Polish Triumph at the 5th EEBC Championships – Łódź 2025
Polish Triumph at the 5th EEBC Championships – Łódź 2025
The 5th EEBC Championships, once again hosted at the Strefa Billiards and Darts in Łódź, concluded with complete success and dominance by Polish players. The two-day competition, with a prize pool exceeding 40,000 PLN, crowned individual and team champions.
Team Cup for Fortis Kielce
Excitement ran high in the EEBC TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP 10-BALL. Fortis Bilard Kielce, led by Sebastian Batkowski and Mariusz Skoneczny, emerged victorious among the 28 teams. The Kielce players claimed gold, defeating Dominik Jastrząb and Szymon Kural in the final. Third place went to Strefa Łódź (Mateusz Śniegocki, Norbert Żelasko) and BS Sokółka (Konrad Piekarski, Hubert Łopotko). The top foreign teams finished in places 9-16: Slovakia 1 (Lang-Szabo), Slovakia 2 (Koniar-Furko), and Ukraine (Rudenko, Nikita, and Ivan).
Polish-Slovakian podium in 9-ball
The EEBC CHAMPIONSHIP 9-BALL tournament provided equally exciting results, with Szymon Kural (Kraków, UKS YMCA) winning the individual EEBC Champion title. After winning silver in the team competition, Kural gained revenge in the individual match, defeating Mariusz Skoneczny 9-6 in the final. Timothei Furko (BC OKO Senica – Slovakia) and his compatriot Jakub Koniar (Lavos Bratislava) completed the podium jointly.
"The competition between us was at a very high level," noted tournament winner Szymon Kural. "The last set was very strange, because after playing flawlessly throughout the match, we made three simple mistakes at the very end. I lost focus, which fortunately my opponent didn't take advantage of, and I was able to avenge my loss in the team competition. It was a fantastic tournament, and I played very well. What's most pleasing is that I'm showing consistent form, I'm consistent, and my bad matches are becoming less frequent. This is very encouraging, especially with the World 8-Ball Championships in Bali approaching," adds Kural.
Posted By admin on Monday, October 06 2025 @ 19:49:33 UTC (32 reads)
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Bustamante and Jones Named Captains for Reyes Cup 2025
BUSTAMANTE AND JONES NAMED CAPTAINS FOR REYES CUP 2025
A clash of legends – Bustamante leads Team Asia, Jones takes charge of Team Rest of the World.
Francisco ‘Django’ Bustamante and Jeremy Jones have been confirmed as the non-playing captains for the second edition of the Reyes Cup, set for October 16–19 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.
The former World Champion Bustamante will take the helm of Team Asia as they look to defend their crown on home soil, while former US Open Champion Jones makes his debut as captain of Team Rest of the World, with eyes firmly set on victory.
In partnership with Puyat Sports, the 2025 Reyes Cup will once again bring the world’s best to Manila, with coverage live on Sky Sports, One Sports, and WNT TV.
The captaincy announcement marks another chapter in the growing Reyes Cup story. Bustamante and Jones crossed paths in an exhibition during the inaugural Reyes Cup last year. Now, they return to Manila in new roles — as tactical leaders of their respective teams.
Bustamante will aim to harness his decades of experience and deep connection to the Filipino crowd to guide Team Asia in their title defence. Meanwhile Jones brings a wealth of strategic knowledge and will rally Team Rest of the World as they aim to spoil the party on enemy turf.
Bustamante said:
“It is such an honour to be named captain of Team Asia, especially here in the Philippines. The Reyes Cup means so much to our fans, and I will do everything I can to lead our team to defend the title Efren claimed. Last year was special, but this year we know the challenge will be even greater. Jeremy is a great champion and competitor, but I am ready to keep the Cup in Asia.”
Jones said:
“I’m thrilled to take on the role of captain for Team Rest of the World. The chance to offer my experience to the Reyes cup is a real privilege. Team Asia will be tough, especially with Django at the helm, but we’re coming to Manila with one mission: to make history and take that trophy back with us.”
With captains confirmed, attention now turns to the final player qualification spots, to be decided at the Hanoi Open Pool Championship (October 7–12, 2025). Wildcard selections will follow shortly thereafter.
The 2025 Reyes Cup takes place October 16–19 at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino Stadium, with live coverage on Sky Sports, One Sports, and WNT TV. Further details including broadcast times and session schedules will be announced soon.
For all the latest updates, follow Matchroom Pool on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube
Posted By admin on Thursday, October 02 2025 @ 14:54:39 UTC (172 reads)
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A Word from the Queen
A Word from the Queen
Therèse Klompenhouwer just claimed her 6th World Championship. She also won this summer the Gold Medal at the first-ever edition of the Ladies Carom 3-cushion at the World Games.
With all the billiard tournaments now streamed online and broadcasted on TV every week around the world, some players start growing an ambition: The dream of someday rising to the pinnacle of their sport.
In this last of 3 episodes, Therèse Klompenhouwer shares her advice on how to become the next World Champion.
Dive into the game “You have to get really into it. Know the rules. Have a lot of knowledge about it. And when you really like it, you’re really going to love the game because it has so many aspects. And after that, when you really love the game, of course, then you have to make really many hours at the table, practice and know the positions, what is right, what is wrong, and of course watch a lot of billiards.”
Tips for Carom 3-cushion players “Of course, a lot of training because it's a really difficult sport. I think Carom 3-cushion is the most difficult discipline of billiards. So you have to really get to know a lot of the game, like the positions, which English. Everything is really difficult but you make many hours but also enjoy the game. Enjoy it and then the rest will come.”
Posted By admin on Thursday, October 02 2025 @ 10:38:47 UTC (145 reads)
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Jastrzab Takes Dutch Open in a Thriller
JASTRZAB TAKES DUTCH OPEN IN A THRILLER
THERE’S ANOTHER POLISH champion on the block as 20-year-old Dominic Jastrzab defeated Germany’s Tobias Bongers 11-9 to lift the PREDATOR DUTCH OPEN title in a nerve-wracking final that could have gone either way. Taking place at the De Bonte Weever Hotel in Assen, Netherlands, the final was broadcast on Viaplay throughout the Netherlands as well as globally on the Predator Pro Billiard Series YouTube platform.
Played in front of an enthusiastic crowd, Bongers opened up a 4-0 lead to leave his opponent floundering. Jastrzab found his feet though, in the middle stages and started to come back. The Polish player squared the match at 8-8, having trailed 8-5 and it was the first time he had been on level terms. He then edged into the lead with some determined play and a solid break.
Bongers, who’d seen his momentum slip away, levelled it again but Jastrzab held himself together to close out the match for the championship.
The Pole, who showed early promise in winning the 10-ball gold at the 2023 European Youth Championship, was understandably thrilled at his achievement.
Posted By admin on Friday, September 26 2025 @ 10:09:49 UTC (202 reads)
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Biado and Gorst Set for Blockbuster Reyes Cup Showdown
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BIADO AND GORST SET FOR BLOCKBUSTER REYES CUP SHOWDOWN
A new rivalry is born – The World unites to battle on Team Asia in Manila, October 16-19 2025
World Number One Fedor Gorst and reigning World Champion Carlo Biado are the first confirmed players for the second edition of the Reyes Cup, set to face off once again following their thrilling clash in this year’s World Pool Championship final.
In partnership with Puyat Sports, the 2025 Reyes Cup will once again set to electrify the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila. Fans can catch all the action live on Sky Sports, One Sports, and WNT TV, with further broadcast information to be announced soon.
Fresh off his World Pool Championship victory, Carlo Biado rises to second on the rankings and will once again carry the flag for Team Asia. Unlike in 2024, when he was a wildcard, Biado now secures his spot through the rankings, setting him up to defend the Reyes Cup title on home
Posted By admin on Thursday, September 25 2025 @ 12:44:39 UTC (224 reads)
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All Set for Assen Euro Tour on Thursday
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ALL SET FOR ASSEN EURO TOUR ON THURSDAY
A 13 DAY FESTIVAL of pool gets underway this Thursday, 25th September, with the start of the PREDATOR DUTCH OPEN, taking place at the De Bonte Weever Hotel in Assen, Netherlands. There are 185 competitors doing battle over three days of play, with the final scheduled for 21.00 on Saturday evening.
The PREDATOR DUTCH WOMEN’S OPEN gets underway on Saturday, concluding Sunday and on Tuesday 30th September, the annual PREDATOR EUROPEAN SENIORS POOL CHAMPIONSHIPS, organised by the European Pocket Billiard Federation starts. Running for nine days, the Seniors features three categories – plus-45s, plus-55s and ladies competing across four disciplines.
With various European stars currently competing in the Predator WPA 10-Ball World Championship in Vietnam, the top-ranked player here in Assen, at No.5, is Euro Tour stalwart Roman Hybler. Competing among Europe’s elite players for well over 20 years, Hybler, 47, has one Euro Tour win to his name, claiming the top spot in Willingen, Germany back in 2002.
He said, “It feels nice but although ‘top-ranked player’ is good, everyone can play here. So, I’ll play match-by-match and we’ll see what happens. It gives me a good chance but it’s the momentum in pool-billiards and you need luck in the tournament and if you have both you can win.
“I’ve felt the last two or three times that I can win it but at the end, I’ve had a really good opponent, they’ve played good and it’s given me a lot of pressure and it’s the same here. You can’t make any mistakes and you can lose without making any mistakes but I hope I can win my second Euro Tour.
“My goal is one more Euro Tour for sure and my goal is also to be first on the Euro Tour ranking. Also, a world pool championship has also been a goal from my youth until now and last month I won the European Championship in Heyball which was a surprise for me which gave me a lot of confidence.”
Hybler’s wife Yvonne competes on the women’s circuit here and his son Alessio is a promising junior and a medallist at previous European Youth Championships.
“As a family, we speak a lot about billiards! My son lives with my ex-wife, my wife also plays and is here for the women’s division and also plays in the European Seniors, and my son is really good and I hope he can go far in his next events. We will see. I play with my son in the Bundesliga together in a team and yes, that is really nice for me,” he concluded.
Posted By admin on Thursday, September 25 2025 @ 11:24:39 UTC (201 reads)
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First 64 Players Confirmed for 2025 Hanoi Open Pool Championship
THE FIRST 64 PLAYERS CONFIRMED FOR THE 2025 HANOI OPEN POOL CHAMPIONSHIP, 7-12 OCTOBER
The 2025 Hanoi Open Pool Championship is set to be one of the most anticipated events on the World Nineball Tour. With the first 64 players confirmed from a 256-player field, anticipation is already building for a week of world-class action in Hanoi.
From October 7–12, 2025, the Vietnam National Sports Complex will once again host the drama, passion, and intensity that has made the Hanoi Open one of the sport’s most electrifying Majors.
Among the first names announced are some of the sport’s biggest forces and fan favorites:
• Johann Chua (Philippines) – The defending champion, back in Hanoi to protect his crown. • Fedor Gorst (USA) – The current world No.1, chasing his next major triumph. • Carlo Biado (Philippines) – The reigning world champion, hungry to make his mark in Vietnam. • Aloysius Yapp (Singapore) – Riding a historic run of form after capturing the UK Open, Florida Open, and US Open. • Jayson Shaw (United Kingdom) – A former Hanoi Open champion, aiming to reclaim the title. • Duong Quoc Hoang (Vietnam) – The hometown hero, carrying the hopes of a nation.
Allocations:
AAPA – 4 Men and 4 Women
ACBS – 11 Men and 11 Women
BCA – 5 Men and 5 Women
CPB – 4 Men and 4 Women
EPBF – 11 Men and 11 Women
OPBA – 5 Men and 5 Women
HOST COUNTRY – 5 Men and 5 Women
JOY – 3 Men and 3 Women
WPA HEYBALL RANKING – 16 Men and 16 Women
Billiard Congress of America
The Billiard Congress of America has limited invites for this event, if you are interested in competing in the 2025 WPA Heyball World Championship, please contact BCA Player Representative Jose Burgos at jose@bca-pool.com or please download the Athlete's Guide for more information. Player selections will be based on athlete's that have expressed interest to the BCA and their BCA player rankings.
Deadline to express interest to BCA player representative Jose Burgos is Oct 6, 2025.
All players competing in this event must hold a 2025 WPA Athlete's License and be in good standing with the Billiard Congress of America.
Posted By admin on Wednesday, September 24 2025 @ 07:34:37 UTC (223 reads)
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The Philippines Open Pool Championship 2025
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT...
THE PHILIPPINES OPEN POOL CHAMPIONSHIP 2025
The countdown is on! The World Nineball Tour, in partnership with Puyat Sports, is bringing a brand-new Matchroom Major to Manila this October, as the Philippines Open Pool Championship takes centre stage 21–26 October at Gateway Mall, Quezon City, live on One Sport and WNT TV.
Hot on the heels of the Reyes Cup (16–19 October), the Philippines Open cements Manila’s status as the world’s pool capital, showcasing the very best players on the planet in a week of unmissable action.
Top Players To Watch
The Philippines Open will welcome a world-class lineup of stars ready to battle it out for the inaugural title, featuring top names such as:
• Carlo Biado– reigning World Champion
• Johann Chua– reigning Hanoi Open champion
• Francisco Sánchez Ruiz– former World Champion
• Jayson Shaw– seven-time Mosconi Cup winner
• Anton Raga
• David Alcaide
• Duong Quoc Hoang
• Bernie Regalario
• Mickey Krause
• James Aranas
And with many more top players set to join, the elite field promises fans the very best of both established champions and hungry young challengers under one roof.
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