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World Ten Ball Championship Set in November

A Pro9 - Europe's No.1 Pool Player Resource Article

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Date: Thursday, August 13 2009 @ 10:10:46 UTC
Topic: 10 Ball



2009 World Ten Ball Championship
World Trade Center
Philippine National Bank Complex
Manila Bay Area
Metro Manila
Philippines
www.rayasports.com

25-30 November 2009


World Ten Ball Championship Set in November

FOR the second consecutive year, the World Ten Ball Championship will be held in Manila, with the World Trade Center in the Philippine capital serving as venue when the event unfolds on November 25-30. This was jointly announced Monday (August 3) by the World Pool-Billiard Association and Raya Sports.

The only world men’s championship this year, the WTBC offers a total prize fund of $250,000 (champion’s prize, $75,000) and some 300 players from over 50 countries are expected to participate in the main tournament and qualifying tournament.

The World Trade Center, home to major international events and exhibitions in the Philippines, will be hosting a world pool championship for the first time. Like the 2008 venue, the Philippine International Convention Center, the WTC is located in the Manila Bay area, with many hotels, restaurants and malls close by.

The qualifying tournament, which comprises 10 events, will be held on Nov. 19-23 at the Star Billiards Center in Quezon City, which has hosted three world-championship qualifiers three years in a row.

"Read More..." for the details.

The WTBC is organized and promoted by Raya Sports, franchise holder of the event and promoter of the last two world 9-ball championship in 2006 and 2007.

“Although the prize fund is smaller on account of the global recession, we expect this year’s championship to be bigger and more competitive in every other way,” said JP Fenix, Raya executive director. “Ten Ball has taken off all over the world, and top players from every region will be eager to contest the top prize and trophy.”

The prestigious event will again be televised worldwide, with ESPN Star Sports broadcasting it live to some 33 countries, and ABS-CBN’s Studio 23 handling the free TV Philippine broadcast.

The main tournament consists of 128 players, who earn their spots through rankings or selection by the WPA and continental federations, or through the various qualifiers conducted by Raya. Assured of spots are the top 10 players in the WPA world-ranking system and the reigning world champions in all disciplines.

The competition format divides the 128 participants into 16 groups. Each group goes through a double elimination competition to determine four players who will qualify for the Round of 64. From there, the competition becomes a knockout affair in which players will compete in race-to-9 matches up to the final. The final will be a race-to-11 match.

Darren Appleton of Great Britain won the first World Ten Ball Championship by beating Wu Chia Ching at the PICC in October last year. He will defend his championship in Manila this November.

2009 WORLD TEN BALL CHAMPIONSHIP

TOTAL PRIZE FUND: $253,000

Winner x 1

$75,000-00

Runner-Up x 1

$30,000-00

Semi-Finalists x 2

$15,000-00

Quarter-Finalists x 4

$7,500-00

Last 16 Stage x 8

$3,000-00

Last 32 Stage x 16

$2,000-00

Last 64 Stage x 32

$1,000-00

Sanction Fees: WPA –5% : BSCP –2.5%



HOST COUNTRY

The Republic of the Philippines is the host country of the 2009 World Ten Ball Championship of the World Pool-Billiard Association. It will be the fourth year in a row that the country will host a major WPA world pool championship.

On 4-12 November 2006, the capital city of Manila hosted the
World 9-Ball Pool Championship at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC). The following year, on November 3-11, the suburban city of Quezon in Metro Manila served as host of the 2007 WPC, with historic Araneta Coliseum as venue. On October 6-12, 2008, the World Ten Ball Championship was inaugurated at the PICC.

Since its first fling with the world pool championship, the country has come to be known as the new pool capital of the world or, in the words of Billiards Digest, “the new epicenter of international pool.”        


TOURNAMENT DATES AND VENUES

Qualifying Tournament (Stage 1)
19-23 November 2009
Star Billiards Center
Grace Village, Quezon City

Main Tournament (Stage 2)
25-30 November 2009
World Trade Center
Philippine National Bank Complex
Manila Bay Area
Metro Manila


TOURNAMENT FORMAT

There are 128 players in the main event of the WTBC. In the opening round, the players are divided into 16 groups of 8 players each, and they compete under a double elimination format. Four players from each group advance into the Last 64.

From the Last 64 to the Finals, the competition becomes single elimination.


ORGANISER

Raya Sports
in cooperation with
Billiards & Snooker Congress of the Philippines
and Star Billiards Center

Sanctioned by:
World Pool-Billiard Association
and Billiards & Snooker Congress of the Philippines


PLAYERS

Players gain entry into the main tournament by (1) the WPA quota system which allocates spots to the continental federations, or (2) by winning a spot in qualifying tournaments.

The 2nd WTBC is for men only, there being now a separate world ten ball championship for women.

Reigning WPA world champions in 8-Ball and 9-Ball and top ten players in the WPA ranking system are guaranteed spots in the tournament.

Players in the top 16 of the 2008 WTBC gain automatic spots in the 2009 WTBC.


ENTRY FEE

There is no entry fee for players who are pre-qualified for the main tournament (Stage 2).

Other players can secure entry by joining in the 10 qualifiers to be held from November 19 to 23 at the Star Billiards Center in Quezon City.

Entry fee schedule is as follows:

Individual qualifier -- $50
Five qualifiers -- $250

To register, write to: Sol Gueco, tournament coordinator
e-mail address: solgueco@rayasports.com


TV COVERAGE

Philippine Broadcast

•        Terrestrial (ABS-CBN Studio 23)
•        Cable (ESPN Philippines)

International Broadcast

•        ESPN Star Sports
•        ABS-CBN Global – Filipino Channel


TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATIONS

All players and team officials are responsible for their own flight and accommodation expenses and food.

Raya will be posting a list of hotel partners on its official website starting September 2009.


VISA

Foreign players intending to play in the WTBC should apply for their visas at least six weeks before their scheduled departure for the Philippines.

If an invitation letter is needed to secure a Philippine visa, please submit your personal information and necessary documents to Raya Sports at the earliest convenience.

No visa is required of citizens of ASEAN countries.

For further information and inquiries, call or write to:

             Ahyie Torres, Executive Secretary
             Tel. +63 (2) 8952021
             Email: ahyietorres@rayasports.com









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