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Topic: INDUSTRY NEWS - September 2009

INDUSTRY NEWS - September 2009

Pro9 receives more news than we can fit on our front page, and not all news can take pride of place with our "featured article" status, and frankly some news is less relevant to the European market, so for a trial period, we will be presenting it here!

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Grand Prix Draw To Be Screened Free On 110sport.tv

The first round draw for snooker’s 2009 Grand Prix will be available to watch live online, free of charge, on the evening of Thursday, September 24.

The draw will be staged at the venue for the qualifying rounds, Pontin’s in Prestatyn, and will commence shortly after the conclusion of the last match streamed by 110sport.tv

As recently announced, qualifying matches are available to watch, live and exclusive, on a pay-per-view basis on 110sport.tv. Once the last balls of the screened matches have been potted, the stream will become free to view and the draw will take place.

The qualifying rounds run from September 21 to 24. Former World Champions Steve Davis, John Parrott, Ken Doherty and Graeme Dott, as well as Jimmy White and Judd Trump, will be among those battling to get their names in the draw.

The Grand Prix is unique among World Snooker tournaments in that it encompasses a random draw for every round. The first round draw is seeded – so each of the top 16 will be drawn against a qualifier. Then the remaining draws, which take place live on BBC during the televised stages, are completely random, raising the possibility of the big guns going head to head in the second round.

The format was used for the first time last year and was considered a great success by fans and players, with the live draws adding an extra element of excitement. As expected, the second round featured clashes of the top players, with Ronnie O’Sullivan facing 2007 champion Marco Fu, and Great Scots John Higgins and Stephen Hendry going head to head.

Higgins will aim to defend his crown against the likes of O’Sullivan, Hendry, Shaun Murphy, Mark Selby and home favourite Stephen Maguire from October 3 to 11 at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow.

Scott Taylor, Chief Executive of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, said: “Glasgow has produced a huge number of world-class snooker players over the years and this, combined with the city’s internationally renowned sporting facilities, makes it a natural home for the Grand Prix. We look forward to welcoming the event, the world’s top players and their fans back to Glasgow in October.”                    

Tickets are available – for details call 0871 230 1092 or visit www.worldsnooker.com/grandprix

The Grand Prix receives funding and support from the Glasgow City Marketing Bureau and EventScotland.

O’Sullivan Narrows Gap On Higgins

Ronnie O’Sullivan is up to second place in the latest world rankings after his victory in the Roewe Shanghai Masters.

The Rocket beat home favourite Liang Wenbo 10-5 in the final in Shanghai tonight (Sunday) to win his third ranking title in China and 22nd overall.

“I'm happy to have won the tournament and got my season off to a good start. It’s very satisfying to get a victory, especially here in China where snooker is so popular. It’s a good feeling,” said three-times World Champion O’Sullivan after winning his first ranking title in 13 months.

The 33-year-old from Chigwell moves ahead of Ali Carter into second place in the latest rankings, narrowing the gap on leader John Higgins, whom O’Sullivan beat in the semi-finals, to less than 5000 points.

China’s Liang had never previously been past the quarter-finals of a ranking event, and his brilliant run to the final sees him leap 14 places to No 13.

Semi-finalist Shaun Murphy is up one spot to third, while defending champion Ricky Walden made the quarter-finals and moves up three places to ninth.

Ding Junhui boosted his position from 23rd to 14th by reaching the last eight, while Ken Doherty appeared in his first ranking quarter-final for 30 months and is rewarded with a jump of 18 places to No 37. Matthew Selt reached the last 32 of a ranking event for the first time and is up from 61st to 53rd.

Snooker Tickets On Sale For Telford’s UK Championship

Tickets are now on sale for snooker’s second-biggest ranking tournament, the UK Championship, which returns to the Telford International Centre in December.

Tickets start at just £5 and can be booked by calling 01952 561700 or visiting www.worldsnooker.com/uk

It’s one of the highlights of the sporting calendar, a tournament with a history covering 32 years and a trophy lifted by many of snooker’s great names.

Shaun Murphy edged out Marco Fu 10-9 in last year’s dramatic final, and the Sale-based cueman looks in good form as he builds towards his title defence, having reached the semi-finals of last week’s Roewe Shanghai Masters.

Battling Murphy for the coveted title will be the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan, Stephen Hendry, Mark Selby and Betfred.com World Champion John Higgins. The world’s top 16 players as well as 16 qualifiers are due to compete at Telford, in the event which runs from December 5 to 13.

Fans are advised to book their seats early, as tickets for certain sessions have sold out quickly since the event moved to Telford in 2007.

World Snooker reminds you only to purchase tickets from the World Snooker appointed Box Offices. Tickets bought from unauthorised sources may not be valid and admission to the event may not be permitted.

The qualifying rounds run from November 23 to 30 at Pontin’s in Prestatyn and you can watch them live on 110sport.tv. Just follow the link from worldsnooker.com

RAMIL GALLEGO LEADS RP CONTINGENT TO MONEY-RICH JAPAN 9-BALL TOUR
BY: MARLON BERNARDINO

VETERAN Internationalists Ramil “Bebeng” Gallego leads a group of Filipino players to the Hokuriku Open 9-Ball Championship scheduled on October 10-11 in Kanuzawa, Japan.

The Japan-based Gallego, a member of the Billiards Managers and Players Association (BMPAP) won this year’s Japan Open 9-Ball Championship by beating Taiwanese Li-wen Ro, 9-3, in the finals.

Gallego who hails from Bacolod City, also won the tough Manny Villar Cup Bulacan leg last July 2008.

Other Filipinos competing in the prestigious tournament are Antonio “Nickoy” Lining, Dondon Razalan, Jay-Ar Eroy, Rudy Morta, Crisencio Baliton and Katrina Rio Velarde.

Competitors are vying for the 500,000 yen top prize.

After the Hokuriku Open 9-Ball Championship, the Filipino pool shark also scheduled to play in the 2009 All Japan Championship on November 9 to 15 in Amagasaki, Osaka, Japan.

Filipino pool maestro Efren “Bata” Reyes, Francisco “Django” Bustamante, Warren “Warrior” Kiamco and Lee Vann Corteza are expected to lead the Filipino charge in the All Japan Championship.

Pool Championships kick off busy November
By MARLON BERNARDINO

IT WILL be a busy month of November for billiards as Metro Manila plays host to both the Philippine National Pool Championships (NPC) and the World Ten Ball Championship (WTBC) in succession.

The month-long sportsfest will open on November 3-8 with the 4th National Pool Championships for men and women which the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines will organize in cooperation with Raya Sports and Star Billiards.

This will be followed by the 2nd World Ten Ball Championship of the World Pool-Billiard Association from November 19 to 30, which is expected to bring to Manila over 200 top players and hundreds of billiards officials and enthusiasts from all over the world.

Open to all Filipino billiard players, the NPC offers a total prize fund of P600,000, with the men’s champion receiving P150,000 and the women’s titlist getting P50,000. Trophies will also be given to the top three placers in both divisions. Cash prizes will be given up to 32nd place in the men’s division, and up to 16th place in the women’s division.

The first four rounds of the tournament will be held at the Star Billiards Center in Quezon City from Nov. 3-6. The competition then moves to the SM North Edsa Annex from Nov.7-8, where the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals will be concluded.

The NPC is a 10-ball tournament under WPA rules. It features a double-elimination up to the Final Four, when the competition becomes a knockout affair.

The BSCP board and officers headed by Sebastian Chua (president) and Yen Makabenta (chairman) have set no player seedings and no limits to the number of players who can enter the national championships. They are inviting billiard clubs and associations all over the country to send their representatives to the tournament.

The entry fee in the men’s division is P600; in the women’s division, P300.

The defending champion in the men’s division is international titlist Marlon Manalo. In the women’s division, Zemonette Oryan is the reigning champion. Both will be defending their titles against a top-notch field of veterans and upcoming players.

Besides trophies and cash prizes, the NPC offers four guaranteed spots in the World Ten Ball Championship later in the month. Following tradition, the top four players in the tournament who are not yet qualified for the WTBC will be awarded the spots by Raya Sports.

Registration for the 2009 WPC will commence on Tuesday, September 22. Players should register with the following officials: Michael Tan at Star Billiards Center, Tel. 0909-2222225; Carlos Santos-Viola, BSCP, 0921-5014550; and Sol Gueco, Raya Sports, Tel. 0910-8875216. Provincial clubs and associations should send their entries direct to Mr. Santos-Viola, BSCP secretary-general.

Rising Star Liang Aims For Glasgow

Chinese ace Liang Wenbo is determined to continue the brilliant form he showed at the Roewe Shanghai Masters into next week’s Grand Prix qualifiers.

The 22-year-old left-hander went all the way to the final in Shanghai last week, beating former World Champions Peter Ebdon and Shaun Murphy, as well as fifth seed Ali Carter and Ricky Walden, who won the title last year. He eventually came up short against Ronnie O’Sullivan, losing 10-5, but was still thrilled with his performance.

“I had the best week of my snooker career so far in Shanghai,” said Liang, whose only previous appearance in the quarter-finals of a ranking event was at the 2008 World Championship, when he lost to O’Sullivan. “It was really exciting and it’s given me a lot of confidence for the rest of the season. Beating four top players, who have all won ranking events, has helped me prove to myself that I belong at that level.”

The Grand Prix qualifiers at Pontin’s in Prestayn run from Monday to Thursday (September 21-24) with 80 players battling for 16 spots, to join the world’s top 16 in the televised stages at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow from October 3 to 11.

The likes of Steve Davis, Jimmy White, John Parrott, Ken Doherty, Graeme Dott, Jamie Cope and Judd Trump will be among those competing at Pontin’s.

Liang, whose attacking style of play has earned him a large following among Chinese fans, needs to win one match to qualify, and plays at 4pm on Thursday against Dominic Dale, Jin Long, Ben Woollaston or Zhang Anda.

“I want to go on to the qualifiers next week, keep my good form going and try to win my match and make sure I will be at Glasgow, as I know the Grand Prix is one of the most important tournaments,” said Liang, who comes from the Heilongjiang Province in China but is based during the season at the World Snooker Academy in Sheffield. “I will keep working hard on my game at the Academy , and hope I can earn some success for myself and for Chinese snooker.”

Tickets to watch the qualifiers cost just £5 per day and can be purchased at the entrance. Or watch live on 110sport.tv if you can’t make it to Prestatyn.

The Grand Prix receives funding and support from the Glasgow City Marketing Bureau and EventScotland.

Billiard Congress of America Announces International Billiard & Home Recreation Expo Date Change

Expo Will Take Place in Las Vegas on Wednesday, July 14 - Friday, July 16, 2010

Broomfield, Colo. - September 15, 2009 ­ - The Billiard Congress of America today announced that it has changed the date of its 2010 International Billiard & Home Recreation Expo to Wednesday, July 14 through Friday, July 16, 2010 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.    There have been no changes to the location, exhibit halls or floor plans of the Expo.

"This unanimous vote of the BCA Board of Directors finally puts the show date issue to rest," said Ivan Lee, chairman of the BCA Board of Directors. "We believe that by going back to the original trade show timeframe, we will have the best opportunity to attract a larger attendance of buyers. In addition to the date change, we have also adjusted which days the Expo is held, to Wednesday through Friday. This change is designed to enable more buyers to attend the Expo before heading back to their businesses for weekend sales. While we felt confident that we made the changes for the right reasons, it is important to note that we have received overwhelming support for the date change from all of the exhibitors contracted for 2010."

The BCA is pleased to report that 65 companies have already contracted for 326 booths during onsite 2010 booth selection at the 2009 BCA Expo. Early Bird Exhibit space sales are currently underway and will continue through November 1, 2009.


About the International Billiard & Home Recreation Expo

Established in 1983, The International Billiard & Home Recreation Expo provides industry manufacturers, distributors, retailers, dealers and poolroom operators an annual venue for new business opportunities, including education, new products and networking. The International Billiard & Home Entertainment Expo is sponsored exclusively by the Billiard Congress of America. For more information, please visit www.bcaexpo.com or call 303.243.5070.

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 through education, marketing and promotional efforts, an annual industry trade show, tournaments and other programs designed to encourage billiards as a lifestyle and make pool everybody's games. For more information, please visit www.bca-pool.com or call 303.243.5070.

Cuesport TV Partner with Leading TV Distribution Company to Secure Sky Sports Coverage of EBA European Blackball Championships

Cuesport TV through a new partnership with leading TV Distribution company, Boulder Creek International, have secured a contract between Sky Sports and the European Blackball Association for coverage of the 2009 European Blackball Pool Championships in the Isle of Man.

The contract with Sky Sports will mean that the final day of the championships will be recorded and packaged up into a one hour highlights show that will be broadcast later in 2009.

Ross McInnes, of the EBA, had this to say, “Blackball has unfortunately not received the media coverage that it deserves over the last two or three years, but with this coverage on Sky Sports I can say I am delighted that we can finally showcase this amazing game to a strong audience throughout the UK. Blackball is the only ’small-ball’ pool game to be officially recognised by the World Pool Association and in turn the International Olympic Committee and deserves it’s place on our TV screens.”

The event that runs from the 27th September until the 3rd October features teams from nine European nations and titles will be awarded in the following categories; Men’s and Women’s Teams, Men’s and Women’s B Teams, Junior Teams, Senior Teams, Learning disability teams, plus individual titles in Men’s, Women’s, Juniors, Seniors and Learning Disabilities.

In addition to the Sky Sports coverage which has added extra prestige to this already large scale event, Cuesport TV will be providing live Internet coverage from Tuesday 29th September until Friday 2nd October. Viewers can purchase a pass for the live coverage from just £2.95.

Pete Williams, Managing Director of Cuesport TV Ltd said, “I had an instant love of the game of Blackball when I was first introduced to it in early 2008. It is a game that will look fantastic on TV and the rules of Blackball make it a very attacking game to play and therefore quite exciting to watch. This is hopefully the first of many productions that Cuesport TV will be able to bring to mainstream TV through our partnership with Boulder Creek International.”

A date has not yet been finalised for the actual broadcast of the highlights show but it is likely to be somewhere in November or December of this year dependant on Sky Sports schedules.

About Cuesport TV

Cuesport TV is a UK based video and media portal that solely focuses on pool, snooker and billiards content. The channel broadcasts live and recorded tournaments, interviews and documentaries to a worldwide audience. Due to the nature of the Internet Cuesport TV have been able to follow smaller and more niche tournaments that rarely receive media coverage. The company have also recently launched four further channels that serve even more targeted audiences, Snooker TV, 8 Ball Pool TV, American Pool TV, Darts TV.

About Boulder Creek International

We love and represent all genres of content, and know that there is a lot of great content out there just waiting to be transmitted, whether via traditional broadcast, broadband, or even on an airplane.

Whether you are looking to maximize license fees, a worldwide broadcast platform, or both, Boulder Creek can help your content reach the maximum households possible. please start a new forum thread in an appropriate section.

Higgins To Face Joyce In Glasgow

John Higgins will begin the defence of his Grand Prix snooker title against Mark Joyce when the tournament gets underway on October 3.

The Wizard of Wishaw, who beat Ryan Day 9-7 in last year's final, will take on Walsall's Joyce at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow. Joyce is through to the last 32 of a ranking event for the first time in his career having come through the qualifying rounds at Prestatyn.

World No 1 Ronnie O'Sullivan will play Glasgow's Jamie Burnett while snooker legend Stephen Hendry faces up-and-coming Londoner Matthew Selt.

The random draw was made at Pontin's, Prestatyn tonight (Thursday), as the final qualifying round matches were concluded. It was screened live by 110sport.tv, with presenter Alison Walker and Pontin's, Prestatyn General Manager Cliff Sandall picking the balls from two bags. Each of the top 16 seeds was drawn to play one of the 16 qualifiers.

The full draw is as follows, listed in the order that the matches will be played in Glasgow:

Match 15 John Higgins v Mark Joyce (Saturday October 3, 1pm)
Match 5 Marco Fu v Mark Davis (Saturday October 3, 1pm)
Match 12 Mark Selby v Ken Doherty (Saturday October 3, 7pm)
Match 2 Joe Perry v Marcus Campbell (Saturday October 3, 7pm)
Match 6 Ali Carter v Robert Milkins (Sunday October 4, 12.30pm)
Match 11 Ding Junhui v Matthew Stevens (Sunday October 4, 12.30pm)
Match 4 Ryan Day v Jamie Cope (Sunday October 4, 7pm)
Match 1 Neil Robertson v Gerard Greene (Sunday October 4, 7pm)
Match 9 Stephen Hendry v Matthew Selt (Monday October 5, 1.30pm)
Match 3 Peter Ebdon v Liang Wenbo (Monday October 5, 1.30pm)
Match 7 Shaun Murphy v Barry Pinches (Monday October 5, 7pm)
Match 10 Mark Allen v Ian McCulloch (Monday October 5, 7pm)
Match 14 Ronnie O'Sullivan v Jamie Burnett (Tuesday October 6, 1.30pm)
Match 13 Mark Williams v Stuart Bingham (Tuesday October 6, 1.30pm)
Match 16 Stephen Maguire v Nigel Bond (Tuesday October 6, 7pm)
Match 8 Mark King v Ricky Walden (Tuesday October 6, 7pm)

Tickets for the Grand Prix are on sale, for details call 0871 230 1092 or visit www.worldsnooker.com/grandprix

The Grand Prix receives funding and support from EventScotland and the Glasgow City Marketing Bureau.

MOHEGAN SUN HOSTS PRO BILLIARDS EXTRAVAGANZA OF THE YEAR

Champions from around the world will go head-to-head in a three-day extravaganza of professional billiards. The INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS, INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS and WORLD CUP OF TRICK SHOTS will be held October 27 – 29 at Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, CT.

The three events are widely considered the toughest tournaments to win in professional billiards. Once each year international champions are brought together in sudden-death shootouts with pressure-cooker formats and the highest prize money in special events. The winners claim one of the most coveted titles in pool – Champion of Champions!

On October 27 the INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS includes top stars in the sport. Jian-Bo Fu, from China, returns to defend his crown as 2008 Champion of Champions. Mika Immonen, 2008 U.S. Open Champion, will represent Finland. Darren Appleton, 2008 World 10-Ball Champion, will represent England. Niels Feijen, 2008 Euro Tour Champion and 2007 Champion of Champions, will represent the Netherlands.

On October 28 the INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS presents the top Women players in the world. Allison Fisher, 2009 Hall of Fame and Five Time Champion of Champions. Kelly Fisher, 2008 Player of the Year and 2008 U.S. Open Classic Tour Champion. Monica Webb, 2008 WPBA Nationals Champion and 2009 San Diego Classic Champion. Xiaoting Pan, 2008 Generation Pool Classic Champion and 2007 WPA World 9-Ball Champion.

On October 29 the WORLD CUP OF TRICK SHOTS will present Team USA vs. Team Europe, with eight international stars contending for the Gold Medal. Andy Segal, 2009 Trick Shot Magic Champion, will captain Team USA. Stefano Pelinga, 2009 Euro Trick Shot Champion, will captain Team Europe. Team USA also includes champions Tom Rossman, Bruce Barthelette and Mike Massey. Team Europe includes champions Luke Szywala, Nick Nikolaidis and Ralph Eckert.

The three events are each regarded as the supreme test of skill in billiards. The players are so evenly matched that any one player could beat the others on a given day. The INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS and the INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS are 9-Ball, with a format of two sets and a 1-game sudden death tie-breaker in the event of tied sets. The format for WORLD CUP OF TRICK SHOTS requires Team members to execute a challenge shot of their choice, and their opponents must duplicate the shot or lose a point. The sudden death tie-breaker to decide a match requires an incredible eight rail bank shot onto the face of a $100 bill.

All in all, the three events are the wildest shootout of the year.

Mohegan Sun, the host site, will make all three events ADMISSION FREE to pool fans. On Tuesday, October 27, the three matches for the INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS will begin at 3PM. On Wednesday, October 28, the three matches for the INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS will begin at 3PM. On Thursday, October 29, the three matches for the WORLD CUP OF TRICK SHOTS will begin at 3PM. The events will be held in the Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun and those attending must be 21 years of age or older.

The trophies and the checks will be presented by Mohegan Sun and Fusion Billiards Tables. The tournaments are also sponsored by Aramith Tournament Balls, Simonis Cloth, Mueller Recreational Products, Executive Billiards Delta-13 Racks, Silver Cup Chalk and AcCue Shot Training Device.

The 2009 events will be produced by Billiards International, Ltd. Those attending should arrive early for each tournament session. Make plans today to attend INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS, INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS and WORLD CUP OF TRICK SHOTS. For information call Mohegan Sun toll free at 1-888-226-7711 or log on to www.mohegansun.com

O’Sullivan: Higgins Could Have Won More

Ronnie O’Sullivan expressed his admiration for Scottish snooker ace John Higgins as he looked ahead to the Grand Prix, which starts on Saturday.

The world ranking tournament at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow runs from October 3 to 11, with O’Sullivan among those aiming to take the trophy from Wishaw’s Higgins, who beat Ryan Day in last year’s final.

Though Higgins boasts three World titles and 20 ranking events in his career, O’Sullivan believes that his tally could have been a lot higher.

“John is one of the all-time greats and I think he’s actually under-achieved in his career,” said world No 1 O’Sullivan, who beat Higgins 6-1 in the semi-finals on his way to winning the recent Roewe Shanghai Masters. “It sounds a strange thing to say, but it’s because of how highly I rate him, and I know some of the other players would agree with that.

“He’s the best tactical player ever – ahead of Steve Davis – plus he’s a heavy break-builder, so he’s got no weaknesses. Although he’s won three World titles, his game is so well suited to the longer-frame tournaments that I would have expected him to win more.

“He’s come into this season automatically feeling full of confidence because he’s World Champion. That’s how I was last year and it’s a beautiful feeling,” added the Rocket, whose own trophy haul includes three World crowns and 22 ranking titles.

Chigwell’s 33-year-old O’Sullivan has won the Grand Prix just once – in 2004 when he beat Ian McCulloch in the final – but he is sure to be a strong contender next week, particularly on the back of his victory in Shanghai.

His opening match is next Tuesday (October 6) at 1.30pm against Glasgow’s Jamie Burnett. Other first round matches to look out for include Higgins against Mark Joyce (Saturday, October 3 at 1pm), Stephen Hendry against Matthew Selt (Monday, October 5 at 1.30pm) and Mark Selby against Ken Doherty (Saturday October 3 at 7pm).

Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer at EventScotland, the national events agency, said: “Snooker is a sport close to Scotland’s heart. The country has produced many great players and the return of the Grand Prix to Glasgow next month has been eagerly anticipated by Scottish snooker fans who will be eager to see Scots John Higgins and Stephen Hendry in action at the Kelvin Hall. As well as local interest, snooker fans around the world will be able enjoy international broadcast coverage and they’ll see why Glasgow and Scotland is the perfect stage for the game.”

The Grand Prix receives funding and support from EventScotland and the Glasgow City Marketing Bureau.

Tickets for the tournament are still available, for details call 0871 230 1092 or visit www.worldsnooker.com/grandprix