Site News
Topic: *Industry News* 2011

Two Champions Collide

On Saturday July 23rd Money Match TV history will be made as for the first time two current champions go head-to-head.

Arfan Dad, with a nine match winning streak, will be aiming to reach double figures in his match against Matt Lawrenson.

Lawrenson himself was a winner last time out against Kevin Uzzell and the former European Junior Champion will be looking to knock Arfan off his perch.

Money Match TV has always had four matches where the 'winner-stays-on' a bit like boxing, at this event it is the first time that two of these champions have come together.

Arfan and Matt recently contested the final of the British Amateur 9-ball Championships, played in the same venue, on the same table over the same match distance. It was Arfan that now goes into their money match on 23rd July with added confidence after winning that match 21-12 on Sunday, he said, "(I) played awesome in the final to beat Matt Lawrenson 21-12. Good confidence booster going into our MMTV match on Saturday."

The winner of this match will return next month against a brand new challenger and Arfan will be desperate to keep his unbelievable run going.

As with every other MMTV event before it, there are also a further 5 matches, 2 of which will be televised live on Cuesport TV.

Lee Rigby plays Craig Waddingham on the TV table at 11am, this is followed by two local lads, Phil Newman and Jamie Yates taking the 2:30pm slot before the headline match, mentioned above, at 6pm.

There are then a further 3 matches on table two where live scoring will be offered on the live stream throughout the day.

Visit Money Match TV 13 for further details and to purchase the PPV offering.

BATA REYES TO DEFEND PREDATOR 10-BALL CROWN
BY: MARLON BERNARDINO

EFREN "Bata" Reyes will defend his crown in the 2011 Predator International 10-Ball Championship gets underway on September 15 to 18 at the Robinsons Place Manila.

Reyes, who hails from Angeles City, Pampanga and is playing under the banner of Aristeo "Putch" Puyat of Puyat Sports, is set to face challengers that include billiards heavyweights Mika Immonen of Finland, Darren Appleton of Great Britain and Thorsten Hohmann of Germany

"I'm hoping to defend my title but I need to play hard. Every player has a chance to be a Predator champion," said the former double world champion Reyes, who edged countryman Roberto "Pinoy Superman" Gomez in the last year finals, 10-9, to win the US$10,000 top prize and the championship trophy.

Over 30 countries are estimated to be represented at this year's event including Germany, India, Sweden, China, England, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, Taiwan, Philippines, Australia, Finland, Hong Kong, Norway, Mexico, Canada, Curacao, Venezuela, Spain, Portugal, Russia, Austria, Hungary, Netherlands, Italy, Malta, and the USA.

The four days competition will air live on ABS-CBN and re-broadcast on ESPN Star Sports.

"After last year's smashing success, we were thrilled that Dragon Promotions was keeping the event in the Philippines. Each year, the event grows and more people are attracted to playing, watching, and following the Predator Championship," said John Forrester, Chairman of The Predator Group.

"ABS-CBN has been a great partner and the media worldwide has made the pros in our event well recognized. And of course, Predator has put in an enormous amount of time and energy to develop the event and see it prosper over the years. We have an outstanding team and we know it will only keep getting better," said Dragon Promotions CEO Cindy Lee.

BCA Names Mike Serra of Championship LLC 2011-2012 Board Chairman

Broomfield, Colo. - July 25, 2011 - During its general membership meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 12, 2011, the Billiard Congress of America announced the results of the 2011-2012 Board of Directors elections, which are as follows:

Category 1 (Manufacturer/Distributor)

    * Ivan Lee (Iwan Simonis, Inc.), three-year term
    * Mike Serra (Championship, LLC), three-year term

Category 2 (Retailer)

    * Jonathan Goudeau (Indoor Recreation Co., LLC), three-year term

In follow-up elections, Mike Serra (Championship, LLC) accepted a one-year term as BCA Board Chairman, as did each of the remaining seated officers: Vice Chairman Skip Nemecek (Tweeten Fibre); Secretary Martin Bloom (Olhausen Billiard Mfg., Inc); and Treasurer Ivan Lee (Iwan Simonis, Inc.).

The remaining directors include: Nick Alexander (Clicks Billiards); Elaine Gerber (Presidential Billiards, LP); Tom Gregory (Toltec Lighting); Thomas Rodgers (Robertson Billiards); Austin Rothbard (Brunswick Corporation); Tony Stick (The Billiard Factory); and Eric Weber (CueStix International, Inc).

"I believe with the new Board of Directors we will be able to get right to work and continue the momentum established from the previous Board," said Chairman Mike Serra. "The ability for the new BCA Board of Directors to stay focused on the BCA mission and maintain the energy put forth by the out-going Board will ensure that the BCA will continue to move in the right direction."

Also approved during the general membership meeting were several bylaw revisions that were recommended by the BCA Board of Directors. The new bylaws, which immediately go into effect, can be viewed at bca-pool.com.

"The most significant revisions to the bylaws will now allow for billiard media to join the Billiard Congress of America as a Category 1 member with the ability to vote in membership elections and bylaw revisions," said Chairman Serra. "However, this new designation will still exempt them from obtaining seats on the Billiard Congress of America Board of Directors."

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.

NEW EPBF YOUTH DIRECTOR ASSIGNED

Sandra Hanf from Germany is new EPBF Youth Director

Wednesday, 27 July 2011: Starting August 1st, 2011, Sandra Hanf from Germany is the new Youth Director of the EPBF. She enters into Tommi Lamminaho’s term of office who has resigned lately. She will act on a provisional basis until the next General Assembly where she will be up for election.

Sandra has started her career as an official at a very young age. She played the 1999 Youth Championships herself and was assigned to be assisting the juniors only one year after that in 2000. Her home federation is Baden-Wuerttemberg in southwest Germany. In 2007, she started to be responsible for the girl’s squad of the German Billard Union DBU. She was at the European Championships in Willingen which was her first international appearance with the youngsters.

Sandra, who is 30 years of age, is not married and has no kids of her own. She was at the 2011 German Junior Championships in Bad Wildungen when she caught the attention of the president of the EPBF, Gre Leenders. At that time, Leenders just got to know about the resignation from Tommi Lamminaho. “He just came up to me and asked me if I could imagine working for the EPBF”, says Hanf. “I was totally surprised. I slept about it one night only and I accepted the offer the very next day”. Leenders is very happy with the new Board Member. “I am sure that Sandra will add new ideas and initiatives to the EPBF Board”, says Leenders.

Indeed, Sandra wants to start new projects in order to improve the playing performance of the European Youth squad. “I am thinking of training camps for the youth in order to raise their ability of play though they are already at a good level, says Hanf.

“Our achievements in the past prove that we are in a leading role with regards to junior and youth work worldwide. However, this is mainly due to my predecessor’s work. Tommi has left the office and he had a great reputation and acceptance with the kids. I hope I can live up to that and fill the gap”, a modest Sandra Hanf declares. When asked what she is mostly looking forward to, she mentions: “I really like the thought to work together with the EPBF team in the future at international events. This is a big challenge for me and I will do my best to fulfil the expectations that people have in me”.

BCA Promotes Industry Growth at 2011 Expo

New Exhibits, Strong Education and Summit 2012 Highlight News During Event

Broomfield, Colo. - July 20, 2011 - The 2011 edition of the Billiard Congress of America's (BCA) International Billiard & Home Recreation Expo, was held at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 13 - 15, 2011.

Attendance for the three-day event was 1,275, with the 100 exhibiting companies taking a total of 388 booths.

"While the billiard industry is still suffering from a slow economy, I was pleased with the overall positive comments regarding sales activity on the show floor, content of the keynote presentation, and the Business of Billiards Seminar Series," said BCA Expo co-chairman Ivan Lee. "The Expo continues to attract a who's-who of the billiard and home recreation industry and delivers a great platform for sales, networking and educational opportunities. The feedback we received from exhibitors, retailers and room operators was very positive."

During the event, the Billiard Congress of America also announced Chicago as the location for its 2012 annual industry gathering. The association unveiled the new name, logo and tagline for next year's event: Summit 2012: Redefining the billiard business...together.

Summit 2012, formerly known as the International Billiard & Home Recreation Expo, will be held Wednesday, July 18 through Friday, July 20 at the Renaissance Chicago/Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center. More information will be available as it develops at bcasummit.com.

Important notice for Super Billiards Expo 2012

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR PLAYERS & SPECTATORS- PLEASE READ

We are excited to announce that the 20th Anniversary Super Billiards Expo will be moving to a new venue that is over twice the size of our previous location! The rumors you may have heard regarding the VFCC and its plans to change to a casino are true, and the timing is perfect for us to bring the show to an even better home!

Some Key Points:

The 2012 Super Billiards Expo will be even bigger and better than ever!

The new facility, the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks, is less than 6 miles down the road - and boasts over twice the space we had available at the VFCC! And even better, it's all on one floor - no more stairs.

More booth space, more parking, more tables, more players!

By moving to our new venue, we will now have much more space available for all of the facets that make the SBX great: vendors, players, and tables!

The dates have also changed - SBX2012 will now be March 8-11, 2012

In order to move the show down the road (which we have to do since the VFCC is remodeling into a casino) we also have to modify the dates slightly. This minor change should not cause too much of a problem as we are still several months away from the show.

So what else has changed?

The GPEC (Greater Philadelphia Expo Center) has plans to build a hotel to be ready for 2013, as everyone in the region is adjusting to the changes. There is currently no hotel attached to the new venue. There is a Hampton Inn less than 1 mile away, and most of the hotels that guests are used to are within a small radius.

Additionally, the VFCC is only about 6 miles away and will still accommodate all guests that wish to stay there. There will be a shuttle to take people back and forth throughout the day. The benefit of having this new and bigger facility outweighs this slight inconvenience. There is a huge parking lot which has aprox. 5000 spaces - twice as many as the VFCC!

A huge room for overnight play!

Just like the popular lower level table arena, this new venue provides for a whole room full of pool tables to be kept open overnight for your playing enjoyment! And in addition, this extra space will allow us to run daily tournament play more smoothly and efficiently.

In addition to the huge room of tables for Amateur Player Championship, TAP League events, and overnight play - we will also now have room for 32 tables that can be used for daily turbo tournaments. More tournament action for everyone!

Bigger Pro Arena

Along with the additional space for amateurs and vendors, we also now have a larger Pro Arena so that we can host a bigger event and attract more of the best players form around the world - and room for spectators to come and watch!

We know this is a big change, please rest assured that we have everyone's best interest in mind and will do anything and everything we can to ensure that the show is bigger and more successful than ever!

Please check our website periodically for any important updates and more info.

Thanks again for your continued support,

Allen Hopkins
Allen Hopkins Productions

Rob Johnson Honored with Billiard Congress of America 2010 President's Award

Las Vegas, Nevada - July 12, 2011 - Each year the Chairman of the Billiard Congress of America (BCA) Board of Directors has the opportunity to recognize an outstanding individual who has made significant contributions to the billiard industry with the presentation of the BCA President's Award.

2010-2011 BCA Board Chairman Ivan Lee announced during the BCA General Membership Meeting that he has chosen Rob Johnson, current Chief Executive Officer of the Billiard Congress of America, as the recipient of the 2010 President's Award. Johnson has been the CEO of the BCA since 2006, and has earned a reputation for strong leadership in the industry and a desire to promote billiards at every opportunity.

"In choosing this year's President's award recipient, I wanted to choose someone whose work often may go unnoticed or unappreciated, yet someone who is really working hard to make a positive impact on our industry," Chairman Lee stated. "This year's award recipient is a true professional. Rob is hardworking, honest, loyal and fair. He has great enthusiasm and always displays a positive attitude regardless of the situation at hand."

Johnson's previous experience in professional sports has provided him the necessary skills to help drive the association's mission of supporting its membership and promoting the game of billiards. Prior to his position at the Billiard Congress of America, Johnson served in a variety of sports management positions, including serving as president of Pikes Peak International Raceway and the Denver Grand Prix.

As CEO of the BCA, Johnson is focused on growing a united, prosperous and highly regarded billiard industry. In a recent interview with Pool and Billiard Magazine's Shari Stauch, Rob mentioned that his saving grace has always been to keep himself, the BCA staff and the BCA Board of Directors focused on the mission of the Billiard Congress of America.

During his tenure, Johnson has worked hard to provide industry members with tangible benefits designed to support their businesses. Such benefits include industry, retail and room operator-specific research, an enhanced level of education during the BCA Expo and the development of non-industry partnerships with such companies as Coca-Cola, and First Data, who offer association members price discounts on products and services. He has also streamlined the association to make it easier to do business with the BCA and reduced overall operating expenses by more than 60 percent since his arrival.

Other industry leaders concur with Lee's assessment of Johnson's successful leadership. "Having worked with five of the previous BCA Executive Directors I can confidently say that Rob Johnson is the most personable, approachable, and professional CEO the BCA has ever had," says Skip Nemecek, former BCA Chairman.

"The BCA is fortunate to have a person of Rob's integrity, energy, knowledge and enthusiasm working daily for the benefit of players, wholesalers and retailers," said Sean Cummings, former BCA Chairman.

"Rob is the coolest cat on a hot tin roof I have ever known. His ability to stay calm whilst juggling the diverse points of concern and interest in the billiards industry is astounding," declares Jerry Forsyth, founder of AZBilliards.

Under Rob Johnson's direction, the BCA Instructor's Committee and its programs have flourished as never before. "When I talk to Rob, it gets done... quickly," stated Randy Goettlicher, Chairman of the BCA Instructor Program.

Nigel Mawer Joins WPBSA Board

Nigel Mawer QPM has joined the board of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association as the new Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee.

Nigel left the Metropolitan Police Service in 2010 as a Detective Chief Superintendent in the Specialist Crime Directorate based at New Scotland Yard.

He was the head of the Economic and Specialist Crime Command where he devised ‘Sterling’, the MPS strategy to combat economic crime in London. He led the National response to e-crime and planned the operational response against serious and organised crime relating to the 2012 Olympics.

He has led on some of the most sensitive enquiries conducted by Scotland Yard. He ran the recent corruption enquiry into Pakistani Cricketers, working closely with the ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unit. He led the enquiry into Lords and MPs expenses.

He now works as a freelance specialist advisor in the areas of sport regulation, integrity in sport, anti-corruption, economic and e-crime.

He is the Chair of the Darts Regulation Authority and is the independent regulator of professional darts.

In 2001 he achieved an MA in Individual and Organisational Development. He was awarded the Queens Police Medal for Distinguished Police Service in the 2009 Queens Birthday Honours. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.

He replaces David Douglas, who has left the board to focus on other commitments.

WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson said: “We are delighted to bring Nigel on to the board. He has wealth of experience at the very top level, which will benefit us in dealing with disciplinary issues in snooker. We’ve made real progress in recent months in making snooker a clean sport, especially in setting up the new Integrity Unit. Under Nigel’s guidance we will be able to continue that progress.

"We would like to thank David Douglas for his exceptional contribution to the governance of our sport and we wish him all the best.”

The 14.1 Straight Pool Hall of Fame

New Brunswick, New Jersey- Pool fans are invited to join dinner with the world's greatest players at the 1st Annual 14.1 Straight Pool Hall of Fame. The special event takes place on August 31, 2011 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel during the 71st Annual World Tournament of Straight Pool which will feature the likes of Oliver Ortmann, Johnny Archer, Thorsten Hohmann, Niels Feijen, Allen Hopkins, Stefan Cohen and many more straight pool stars.

This year's nominees on the ballot include Ray Martin, Ray Martin, Dallas West,Nick Varner, Jerome Keough, Alfredo DeOro, and Willie Mosconi. To vote, please send in your choice at worldstraightpoolchampionships@gmail.com

"We wanted to recognize and honor those who are not just obvious choices, but unsung heroes in straight pool history that might not have been noticed on other ballots. There are many legendary players whose names have only been made known to me in the past few years from our resurrection of the World 14.1 Tournament", said Charlie Williams, Founder of Dragon Promotions.

One of the goals of the event is to honor the champions of 14.1 that have passed and honor those who are still living. The Straight Pool Hall of Fame goals are also to cover all the expenses of the living inductee to the event and the Hall of Famer's costs in playing in the event.

Fans can make donations to support the 14.1 Hall of Fame Inductee at via Paypal.

In partnership with the support of Dr.Michael Fedak, Dragon Promotions will produce The World Tournament for the sixth straight year. This year's event will have the biggest payout in men's straight pool history with $20,000 going to the champion. The event is $35,000 added , boasting a total $70,000 in the prize fund for one prestigious straight pool tournament . Predator Cues will also be sponsoring the event for the sixth straight year and the luxurious Hyatt Regency in New Brunswick, NJ will host this year's event starting August 28 through September 2, 2011. All the greatest straight pool players from around the world will arrive at the birthplace of 14.1 to play for this coveted title and becoming the #1 Straight Pool Player on Earth.

The World Tournament is the oldest tournament in history that still exists today. Invented by Jerome Keough and shortly after recognized as the official game of billiards. The first World Tournament of 14.1 was held in 1911 and won by Alfredo DeOro. In its history due to war and economics, the World Tournament had 29 tournaments that did not take place including a 15 year gap between 1990-2005 until Dragon Promotions revived the game and the World Tournament in 2006. It has taken place every year since.

SEVEN YOUNG HOPEFULS TO COMPETE IN FINAL OF FUTURE STARS OF SNOOKER 2011

£5,000 up for grabs for the winner!

Seven young hopefuls from across the UK are to compete in the final of Future Stars of Snooker 2011 which takes place on 11 August at Rileys sports bar in Victoria, London. They'll be competing for the title of Future Star 2011 and a cash prize of £5,000.

The seven youngsters will undertake 5 tasks set for them to test their skills and accuracy, each task is pointed and will be scored accordingly. The final will be judged by snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan.

The Future Stars of Snooker is a competition which was introduced for the first time in 2010 by Rileys & Ronnie O'Sullivan to find the next star of snooker.

Ronnie O'Sullivan says: "This is an amazing opportunity for the kids. There's a lot of money to be made in professional snooker nowadays, especially with all the new tournaments Barry Hearn has introduced."

Ronnie adds: "It's great to see snooker appealing to a younger crowd, I think the likes of Judd Trump coming into the game has been a real boost for the sport. Last year's standard in the final of Future Stars was unbelievable; there are a lot of talented youngsters around and I'm really looking forward to seeing how these kids do."

To get through to the final the boys had to win their heats in local qualifiers which took place at Rileys clubs across the UK in March, before going on to take part in regional finals in April and winning.

Maurice Kelly, CEO of Rileys said: "We introduced this competition to help give someone a start on their career path in snooker. The £5,000 prize money goes towards providing assistance with tournaments and general expenses, so we hope it pays off for one of these boys. As Ronnie says, there is good money to be made in professional snooker and we'd love to see a Future Stars competitor go on to make it big."

The seven finalists competing for the title of Future Star 2011and £5,000 prize money are: Dylan Craig from Greenfield, Glasgow; George Pragnell from Norwich; Robert Dagnall from Rainford, St Helens; Adam Bobat from Fareham, Hants; Toby Simpson from Long Eaton, Nottingham; Steven Hallworth from Skellingthorpe, Lincoln; Jamie Clarke from Pemberton, Llanelli.

Top Players Set For Brazil Trip

Five former World Champions are among the field for the inaugural Brazil Masters in September.

The new tournament, which runs from September 15 to 18 at the spectacular Costão do Santinho resort in Santa Catarina, will capitalise on the burgeoning popularity of snooker in Brazil.

The line up is:

Seven-times World Champion Stephen Hendry
Six-times World Champion Steve Davis
2005 World Champion Shaun Murphy
2006 World Champion Graeme Dott
2002 World Champion Peter Ebdon
Two-time Masters champion and current World number 3 Mark Selby
Current Shanghai Masters champion and World number 7 Ali Carter
Former Wuxi Classic champion and World Championship semi-finalist Mark Allen
Winner of the 2011 Australian Goldfields Open Stuart Bingham
Former Shanghai Masters champion Ricky Walden
Former Six-Reds World Champion Mark Davis
Four time World Ranking Event winner Stephen Lee
Former Grand Prix and China Open finalist Jamie Cope

Brazil’s top player Igor Figueiredo, who reached the televised stage of the World Open last season during his debut season on the pro tour, is also among the line up. He will be joined by two Brazilian wild cards who come through a qualifying event.

The full draw and format are available now at www.worldsnooker.com

Tickets for the event are now on sale, for full details on the event see www.brazilmasters.com.br

New Streaming Service Opens Snooker To Global Audience

World Snooker has signed a new five year agreement with digital sports media company PERFORM, to live stream all professional tournaments online, opening up the sport to a global audience on an unprecedented scale.

A new website, www.liveworldsnooker.tv has been launched and will be the online home of World Snooker events. All tournaments will be streamed, including ranking event qualifiers and Players Tour Championship events. Streaming will not be available in territories where live broadcast of the tournaments are accessible.

Fans will be able to sign up to the site on a subscription basis, for a fee of £2.99 per month or £29.99 per year (£3.99 and £39.99 outside Europe, Middle East, North Africa, China and Hong Kong). This will give them access to live matches, with high quality streaming, reliable content and match commentary.

LIVEWORLDSNOOKER.TV is part of the LIVESPORT.TV network - the home of official high quality streaming of premium sports from around the world.

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: "This is a hugely significant deal in terms of getting snooker out to the furthest corners of the globe. For people who love snooker but live in territories like North America or South America where there isn't much of it on TV, they can go online and see every tournament.

"It doesn't matter if you live in the Arctic Circle or the darkest corner of Africa, all you need is a computer, an internet connection and a credit card and you can watch top class snooker with excellent, reliable quality and commentary. The pricing is very reasonable and I believe £29.99 a year to watch up to 30 events is phenomenal value.

"For fans who already watch a lot of snooker on TV it's also great news because they will be able to see the qualifiers and PTC events. There are so many top players taking part in these tournaments and we are delighted to now have the right deal in place to show them to the world.

"PERFORM are leading experts on streaming and I have worked with them on other sports including darts, with great success. They will also play a role in the production of content and we have no doubt about their capacity to deliver."

Oliver Slipper, Joint-CEO, PERFORM commented: "We're delighted to add the World Snooker tournaments to our portfolio of LIVESPORT events. This platform provides snooker with an opportunity to reach millions of fans globally and also provides an opportunity to commercialise content in regions that were not previously available."

The first tournament to be streamed live is the current Shanghai Masters qualifiers, finishing tomorrow, August 4. A full schedule of events and details of how to sign up for the service are available at www.liveworldsnooker.tv

SUCCESS FOR THE FIRST EVER NATIONAL SNOOKER WEEK

The end of July saw the first ever National Snooker Week (NSW) and, judging by the influx of new members at Rileys Sports Bars, it’s being hailed a great success.

Over 2,500 people took advantage of the free snooker on offer at Rileys during NSW, with many new members being introduced to the sport, particularly youngsters.

Maurice Kelly, CEO of Rileys, says: “The aim of National Snooker Week was to do exactly what it did; bring new people into the sport! We were delighted with the impact it had, we had a lot more people playing than we expected and it’s great to see new faces coming into the clubs.”

National Snooker Week ran 25 – 29 July and, in addition to the free snooker & free memberships, there were various events and activities going on at each of the Rileys clubs across the UK, including mini tournaments, competitions and chances to win tickets for events.

Maurice adds: “Barry Hearn and World Snooker have revolutionised snooker; with the surge of new tournaments there’s a lot of prize money up for grabs for the professional snooker player now, and the good news is that anyone can play.”

Professional snooker coaches were provided by World Snooker to be on hand at many of the Rileys venues, and they also offered the chance to win tickets to major World Snooker tournaments.

Snooker legends Steve Davis and Jimmy White gave up their time to visit their respective local Rileys during the week, much to the delight of the customers who were in there playing at the time. They chatted to the fans, gave a masterclass in snooker and people had the chance to play a frame against them.

World Snooker’s Barry Hearn said: “This was a first for National Snooker Week and the results were great – over 2,500 people playing snooker during the week was amazing, especially as it was a good weather week! Big thanks to Rileys for supporting the cause with free snooker and free membership – and having air conditioning in their venues! And thanks also to Steve Davis and Jimmy White for giving up their time and turning up for the kids and fans. We’ve created something now that we can build on, and we can look forward to bigger and better things for National Snooker Week next year!”

Photos from National Snooker Week can be viewed on www.rileys.co.uk or www.worldsnooker.com

Manuel Ederer disqualified!

The German top junior player was sent home by EPBF
Friday, 05 August 2011: Unfortunately, the Board of the European Pocket Billiard Federation has to announce that Manuel Ederer from Germany is disqualified from the European Youth Championships immediately effective.

The official reasoning is that Ederer behaved himself in a way which the Board deems to be damaging and harmful to the pool sport.

The European Championships are hosted by the European Governing Body for Pool, the European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) and organized by International Billiard Promotion (IBP). For further information and reference please go to the federation website www.epbf.com , follow us on twitter @EPBF_News or contact our press office.

BCAPL Rules Now Available on Kindle and Nook

The Official Rules of the BCA Pool League is widely used within the BCAPL and by non BCAPL players all over the world.

Earlier this year CueSports International (CSI) launched the Spanish language version of the Official BCAPL Rules and now you can download both the Official Rules of the BCA Pool League (English version) and the Reglas Officiales de la BCA Liga Pool (Spanish version) on your Amazon Kindle or Barnes and Noble Nook. Kindle users can purchase both language versions online at www.amazon.com via the Kindle Store. Nook users can purchase both versions at www.bn.com. The price is $3.00.

When the first edition of the BCAPL rule book was published in 2007, well regarded cue sport historian and journalist Mike Shamos reviewed the book in the July 2008 issue of Billiards Digest. He said, “The (BCAPL) rules themselves and their interpretations have been given a great deal of thought, and the reasoning behind them is not hidden but is right there on the page. They’re also based on a great deal of experience with problems that surfaced in actual league situations. They don’t make the mistake of sacrificing the integrity of the game just to keep down the number of disputes that arise, which is a flaw endemic to league rules generally. I have the feeling that because of their logic the BCAPL rules just may become the dominant rules of the game.”

The Kindle and Nook launch of the Official Rules of the BCA Pool League is another step by the team at CSI to increase the use of technology in the pool community. In addition to this recent launch, CSI also created and launched the most progressive online tournament tracking and registration system in the sport, the CueSports Tournament System (CTS). For more information about CTS visit www.ctsondemand.com.

CueSports International is dedicated to creating more choices for all players. CSI is the parent company of the BCA Pool League and the USA Pool League. CSI also produces independent events such as the US Bar Table Championships, the Jay Swanson Memorial, the US Open One Pocket Championship and the US Open 10-Ball Championship. Visit www.playcsipool.com, www.playbca.com and www.playusapool.com for more information about CSI and its divisions.

Dynamic European Seniors Championships started

Henrique Correia defeats Thomas Damm

Sunday, 07 August 2011: The Dynamic European Seniors Championships 2011 have begun. The first discipline to be played is straight pool.

In the first winner’s round, last year’s runner-up Henrique Correia (POR) shellacked Thomas Damm (GER) with 75:44. Correia found into the match much better than the German who is a well-known coach back home. The match was determined by a lot of safety play. In the beginning, Damm made a few mistakes too many, allowing Correia to take a 63:30 lead. Then, they had a small safety shootout. Damm tried to pocket a combination shot by firing the cue ball into the rail but he lost the cue ball and scratched. That brought Correia back to the table with ball in hand and an open rack. But he missed the very first shot! Damm came to the table but he also only ran 12 balls before he left a ball hanging over the corner pocket. At a score of 41:66 in favour of Correia, another safety encounter was happening on the slate. Then, Correia missed another shot which Damm offered him. Damm went along and pocketed three balls having an open table in front of him. But he fell short on his position and had to play a tough shot in the side pocket which he missed. Ten balls remaining on the table with Correia needing eight for the victory. The Portuguese pocketed the balls needed and won the match 75:44 due to Damm’s many unnecessary mistakes.

Other notable results include defending Champion Frank Willner (GER) shooting down Tom Eksell (SWE) in three innings with 75:9. Rainer Wirsbitzki (GER) outscored Tomasz Malinowski (POL) with 75:7, needing only 5 innings for that triumph.

The European Championships are hosted by the European Governing Body for Pool, the European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) and organized by International Billiard Promotion (IBP). For further information and reference please go to the federation website www.epbf.com , follow us on twitter @EPBF_News or contact our press office.

Only eight men left in seniors straight pool

Defending Champion Willner left the field already

Sunday, 07 August 2011: Frank Willner, defending straight pool champion from Germany, will not be able to defend his title here in Luxembourg. He lost in the winner’s qualification round to Marko Hartikainen (FIN) with 44:75 and in the loser’s qualification round to Jimmy Worung (NED) with 35:75. The straight pool mission has ended here for Willner.

Croatia’s Robert Sudic is still alive in the field and will play the quarter-final tomorrow. Today, he had to deal with Steffen Gross (GER). Sudic creamed Gross with 75:12.

Gross never seemed to even be able to be a challenge for Sudic. “I did not feel comfortable at the table”, said Gross after the match. “I hope I will show better performances in the other disciplines”.

Other notable results include Manuel Pereira (POR) losing to Pascal Budo (BEL) with 12:75. David Plattner (SUI) managed to defeat Marko Hartikainen (FIN) with 75:34.

Four Amateurs Win to Join World Tournament of 14.1

Chicago,IL & Tempe,AZ- Jeff Mohl, Tom Karabotsos, Ray Robles, and Matthew Hall have all now qualified to play in the 71st World Tournament of 14.1 ! The four players will take their shot now on the big stage of the biggest straight pool tournament in the world at the Dragon Promotions & Dr.Michael Fedak produced event. It all takes place on August 28- September 2, 2011 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The qualifier winners will be face to face with the most awesome 14.1 masters alive with the likes of Oliver Ortmann, Johnny Archer, Thorsten Hohmann, Niels Feijen, Allen Hopkins, Stefan Cohen and many more straight pool stars.

In the Chicago Qualifier at Red Shoe Billiards, Jeff Mohl went undefeated to earn his spot into the Worlds. Mohl had tried his luck a week earlier in the Ohio Qualifier but did not win. Tom Karabotsos had a tougher road on the loser's side but again made it as he did last year as well. In the Arizona Qualifier at Skip & Jan's in Tempe, Ray Robles went undefeated over Charlie House 100-25, over Matthew Hall 100-48, and over David Wiseman 100-70. Hall came back 100-94 tight match over Ken Vieira, Jerry Hartnett 100-74 (Hartnett won his earlier match 100-99), and then defeated David Wiseman for his spot into the World Tournament.

The next qualifiers will be at Breaker Billiards in New Jersey August 13-14 and Amsterdam Billiards in NYC on Aug 20-21.

Pool fans are also invited to join dinner with the world's greatest players at the 1st Annual 14.1 Straight Pool Hall of Fame.. This year's nominees on the ballot include Ray Martin, Dallas West,Nick Varner, Jerome Keough, Alfredo DeOro, and Willie Mosconi. To vote, please send in your choice at worldstraightpoolchampionships@gmail.com

One of the goals of the event is to honor the champions of 14.1 that have passed and honor those who are still living. The Straight Pool Hall of Fame goals are also to cover all the expenses of the living inductee to the event and the Hall of Famer's costs in playing in the event.

Fans can make donations to support the 14.1 Hall of Fame Inductee at the official site.

In partnership with the support of Dr.Michael Fedak, Dragon Promotions will produce The World Tournament for the sixth straight year. This year's event will have the biggest payout in men's straight pool history with $20,000 going to the champion. The event is $35,000 added , boasting a total $70,000 in the prize fund for one prestigious straight pool tournament . Predator Cues will also be sponsoring the event for the sixth straight year and the luxurious Hyatt Regency in New Brunswick, NJ will host this year's event starting August 28 through September 2, 2011. All the greatest straight pool players from around the world will arrive at the birthplace of 14.1 to play for this coveted title and becoming the #1 Straight Pool Player on Earth.

Fans and players can attend the event and purchase tickets by going to www.dragonpromotions.com/tickets.html and make hotel reservations now at the Hyatt Regency by calling 732-873-1234 ask for "US Pool Players" Group and receive the tournament rate of $105 per night. Vendor spaces are also available, please contact dp.sally@gmail.com

The 2011 World Tournament is proudly co-sponsored by Amsterdam Billiards, Andy Cloth, Kamui and straight pool aficionados Bill Austin of UT, Dr.Louis Pannullo, Ralph Rubin of MD. Co-contributors Dennis Walsh and Bill Marapolous. For more information on player registration, sponsorship, or if you would like to submit a comment, please email worldstraightpoolchampionships@gmail.com or contact Dragon Promotions at 1-407-782-4978. Full event info is at www.dragonpromotions.com

Seniors 10-ball underway

Pereira through to last 32 while Campagnolo stumbles
Monday, 08 August 2011: As in the European Youth Championships, today starts with one discipline and ends with another. The amount of players demands this procedure. The first rounds of 10-ball will be played until 17:00 local time. Then the quarter final matches of the straight pool competition will be played.

In 10-ball, defending Champion Manuel Pereira (POR) went on undefeated into the single elimination stage of the last 32 players. Last year’s Gold medallist defeated Werner Scheu (AUT) in the first round and kicked Jimmy Worung (NED) into the loser’s bracket straight after that. He will await an opponent from the loser’s side which will be drawn into his match.

Last year’s runner-up in 10-ball was not so successful yet. Gianni Campagnolo (ITA) won his first match over Marko Hartikainen (FIN) with 7:5 but then fell to Paolo Costa (POR) with 5:7. He needs to win another match in the loser’s qualification round in order to be one of the 32 last men standing.

Other notable results from today include Croatia’s Robert Sudic outscoring Rainer Wirsbitzki (GER) in a close match with 7:5. “He really played very well” admitted Wirsbitzki after the match. Gijs van Helmond (NED) had to give in to Steve Lamberechts (BEL) with 6:7. Kent Karlsson (SWE) creamed Rene Peeters (NED) with a clear 7:2 victory.

44th annual All Japan Championship

Men’s                         WPA ranking game
Date:
Qualifying round(1st stage); 2011 Nov 14 – 16
Main event (2nd stage)
( Group round );     2011 Nov 17 - 19
( Final round );        2011 Nov 19 - 20
Venue: “Archaic hall OCT”
            2-7-16, Syowa-dori, Amagasaki-city, Hyogo, Japan, 660-0881
Format: WPA 10-ball,
Qualifying round;                Double elimination, race to 8
Main event
( Group round );     128 players, Double elimination , race to 8
( Final round );     64 players, Single elimination, race to 10

Prize money
The exchange rates is at June 13.
Total;     $100,400
Winner;     $28,600
Runner-up; $14,300
3rd finish;     $7,150 x 2
5th finish;     $3,600 x 4
9th finish;     $1,800 x 8
17th finish;     $900 x 16
The 20% tax is imposed on the prize money for Foreign players.

Entry dead line for foreign players; 2011 Sep 30

Top 32 players on latest WPA ranking( on 2011 Aug 31) will be seeded at Main event.
10 seeded players (each 2 players from 5 continental federations, AAPA, BCA, CPB, EPBF, and OPBA) will be seeded at Main event.
The number of seeded players from APBU is TBA.

Entry fee: Player starting from the 1st stage ; $250 (20,000)
Player qualified to the 2nd stage ; Additional $190 (15,000)
Player starting from the 2nd stage ; $440(35,000)

Total added money is $50,400
Dress code    Please wear a white shirt, a tie, a vest, and leather black shoes

44th annual All Japan Championship
Women’s
Date:
Main event (2nd stage)
( Group round );     2011 Nov 18 - 19
( Final round );        2011 Nov 19 - 20
Venue: “Archaic hall OCT”
            2-7-16, Syowa-dori, Amagasaki-city, Hyogo, Japan, 660-0881

Format: WPA　9 -ball,
Main event
( Groupe round );     64 players, Double elimination , race to 7
( Final round );        16 players, Single elimination, race to 9

Prize money
1st     600,000 JPY
2nd     300,000 JPY
3 ～4th 150,000 JPY
5 ～8th    75,000 JPY　
9 ～16th　 38,000 JPY
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
Entry fee： 20,000JPY

The 20% tax is imposed on the prize money for Foreign players.

Entry dead line for foreign players; 2011 Sep 30

To players　＆　Guest
If it is not early, the reservation of the official hotel becomes a full occupancy.

Takashi Namie
President
Japan Professional Pocket-Billiard Association
10-21 Hiranokamiyanagi-cho, Kita-ku,Kyoto, Japan 603-8355
Tel. +81-75-463-3777 Fax +81-75-461-8706
namitaka39@jpba.ne.jp