with local personnel in order to determine the best course of action. At this juncture, the facility is limited to 50% capacity. Although this makes our event possible, with some restrictions – it is not ideal.

This message was posted to our homepage and Facebook profile on February 15th. Please stay tuned to these outlets for any relevant updates.

Since the vaccine is now being rolled out, we feel it is prudent to push the event back a few more months to allow more time for people to be protected. In addition, the weather will be warmer, so traditional “flu season” will be a bit further behind us.

The Covid landscape is changing weekly, so we will post another update 60 days ahead of our newly anticipated dates. We are optimistic that June will be a good time for our event to resume. We’ll have some enhanced safety guidelines in place, but we are all fairly used to these by now.

If you are a player in our Players Championship Series of events, your entry will be rolled over to new dates; if you cannot attend these new dates, you can visit this page and request a refund. Note that you can wait and do this later as well, in case we need to change the dates again – which unfortunately is a reality in these uncertain times. If you are in the TAP League Rally in the Valley Event, you should receive notice from the National office as to how these changes effect you.

We will post a follow-up message on April 15 with further details or changes.
Thanks again for your patience and understanding. We hope everyone is healthy and safe and look forward to seeing you all soon!

Allen Hopkins
Allen Hopkins Productions

World Women’s Snooker Awarded Pro Tour Places

WPBSA and WST are delighted to announce a historic agreement which will see leading World Women’s Snooker (WWS) stars Reanne Evans and Ng On Yee offered the chance to turn professional from the start of the 2021/22 season with two-year tour cards.

The announcement forms part of a wider commitment which today reinforces the role of the WPBSA’s World Women’s Snooker Tour as a major development tour within our sport’s elite pathway. In addition to the two tour cards, it has also been confirmed that places at professional tournaments such as the Betfred World Championship and Champion of Champions will continue to be offered each season.

England’s Reanne Evans and Ng On Yee of Hong Kong have been the flagbearers for women’s snooker for over 15 years, having between them dominated the sport’s major competitions.

Evans is the most successful women’s snooker player ever, having won the World Championship on a record 12 occasions since 2005. In 2020 she was awarded an MBE for her services to our sport and previously spent one season on the professional tour in 2010/2011.

For Ng, the Asian star is set to enjoy her first spell on the professional tour, having emerged as the greatest threat to Evans’ dominance during the past decade. A three-time winner of the World Championship since 2015 and a former world number one, Ng is also a two-time winner of the prestigious ‘Best of the Best’ award at the Samsung Sports Awards in Hong Kong and has been widely celebrated in her home country.

A Sport for All

Since becoming a subsidiary development tour of the WPBSA in December 2015, the World Women’s Snooker Tour has seen significant growth, with player participation having more than doubled during that time with over 150 ranked players from 29 countries currently represented.

Historically based within the UK, WWS has since staged prestigious ranking events in countries such as Thailand, Singapore, Australia, Malta, Germany and Belgium, having become a truly international sport for all.

Alongside the World Women’s Snooker Tour itself, the WPBSA has also remained committed to providing opportunities for women to compete alongside the best professional players in the world, including at the World Championship, Champion of Champions and Shoot Out competitions.

Snooker is a rare example of a sport that can place men and women on the same field of play to compete equally and both the WPBSA and WWS are delighted that today’s announcement marks another significant milestone in helping elite female talent to compete at the very highest level of our sport.

“A Huge Moment for Women’s Snooker”

Mandy Fisher, WWS President, said: “I am thrilled that from next season two of our leading women’s snooker stars will be able to take their place on the professional circuit.

“World Women’s Snooker celebrates its 40th anniversary later this year and I can honestly say that today’s announcement marks one of the most significant days in our history so far. With the support of Jason Ferguson and the WPBSA, we have taken significant strides in recent seasons and for our tour and most importantly our players to be recognised in this way represents a huge moment for women in snooker.”

Jason Ferguson, WPBSA Chairman, said: “For many years we have championed the role of women in our sport, from offering opportunities for our women to compete at major professional events, to our development of the WPBSA’s World Women’s Snooker Tour.

“We firmly believe that there is no reason why a woman cannot compete equally with a man and today’s announcement underlines our commitment to women’s snooker both now and in the future.

“Through seeing our leading female players compete on television on a regular basis, we are confident that more women and girls from across the club will be inspired to pick up a cue and look to emulate their achievements in the future.”

Women’s Snooker Opportunities – 2021/22 season
World Snooker Tour cards (2) - determined by WWS rankings
World Championship Qualifiers (2) - determined by WWS rankings
Champion of Champions (1) - reigning World Women’s Snooker Championship winner

Learn more about the World Women’s Snooker Tour at www.womenssnooker.com

PRESS RELEASE

Event Schedule Update 2021

The current pandemic has pretty much turned the situation in the world upside down.

Of course, sport in general, and billiards in particular are not exempt. The last tournament where we were surprised by the Corona pandemic was the EuroTour in February 2020 in Treviso, Italy.

Since then, the tournament scene went quiet. Other problems came to the fore and are to a large extent still part of all our lives.

Nevertheless, the EPBF still look ahead to the tournaments in 2021 and are in constant contact with the hosts to ensure a safe as possible environment can be had by all. Currently, our planning is such that we are hoping to start with the Euro-Tour for men and women in St. Johann i. P., Austria, from 17-20 June.

After June we have the European Youth Championships planned in Laszlo, Slovenia from 31 July to 08 August, followed by another Euro-Tour for women and one for men at the same venue from 12-08-15-08-2021.

Further tournaments are planned for the later part of the year including the European Championships for women, men and wheelchair athletes which have already been moved from April to November.

Due to the current uncertain situation, we also have to constantly re-adjust our planning to the circumstances. It is already difficult to find uniform and calculable regulations in most countries at the moment. International tournaments are much more difficult to plan because you are confronted with different national circumstances and procedures.

However, we are not giving up and are trying to get back to an orderly and safe playing schedule in the course of this year. We might be forced to make changes at short notice but we will publish these on our website epbf.com in the calendar as soon as possible in order to inform everybody as best as possible.

For more information on all the planned events for 2021, visit www.epbf.com

CALENDAR UPDATE: MATCHROOM POOL SERIES EVENTS

The 2021 World Pool Championship will now take place from Sunday, June 6 until Thursday, June 10 with the World Cup of Pool moving to run from Sunday, May 9 until Friday, May 14 with both events to take place at Stadium MK, Milton Keynes, Matchroom Multi Sport can announce.

The World Pool Masters will remain in its original dates of May 22-25 and Predator Championship League Pool will begin the spring feast of Matchroom Pool Series events next Monday, March 22.

The 2021 US Open Pool Championship will take place this fall with venue and dates to be announced in due course. The year of Matchroom Pool Series events will conclude with the much-anticipated Mosconi Cup this December 6-9, venue and ticket details will be announced later in the year.

REVISED MATCHROOM POOL SERIES CALENDAR:

March 22-29     Predator Championship League Pool

May 9-14            World Cup of Pool

May 22-25         World Pool Masters

June 6-10            World Pool Championship

Fall                     US Open Pool Championship

December 6-9 Mosconi Cup

MATCHROOM POOL WORLD RANKINGS TO RESUME AT PREDATOR CHAMPIONSHIP LEAGUE POOL

The Matchroom Pool World Rankings will resume at next week’s Predator Championship League Pool, the first in a series of spring majors as part of the Matchroom Pool Series.

The Matchroom Pool World Rankings will bring all six Matchroom Pool Series events together, for the first time offering guaranteed spots in all six events to players through their ranking position.

In addition, players will earn World Ranking Points for their performances at the World Pool Championship, US Open, World Pool Masters and Championship League Pool. Further events not promoted by Matchroom Pool will be added as the pool calendar develops over the coming months.

Additional rankings will continue to operate for the Mosconi Cup, with further details to be confirmed. These rankings will incorporate all World Ranking events plus additional European or American events for the respective rankings.

All seven players who reach Winners’ Group of Predator Championship League Pool will earn Level 2 ranking points, and in future years the defending champion and top six players on the Matchroom Pool

World Ranking will automatically earn an invite to participate in Group 1 of the event.

At the Dafabet World Pool Masters, the defending champion and top seven players on the rankings will earn invites, with Level 2 ranking points awarded from the quarter-finals onwards.

The top 16 on the Matchroom Pool World Rankings will earn a spot at the World Pool Championship, with further places from the Matchroom Pool World Rankings to be awarded to players based on a golf-style category system. Level 1 Ranking points will be awarded to players who finish inside the top 96.

The US Open Pool Championship will remain an open event with Level 1 ranking points awarded to those who come 128th and better. All players in the top 50 on the Matchroom Pool World Rankings will be guaranteed a place in the event, should they wish to enter. Previous US Open Champions will continue to be offered a free, guaranteed place in the event.

At the World Cup of Pool, the top 16 countries represented on the rankings will be invited to participate, with the top player in each country automatically invited.

Emily Frazer, Managing Director of Matchroom Multi Sport, said: “We are so excited to get the Matchroom Pool World Rankings back underway at Predator Championship League Pool. We want to ensure all players have the chance to earn their place at each of our events.

“While there remains a lot of uncertainty around the pool calendar at this time, we are keen to reignite the fire in the sport and kick start the rankings and what better time than ahead of this upcoming run of big events. As the year develops, we will add more events to the ranking, with the intention of recognising and rewarding players’ performances and major events throughout the year.”

A full breakdown of the Matchroom Pool World Rankings can be found here. Further details on additional ranking events will be announced during the course of the year.

Hendry To Face White At Betfred World Championship

Stephen Hendry will face old adversary Jimmy White in the first qualifying round of the Betfred World Championship next month, a repeat of the four Crucible finals they played in the 1990s.

Hendry, age 52, retired from the pro tour in 2012 but has returned this season with an invitational tour card and will compete in snooker’s biggest tournament for the first time in nine years. White, age 58, also has an invitational card and is currently ranked 83rd in the world.

The draw for the first qualifying round pitched players ranked 81-112 at random against the 32 players either ranked lower or among the amateur invites. The qualifying rounds will run from April 5 to 14 at the English Institute of Sport – Sheffield.

Hendry beat White in the World Championship final in 1990, 1992, 1993 and 1994, giving him the first four of his seven titles. White has made the final six times in all but is yet to lift the trophy.

This time, they will both need to win four matches just to reach the Crucible. Their first round tie, at 7.30pm on Tuesday April 6, will be the best of 11 frames, with the winner to meet China’s Xu Si in the second round.

Hendry v White: the Crucible Clashes

1988 second round: White 13-12 Hendry

1990 final: Hendry 18-12 White

1992 final: Hendry 18-14 White

1993 final: Hendry 18-5 White

1994 final: Hendry 18-17 White

1995 semi-final: Hendry 16-12 White

1998 first round: White 10-4 Hendry

Hendry was asked about the draw on ITV4 at the start of today’s Cazoo Tour Championship programme and said: “I can’t believe it. All those finals and now we will play each other in the very first round, it’s incredible. We have been practising together but that will end now!”

Women’s World Champion Reanne Evans will start her bid to make it to the Crucible against Andy Hicks – the same opponent she faced last year when she lost 6-3. Rebecca Kenna will make her debut in the event against Brandon Sargeant.

Ken Doherty, the 1997 World Champion, will face Lee Walker. Belgium’s Ben Mertens, who last year became the youngest player ever to win a match in the tournament, will be up against Lei Peifan.

The 16 players who make it through the qualifying rounds will go through to the Crucible, joining the top 16 seeds, for the final stages which run from April 17 to May 3.

All qualifying matches are best of 11 frames, up until the final round on April 13 and 14 which is best of 19. The round structure is:

Players seeded 81-144 contest the opening round.

In round two, those 32 winners will face players seeded 49-80.

In round three, those 32 winners will face players seeded 17-48.

In round four, those 32 winners play each other, with the 16 winners going through to the Crucible.

All ten days of qualifying will be covered on the Eurosport App, with commentary throughout Europe, plus our partners in the People’s Republic of China – Youku, Zhibo.tv, Migu, Kuaishou and Huya – and Matchroom.Live throughout the rest of the world.


Hendry made his comeback at the recent Gibraltar Open, losing to Matthew Selt in the opening round.

White v Hendry Moved To April 5th

The blockbuster Betfred World Championship clash between Stephen Hendry and Jimmy White has been moved to Monday April 5th.

The draw for the qualifying rounds of snooker’s biggest tournament was made this week and pitched legends Hendry and White together in the opening round. The match at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield will be a repeat of the four Crucible finals they played in the 1990s.

Originally scheduled for 7.30pm on Tuesday April 6th, it has now been changed to 7.30pm on Monday April 5th, following discussions with our broadcast partners.

The match between Rebecca Kenna, one of two women in the draw, and Brandon Sargeant has been swapped to 7.30pm on Tuesday April 6th.

Seven-time World Champion Hendry will be playing in snooker’s biggest event for the first time since 2012, having recently come out of retirement. He played White at the Crucible seven times between 1988 and 1998. This time, they will both need to win four matches just to make it to the final stages.

The qualifying rounds will run from April 5th to 14th, with the 16 players who make it through to join the top 16 seeds for the main event at the Crucible which runs from April 17 to May 3.

All ten days of qualifying will be covered on the Eurosport App, with commentary throughout Europe, plus our partners in the People’s Republic of China – Youku, Zhibo.tv, Migu, Kuaishou and Huya – and Matchroom.Live throughout the rest of the world.

PBIA's Jerry Briesath Instructor of the Year - Call for Nominations

Superior, Colo. - April 1, 2021 - The Billiard Congress of America (BCA) along with the Professional Billiard Instructors Association (PBIA) announce a call for nominations for this year's PBIA's Jerry Briesath Instructor of the Year.

The PBIA's Jerry Briesath Instructor of the Year award is given to a PBIA instructor who has made exceptional contributions to the goals of the organization. In your nominations, please describe why you feel your nominee should be considered. Some of the qualities and activities you may want to include are providing extensive individual or group lessons; using new media, social media or other on-line tools to promote billiard instruction; developing new teaching techniques; working with junior players; volunteering in instruction-related activities; authoring instructional books, videos, or periodical articles; and improving PBIA programs, especially to improve the benefits it offers to members.

The first recipient of the award was Jerry Briesath himself in recognition of his many years of innovative instruction and his role in founding the PBIA.

To nominate a PBIA instructor, please fill out the nomination form in this link.

Past recipients of the PBIA's Jerry Briesath Instructor of Year award include:

2017 - Jerry Briesath
2018 - Randy Goettlicher
2019 - Scott Lee
2020 - Roy Pastor

The nomination form for the PBIA's Jerry Briesath Instructor of the Year must be completed by 5:00 p.m. MDT, Monday, May 31, 2021, in order for your nominee to be considered by the PBIA Honors Committee.

This year's winner of the PBIA's Jerry Briesath Instructor of the Year award will be announced at the 2021 BCA Expo, July 28-30 at the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Any questions about the completed forms should be returned to Shane Tyree, BCA membership manager, at shane@bca-pool.com or via fax at 303-243-5075.

About Billiard Congress of America

Founded in 1948, the Billiard Congress of America is a non-profit trade organization dedicated to growing a united, prosperous and highly regarded billiard industry through BCA leadership. The BCA seeks to enhance the success of its members and promote the game of billiards though educational, marketing and promotional efforts, annual industry trade shows, tournaments and other programs designed to encourage billiards as a lifestyle and make pool everybody's game. For more information, visit BCA-Pool.com or call 303.243.5070.

About Professional Billiard Instructors Association

The PBIA (formerly the BCA Instructor Program, established in 1992) is the largest international organization of professional billiard instructors. Since it's founding, the PBIA has improved it leadership position by growing cue sports through professional instruction, development of training products, contributing instructional articles to industry publications, participating in educational workshops and seminars, acting as certified referees or league officials, and directing some of the most notable billiard tournaments throughout the country. The PBIA's mission is to provide quality billiard instruction to the general public, as well as offer training and certification programs for individuals wishing to become qualified billiard instructors. For more information, visit PlayBetterBilliards.com or call 303.243.5070.

2021 World Pool Championship
England, June 6-10
    
Event: 2021 World Pool Championship

Date: June 6 - 10, 2021
Website: Matchroom Multi Sport
Location: Milton Keynes, England
Venue: Marshall Arena
Prize Fund: $250,000

Billiard Congress of America Spots Available: The Billiard Congress of America has only four (4) allocations for this event (3 USA, 1 Canada). All players receiving a BCA allocation must be members of the Billiard Congress of America. This is event is open to both male and female competitors.

Please Note: Due to the current climate, the event will operate behind closed doors with Covid-19 testing in place for all players, staff and officials, which is how Matchroom currently operate all sports events during this time. All players will be permitted to travel to the event under the UK Government’s International Elite Sports Person Exemption, meaning no quarantine will be required on arrival to the UK. Players from countries on the UK’s travel ‘red list’ will be unable to travel under current restrictions, but Matchroom will continue to monitor this list, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/transport-measures-to-protect-the-uk-from-variant-strains-of-covid-19

If you have interest in competing please let us know immediately at shane@bca-pool.com. The Billiard Congress of America will select players based on their BCA Rankings and who have expressed their interest to us by Thursday, April 15, 2021.

All players competing in this event must also hold a 2021 WPA Player License.

Billiard Congress of America | 303.243.5070 | bca-pool.com
Billiard Congress of America | 500 Discovery Pkwy, Suite 125, Superior, CO 80027

The BEF Junior National Championships Presented by Iwan Simonis
Event Registration Opens Wednesday, April 14, 2021
    
Superior, Colo., April 8, 2021 – The Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) today announced the 33rd annual BEF Junior National Championships presented by Iwan Simonis will take place at the South Point, Hotel, Casino and Convention Center in Las Vegas, July 27 – 31, alongside the BCA Billiard and Home Leisure Expo.

This year’s event will feature an “open” registration due to the ongoing impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on many pool rooms attempting to host 2021 qualifier and state championship events.

“Because of myriad Covid protocols throughout the country, we do not want to penalize any junior pool player who cannot compete in a local qualifier or state championship from having the opportunity to compete in the country’s national championship,” said Rob Johnson, BEF managing director. “We do encourage all past qualifying and state championship hosts to continue to hold junior tournaments, if possible and permitted by their local governments, as we do want to continue to promote as many opportunities for the junior pool players to compete and also prepare for this summer’s BEF Junior National Championships presented by Iwan Simonis.”

This year, the BEF Junior National Championships presented by Iwan Simonis will have three categories in the 9-Ball division for boys and girls. The categories include: 14&U* (cannot turn 15 in 2021); 16&U* (cannot turn 17 in 2021); and, 18&U (cannot turn 19 in 2021). *Divisions are based on minimum field or players will participate in the open divisions.

Allocations for the prestigious 2021 Predator World Junior Pool Championship, September 9 – 11, at the Rio in Las Vegas, will be provided to the highest placed finishers in the boys open 16&U and 18&U divisions, and in the girls open 18&U division. The total number of 2021 World Junior Pool Championship allocations has not been determined at this time.

This year’s BEF Junior National Championship will include two new events: an U21 10-Ball National Championship (min. age 18), and an 18&U Junior National 8-Ball Championship. Both of these new events will feature an open field of male and female competitors.

“Providing our junior players who have previously aged out of the BEF an additional opportunity to compete in a prestigious event has been a longtime goal of the BEF,” said Johnson. “With so few events for the entire pool playing world as a result of the pandemic, this is the perfect time to offer these new events and allow these young pool players to compete at the game’s highest level.”

Registration for this year’s event will be open from April 14 – June 1, 2021. No late or onsite registrations will be accepted.

Please visit the Billiard Education Foundation’s website at BilliardEducation.org to register.

About Billiard Education Foundation
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. The BEF also sanctions Junior State Championships, produces the annual BEF Junior National 9-Ball Championships and qualifies young players each year for the WPA World Junior Championships. Visit BilliardEducation.org to learn more about junior programs in your area.
Billiard Education Foundation | 303.243.5070 | BilliardEducation.org
Billiard Congress of America | 500 Discovery Parkway, Suite 125, Superior, CO 80027

PRESS RELEASE

EPBF agree a deal with Simonis & Aramith

The EPBF recently agreed to continue their partnership with two of its most
prestigious partners, Iwan Simonis and Saluc. Even during these uncertain times in the sporting world, the EPBF are always looking forward and are extremely delighted to have secured these partnerships for the next five years.

EPBF President Gre Leenders said “By signing a five-year contract with our long time partners Simonis S.A. & Saluc it once again confirms the close cooperation between the EPBF and both companies. We are very pleased that, even in these difficult times, such a positive statement can be made. We cannot wait for the moment when we can "pay back" the trust in our organization by organizing and promoting our sport & partners at EPBF events. Many thanks to both companies for their support and belief in us”.

Iwan Simonis will be supplying their 860 cloth for all the EPBF events and this is something the players have come accustomed to over the years. A world leader in excellent billiard cloth, Iwan Simonis have partnered the EPBF since the very first tournaments in the late seventies.

Saluc, will provide the Aramith tournament balls with the Duramith technology, already used for some years at the EPBF events, the balls have proved a firm favorite for their reliability and accuracy. Like Iwan Simonis, Saluc have always been an integral part of the EPBF from the beginning, supplying the very best, for the very best.

Iwan Simonis S.A. Group Commercial Director, Bernard Bollette commented “our two companies Iwan Simonis and Saluc are absolutely delighted to continue our relationship with our long-standing partner EPBF for a further 5 years. At the high level reached by the EPBF events (European Championships and Euro Tours), only the best conditions are acceptable. We think that this can be achieved using Simonis cloth and Aramith balls. The EPBF events and players deserve our top materials and conditions”

The EPBF are hoping to start the events as soon as the Covid restrictions allow and further information will be available in the near future. For all dates and events, visit the calendar on the EPBF home page www.epbf.com

HUGE NUMBERS TUNE IN FOR PREDATOR CHAMPIONSHIP LEAGUE POOL

Pool fans across the globe tuned in in huge numbers to enjoy the inaugural Predator Championship League Pool, which delivered 192 exciting matches before Albin Ouschan lifted the trophy on Monday evening.

The brand-new event brought 19 of the world’s best players together over eight action-packed days of high-octane pool. Players embraced the new format, which created some dramatic finishes as the battle to reach each day’s play-offs intensified.

While the likes of Chris Melling, Eklent Kaci and David Alcaide won groups relatively early in their campaigns, Niels Feijen and in particular Albin Ouschan played through several groups before reaching the Winners’ Group, which was eventually won by Ouschan after the Austrian had played 52 matches during the event.

UK coverage of Table 1 was available on FreeSports, with replays the following day. Viewing figures grow throughout the week after a strong start as fans stuck with the event and new viewers tuned in to witness the drama.

DAZN coverage also proved popular with pool fans in countries including USA, Germany and Austria while Matchroom.Live saw a huge increase in visitors for the event.

In addition, over 1million views were accumulated on Matchroom Pool’s YouTube Channel, where one match each day was available for fans to enjoy free. On Facebook, over 6 million pool fans were reached across the tournament, with almost 7 million video views.

The format had been borrowed from the popular Championship League Snooker and proved a hit with fans thanks to the high number of quick, short-race matches between some of the world’s finest. Also a hit was the inclusion of three of the world’s best female players; Kelly Fisher, Kristina Tkach and Jasmin Ouschan. All three proved themselves in the event, with Fisher playing through four groups including reaching the Group Two final.

Emily Frazer, Managing Director of Matchroom Multi Sport, said: “We are quite simply over the moon with the response received from our inaugural Predator Championship League Pool. It is always tough to implement a new event but all the hard work was quickly outweighed by the daily reaction from fans worldwide.

“We were anticipating a substantial viewership with it being the first professional pool event out of the tracks since the 2020 Mosconi Cup, with fans across the globe yearning for live pool. However, better yet - figures presented a growing increase as well as consistency with viewers maintaining interest throughout the full eight days watching the tournament and players progress.

“Due to set-backs early on with the current climate and the pandemic, we were unable to showcase a full international field as we’d have hoped, however viewership and feedback simply proves how 9-ball pool is both exhilarating and easy-to-watch for every casual sports fan out there and has a strong future ahead.

“The tournament was an incredible opportunity for some players who usually wouldn’t have the chance to participate, nor receive the recognition, and despite not making the Winners’ Group, they displayed fantastic triumph against some of the best; it was great watching Kelly Fisher dominate in matches and groups against her male competitors, such as Philippine’s Roberto Gomez and Poland’s Mieszko Fortunski, who all performed consistently.

“We all witnessed an enduring and entertaining eight-day grind of 192 pool matches and we are so pleased to not only have created a new event, but strengthened our Matchroom Pool stable; producing high quality, world-class pool and production for our loyal fans plus a new audience too.

“Thank you to the players, our partners and the staff who all worked so hard to make this exciting event happen, with a special congratulations to our newly-crowned Champion, Albin Ouschan, who displayed an exceptional performance, relentlessness, drive and flair from start to finish.

“We are looking forward to our most exciting year of pool and like every event we produce there are always ways to improve and we are already enraptured about our next edition of Predator Championship League Pool.”

Predator Championship League Pool will return in 2022. The next event on the Matchroom Pool Series is the World Cup of Pool, which will take place at Stadium MK, Milton Keynes from May 9-14, live on Sky Sports.

For all the latest news and announcements follow Matchroom Pool on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

WST Statement On Events Research Programme

Events Research Programme

WST wishes to clarify that the Betfred World Championship will not be used to trial vaccine passports.

The tournament is part of the Events Research Programme. We are proud to be working with the UK Government on this programme, which will help not just sport, but other forms of indoor entertainment move a crucial step along the roadmap, with the use of scientific data.

As part of the safety protocols, it will be a requirement that all fans will undertake a test for Covid-19 prior to attending the venue. There will be a range of other safety protocols for fans to follow.

But our event is not a trial for vaccine passports, nor are there any questions about vaccines in the consent form which fans will complete before attending.

The event runs from April 17 to May 3 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.