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Topic: *Industry News* 2014

Dafabet To Donate For Centuries

Dafabet, sponsor of the 2014 World Championship, will be donating £100 for every century made during the final stages of the tournament.

The money will go to Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice in Sheffield, World Snooker's official charity, which offers care and support to children and young people with a shortened life expectancy.

The 17-day tournament runs from April 19 to May 5 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, with 32 players battling for the title.

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: "This is a fantastic gesture from Dafabet and hopefully it will raise a lot of money for a great cause. The standard has been so high in snooker this season that the record number of centuries at the tournament - 83 - will be under threat. It's up to the players now to make plenty of big breaks and help Bluebell Wood."

Julie Hampson, corporate fundraiser for Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, said: “I’d like to thank World Snooker for making us their official charity for the second year running and sponsors Dafabet for their fantastic support for the hospice. We feel very privileged to be part of such a prestigious sporting event.

“Dafabet’s pledge to donate £100 for every century break is very exciting, and we will be rooting for the players to make as many big breaks as they can.

“Receiving such amazing support allows us to offer the precious gift of time to local families of children with a shortened life expectancy. The hospice is a happy place where our dedicated staff create fun and special memories for our families. None of this would be possible without our fantastic supporters so we’d like to thank both World Snooker and Dafabet for helping us to make a real difference to our families.”

John Cruces from Dafabet added: “We recognise the continual support World Snooker have shown Bluebell Wood over the years and as title sponsor for the World Championship this year we feel it only right to also offer our support to a wonderful cause. Hopefully we will see more century breaks than ever before!”

Snooker’s Ladies Day This Thursday

Ladies Day will take place at the Dafabet World Championship this Thursday, April 24th, at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.

World Snooker and WPBSA introduced the initiative last year with the intention to get more women involved in snooker, as players, fans and officials.

The day will also aim to raise money for World Snooker's official charity, Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice. Coffee and cake packages will be sold at the Crucible for £2.50, with £1 from every sale going to the hospice in Sheffield. There will be free coaching for women in CueZone in the Winter Garden with Reanne Evans making an appearance, along with Sports Co-ordinator Kelly Macphail from Salford City College.

Purple is the colour of the day – matching Bluebell Wood’s logo – and all fans are encouraged to wear something purple to show their support. All women taking part will be given an exclusive Bluebell Wood goodie bag as a thank you for acknowledging the charity.

WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson said: “We were delighted with the response to the first Ladies Day last year. It adds an element of fun to the day while generating interest in snooker, and raising money for a great cause as well.

“We are very keen to get more women involved in our sport, especially as we are one of the few sports with total fairness in terms of who can participate.

“Through our CueZone Into Schools programme which has seen fantastic success since it was launched a year ago, we are getting tens of thousands of boys and girls playing snooker. Hopefully in years to come this will produce some very talented female players who can compete on the World Snooker Tour. There's no reason why women can't succeed in snooker, it's purely a matter of increasing the participation levels at grass roots.

“One of our biggest long term goals is to get snooker into the Olympics, and generating more interest in the sport among women is an important part of that process.

“There are opportunities for everyone in snooker now and I’m keen to see Ladies Day become a regular event during the World Championship.”

Reanne Evans is the nine-time Ladies World Champion and made snooker history this season as the first woman to qualify for the final stages of a world ranking event. She beat Thailand’s Thepchaiya Un-Nooh to make it to the final stages of the Wuxi Classic in China, before losing to Zhu Yinghui.

“In the past, women haven’t had the same chances as men to play snooker,” said Evans. “Hopefully that is changing and we will see more women playing snooker and competing at a high level.”

SNOOKER’S CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS RETURNS TO ITV4

Matchroom Sport are delighted to announce that snooker’s Champion of Champions will return to the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, November 3-9, live on ITV4, with tickets on sale on April 25.

Ronnie O’Sullivan will be among the names invited to compete in this year’s event, having won the inaugural tournament in Coventry last year.

The Champion of Champions boasts a prize fund of £270,000 with £100,000 going to the winner, and the 16 competing players will be reigning champions on the World Snooker tour.

Ticket prices have been frozen from 2013 and early bookers can benefit from a half-price discount available on group stage tickets, meaning fans can see some of the world’s greatest players from as little as £5. Tickets go on sale on Friday, April 25 via TheTicketFactory.com (search ‘snooker’).

As well as reigning champion O’Sullivan, players who have already earned an invite for this year’s tournament include UK Championship winner and world number one Neil Robertson, Ding Junhui, whose five ranking titles in the 2013-14 season included success at the German Masters and China Open, and Championship League victor Judd Trump.

Matchroom Sport Chairman Barry Hearn said: “The first year of the Champion of Champions was an unqualified success, and we are thrilled to be bringing the tournament back to ITV4 and the people of Coventry this year.

“ITV produced a fantastic show in 2013, and I am very pleased they will once again bring this top new tournament to free-to-air television in November.”

A full list of tournaments used to determine qualification for the Champion of Champions can be found at www.ChampionOfChampionsSnooker.com.

REANNE Evans is the women’s world snooker champion for a record tenth successive year.

Players from 13 countries descended on Leeds in a bid to dethrone the Queen of Ladies’ Snooker but left paying homage to the 28-year-old who has reigned for a decade.

Evans, from Dudley, West Midlands, defeated two-time IBSF world champion Ng On Yee (Hong Kong) 6-0 in the final of the £5,000 Eden Resources World Championship at the Northern Snooker Centre.

And in what the boxing fraternity might describe as a unification match-up, the World Ladies Billiards & Snooker Association (WLBSA) champion accounted for Wendy Jans, the current IBSF world and European champion from Belgium, 4-2 in the last-four.

Emma Bonney (Portsmouth) knocked out world number one Maria Catalano 4-2 in the last-eight before going out 4-3 to Ng.

The World Championship was the centerpiece of The 2013/14 Eden Resources Festival of Snooker (and Billiards) in Association with Northern Snooker Centre.

Elsewhere, Derby teenager Hannah Jones defeated 16-year-old WLBSA debutante Yana Shut (Belarus) 3-1 in a thrilling match to retain the Under-21 crown.

Jones, 17, had accounted for Australian star Jessica Woods 2-0 in the last-four.

Woods, the 2014 Oceania women’s champion impressed players and spectators with her performance throughout the event. The WLBSA thanked her for making the long trip and looks forward to seeing her again.

India’s Chitra Magimairaj clinched the Seniors trophy at her first attempt.

The 41-year old compiled a 66 break in the preliminary round against Carmelita Yumito (Brazil), saw off defending champion Jenny Poulter, beat her compatriot and former champion Revanna Umadevi, and defeated Alena Asmolava (Belarus) 3-0 in the final.

Poulter (Maidstone) had the consolation of collecting the Plate trophy. Ten-year-old Derby schoolgirl Ellie Jones, competing in only her second WLBSA event, won her first ever frame in a 2-1 quarter-final defeat by Umadevi.

Hong Kong pair Ng On Yee and So Man Yan completed a hat-trick of Ladies Pairs titles with a 3-1 victory over Reanne Evans and Anita Maflin.

World number 27 Ben Woollaston teamed up with Shut to claim the Mixed Pairs. Jans recorded a break of 102 in the semi-finals.

GROUP-STAGE BREAKS

Jessica Woods: 79, 25, 24, 22, 21.
Maria Catalano: 73, 51, 49, 41, 36, 33, 28, 26, 23.
Reanne Evans: 69, 62, 60, 55, 51, 41, 40, 38, 36, 26, 22.
Carmelita Yumito: 69, 27, 26, 22.
Wendy Jans: 65, 62, 47, 42, 30, 27.
Ng On Yee: 47, 45, 37, 20.
Chitra Magimairaj: 46, 22, 21.
Jaique Ip Wan In: 38, 29, 25.
Alena Asmolava: 33.
Tatjana Vasiljeva: 32, 28, 22.
Emma Bonney: 32, 26, 25.
Laura Evans: 32, 24, 24, 22, 22, 22.
Hannah Jones: 30, 28, 28, 24, 24, 21.
Vicky Carter: 30.
Anita Maflin: 29.
Katrina Wan: 27, 23, 22.
Irina Gorbataya: 27, 20.    
So Man Yan: 25, 24.
Revanna Umadevi: 25, 23.
Anna Prisazhnuk: 25, 23, 22, 21, 21, 20.
Yana Shut: 25.    
Gaye Jones: 23.
Nastya Toumilovitch: 22.
Jenny Poulter: 22.

KNOCKOUT RESULTS

LAST-16 (£100): Reanne Evans beat Nastya Toumilovitch 3-0, Jaique Ip Wan In beat Anna Prisazhnuk 3-2, Wendy Jans beat Yana Shut 3-0, So Man Yan (44) beat Vicky Carter 3-2, Ng On Yee beat Laura Evans 3-0, Tatjana Vasiljeva beat Hannah Jones (39) 3-2, Maria Catalano (39, 30) beat Irina Gorbataya 3-1, Emma Bonney beat Jessica Woods 3-0.

QUARTER-FINALS (£200): R Evans (30, 56, 65) beat Ip Wan In 4-0, Jans (31, 56) beat So 4-1, Ng beat Vasiljeva 4-2, Bonney beat Catalano 4-2.

SEMI-FINALS (£400): R Evans (68 ) beat Jans 4-2, Ng (33, 37, 48 ) beat Bonney (33, 40) 4-3.

FINAL (£1,500/£1,000): R Evans beat Ng 6-0.

MIXED PAIRS RESULTS (BREAKS)

PRELIMS: Reanne Evans & Michael Holt (53) beat Anna Prisazhnuk & Gareth Allen 3-0, Diana Schuler & Jamie Bodle (54) beat Laura Alves & Thomas Ward 3-0, Yana Shut & Ben Woollaston beat Maria Catalano (33) & Andrew Scott 3-1, Anita Maflin & Kurt Maflin (62) beat Nastya Toumilovitch & Ian Glover 3-0, Wendy Jans (41) & Jamie Clarke beat Tatjana Vasiljeva & Dave Grace (36) 3-0.

QUARTER-FINALS: Evans (47, 69) & Holt (30, 73) beat Schuler & Bodle (53) 3-1, Shut & Woollaston beat Irina Gorbataya & Oliver Lines 3-0, Jessica Woods & Peter Lines (42) beat Hannah Jones & Sanderson Lam 3-1, Jans & Clarke (44) beat Maflin & Maflin 3-1.

SEMI-FINALS (£110 for each losing team): Shut & Woollaston (59, 68, 96) beat Evans (60) & Holt (56) 3-1, Jans (102) & Clarke beat Woods & P Lines 3-1.    

FINAL (£250/£180): Shut & Woollaston (33) beat Jans (31) & Clarke 3-0.

PLATE RESULTS (BREAKS)

PRELIMS: Anita Maflin beat Alena Asmolava 2-0, Diana Schuler (20) beat Laura Alves 2-0, Gaye Jones beat Elizabeth Black 2-0, Katrina Wan beat Carmelita Yumito 2-0, Revanna Umadevi beat Natallia Kazlouskaya 2-0.

QUARTER-FINALS: Maflin beat Schuler 2-1, Jenny Poulter beat G Jones 2-0, Wan beat Sharon Kaur 2-0, Umadevi (41) beat Ellie Jones 2-1.

SEMI-FINALS: Poulter beat Maflin 2-0, Wan (27) beat Umadevi 2-1.

FINAL (£80/£50): Poulter beat Wan 3-0.

UNDER-21 RESULTS (BREAKS)

SEMI-FINALS: Yana Shut beat Ellie Jones 2-0, Hannah Jones beat Jessica Woods (30) 2-0.

FINAL (£40/£20): Jones beat Shut 3-1.

SENIORS RESULTS (BREAKS)

PRELIM: Chitra Magimairaj (66) beat Carmelita Yumito 2-1.

QUARTER-FINALS: Magimairaj beat Jenny Poulter 2-1, Revanna Umadevi beat Gaye Jones 2-0, Sharon Kaur beat Laura Alves 2-0, Alena Asmolava beat Natallia Kazlouskaya 2-0.

SEMI-FINALS: Magimairaj beat Umadevi 2-0, Asmolava beat Kaur (27) 2-0.

FINAL (£125/£75): Magimairaj beat Asmolava 3-0.

LADIES PAIRS RESULTS (BREAKS)

PRELIMS: Ng On Yee & So Man Yan beat Jessica Woods & Diana Schuler 2-0, Maria Catalano & Tatjana Vasiljeva beat Yana Shut & Natallia Kazlouskaya 2-0.

QUARTER-FINALS: Hannah Jones & Wendy Jans (34) beat Jaique Ip Wan In & Katrina Wan 2-0, Ng & So beat Nastya Toumilovitch & Irina Gorbataya 2-0, Reanne Evans & Anita Maflin beat Catalano & Vasiljeva 2-0, Laura Alves & Carmelita Yumito beat Sharon Kaur & Alena Asmolava 2-1.

SEMI-FINALS (£80 for each losing team): Ng & So beat Jones & Jans 2-0, Evans & Maflin beat Alves & Yumito 2-0.

FINAL (£200/£120): Ng & So beat Evans & Maflin 3-2.        

2014 WLBSA WORLD SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIPS ENTRIES

Alena Asmolava (Belarus)
Laura Alves (Dublin)
Anita Maflin (Norway)
Katrina Wan (Hong Kong)
Anna Prisazhnuk (Latvia)
Laura Evans (Neath Port Talbot, Wales)
Carmelita Yumito (Brazil)
Maria Catalano (Dudley, West Mids)
Chitra Magimairaj (India)
Nastya Toumilovitch (Belarus)
Diana Schuler (Germany)
Natallia Kazlouskaya (Belarus)
Elizabeth Black (Leeds)
Ng On Yee (Hong Kong)
Ellie Jones (Derby)
Reanne Evans (Dudley, West Mids)
Emma Bonney (Portsmouth)
Revanna Umadevi (India)
Gaye Jones (Melksham, Wilts)
Sharon Kaur (Birmingham)
Hannah Jones (Derby)
So Man Yan (Hong Kong)
Irina Gorbataya (Russia)
Tatjana Vasiljeva (Latvia)
Jaique Ip Wan In (Hong Kong)
Vicky Carter (Sandy, Beds)
Jenny Poulter (Maidstone)
Wendy Jans (Belgium)
Jessica Woods (Australia)
Yana Shut (Belarus)

CSI Confirms Deuel, Hohmann, Kiamco, and Chang

CueSports International, Henderson, Nevada (April 23, 2014) – Corey Deuel (USA), Thorsten Hohmann (GER), Warren Kiamco (PHI), and Jung-Lin Chang (TPE) have officially confirmed as four (4) of only sixteen (16) players that will compete in the inaugural CSI Invitationals which will take place July 18-25, 2014 during the BCAPL & USAPL National Championships at the beautiful Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV. Below are just a few highlights of their recent accomplishments.

Corey Deuel (USA)
2014 US Bar Table Championships 8-Ball Champion & All-Around Runner-Up
2014 US Open One Pocket (3rd place)
2013 Derby City Classic One Pocket Champion
2013 US Open One Pocket (2nd place)
2011 US Open 10-Ball (3rd place)
2010 Turning Stone Classic Champion
2010 US Open 9-Ball (2nd place)

Jung-Lin Chang (TPE)
2013 All Japan Men’s Championship (2nd place)
2013 World Games (2nd place)
2013 World Pool Masters (3rd place)
2013 & 2010 World Cup of Pool (3rd place)
2012 World 8-Ball Champion
2012 All Japan Men’s Champion

Warren Kiamco (PHI)
2014 US Bar Table Championships 10-Ball (2nd place)
2013 US Bar Table Championships All-Around (3rd place)
2013 Texas Open Champion
2011 US Bar Table Championships 9-Ball Champion
2011 US Bar Table Championships 8-Ball (2nd place)
2011 US Bar Table Championships All-Around Champion

Thorsten Hohmann (GER)
2014 US Bar Table Championships 9-Ball (2nd place)
2013 World 9-Ball Champion
2013 & 2011 World 14.1 Champion
2011 World Cup of Pool Champion
2011 Philippines Open Champion
2010 All Japan Men’s Champion

Each CSI Invitational event (10-Ball & 8-Ball) will be $16,000 added ($32,000 total) and feature 16 of the world’s best players to compete in a round robin format (four groups of four). Each group will consist of a North American, European, Filipino, and Asian player with the top finisher from each group advancing to a single elimination bracket. In each event, every player will receive prize money with first place winning $8,000. Players announced thus far include:

North America
1. Mike Dechaine
2. Shane Van Boening
3. Corey Deuel
4. ???

Europe
1. Darren Appleton
2. Ralf Souquet
3. Thorsten Hohmann
4. ???

Philippines
1. Francisco Bustamante
2. Efren Reyes
3. Warren Kiamco
4. ???

Asia
1. Pin-Yi Ko
2. Yu-Hsuan Cheng
3. Jung-Lin Chang
4. ???

CSI has sent invitations to players selected not only for their proven skills and accomplishments, but also for the respect and dignity they display as professional pool players. For at least one hour per day during these events, they will provide free lessons, demonstrations, autographs, etc. for the BCAPL & USAPL amateur players. Additional player announcements will be made as they confirm.

CSI is dedicated to creating more choices for all players. In the past 9 years CSI has directly paid out $9,000,000 to 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, the US Open 8-Ball 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.

PORTSMOUTH’S three-ball wizard Emma Bonney conjured up a perfect ten shot en route to clinching her eighth women’s world billiards championship.

Bonney accounted for India’s Revanna Umadevi, who won the World Ladies Billiards & Snooker Association (WLBSA) title in 2012, in a tight two-hour final at the Northern Snooker Centre, Leeds.

Speaking after the 226-209 victory, the 37-year-old thanked her boyfriend for his support.

“It was nice to have my partner, Nigel Ward, supporting me as he always has great confidence in me,” she said.

“I sometimes think watching can be harder than playing if it is a very close game.

“The final was very close and tense. Revanna is a very good player but I managed to keep my patience even when the run of the ball was going against me and during the several bouts of safety play.

“I was pleased to win for the eighth time.”

Earlier, in her group match against Eva Palmius (Isleham, Cambs), Bonney had recorded her first ever ten shot, where her cue-ball hit the red and then her opponent’s cue-ball for a cannon before all three balls entered pockets.

Bonney, who also won the WLBSA title in 2000, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013, added: “The event was well run, the club is a good venue and the tables were very fast.

“I even had a ten shot in one of the matches which was a first for me. Overall it was a very enjoyable day.”

Bonney’s victory brought the curtain down on the six-day Eden Resources Festival of Snooker (and Billiards) in Association with Northern Snooker Centre.

The previous day, Reanne Evans had claimed her tenth successive snooker world championship.

FINAL: Bonney 226-209 Umadevi

BREAKS

Emma Bonney: 49, 46, 39, 38, 31.
Revanna Umadevi: 55, 34.
Hannah Jones: 31.

2014 WLBSA WORLD BILLIARDS CHAMPIONSHIP ENTRIES

Emma Bonney (Portsmouth)
Revanna Umadevi (India)
Hannah Jones (Derby)
Eva Palmius (Isleham, Cambs)
Gaye Jones (Melksham, Wilts)

Picture by Thomas Ward - Champion Emma Bonney

WPBSA Statement

On Thursday 24th April 2014, there was a hearing in the case of Stephen Lee. The Chair of the independent Appeals Committee, Nicholas Stewart QC has directed that subject to Stephen Lee complying with certain conditions, the hearing to deal with the remainder of his appeal will be heard on 12th May 2014.

EBC News

The success of the activists from Eastern Europe

The board of EPBF was influenced by the federations from Eastern Europe and awarded the federations for the medals won at the junior European Championships. Our postulate from the General Meeting in Portoroz was fulfilled, though the amount of prize money first assumed was decreased. It looks really bad when the federation gets 75 Euro for the bronze medal of its player, while the entry fee is 110 Euro!!! The board of EPBF should think about it. Can we still call it a 'proper prize' when its lower than entry fee? Our suggestion was between 110 € and 150 €.

Dynamic Best of the East 2014 – Czech 10-Ball – Prague – 10-11 May 2014

Mak Marketing, Billiard Centrum - Harfa
and European Billiard Council
would like to invite to
Dynamic Best of the East 2014
Czech 10 –BALL Prague – 10-11 May 2014

Read more: www.ebc-billiard.com

Regards

Marcin Krzeminski

Selby Visits Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice

Snooker star Mark Selby put smiles on the faces youngsters at Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice on Monday when he took a break from the Dafabet World Championship at The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield to pay a visit.

The green baize ace, who is playing Alan McManus in the quarter-finals today, happily signed autographs and chatted to children and staff at South Yorkshire’s only children’s hospice.

Bluebell Wood is the official charity of World Snooker for the second year running, and is proud of its association with such a prestigious event.

Selby said: “It was a privilege to come to Bluebell Wood and meet the children and staff who all do such a fantastic job. I’d encourage everyone to support such a fantastic charity.”

Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice offers care and support to children with a shortened life expectancy. It give families the gift of time with their children to laugh, love and create unforgettable memories.

Julie Hampson, corporate fundraiser at Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice in Sheffield, said: “We were very excited that Mark came to visit and the children were very pleased to meet him. It’s a really busy time for Mark, so we really appreciate him coming to see us. I’d like to say a big thank you for all the support we receive from the players throughout the tournament and to World Snooker.”

Photo: Jacob Soar (left), Mark Selby, and Theo Singheyely, (right) with staff from Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice.

World Championship 2015 Tickets On Sale Tuesday

Snooker’s Dafabet World Championship is building towards a thrilling conclusion this weekend, and tickets for next year’s tournament will go on sale on Tuesday May 6.

The 17-day tournament at the Crucible Theatre brings 32 of the world’s best players to Sheffield each year, to compete for the famous trophy.

In the semi-finals this time, Ronnie O’Sullivan faces Barry Hawkins while Mark Selby takes on Neil Robertson, with one of them to capture the £300,000 top prize on Monday night.

Then the following day at 10am, the box office opens for the 2015 Championship , which runs from April 18 to May 4. To book call 0844 65 65 147 or visit sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

Fans are urged to be ready and book as quickly as possible as many sessions will sell out within hours.

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: “We decided to open the box office the day after the Championship ends, while snooker is fresh in everyone’s minds. But supporters who want to secure their place at the Crucible must book immediately to secure their seats.

“The tournament gets more and more exciting year after year as the standard of play improves and our sport becomes more competitive. We’ve seen some incredible matches this year and those in the arena have been privileged to see the action live and enjoy the unique atmosphere. Now it’s time to make sure you are there next year.”

McDermott Announces Free Cue Giveaway for May 2014

MENOMONEE FALLS, WI (May 1, 2014) – McDermott Cue Mfg. LLC is a leading manufacturer and worldwide distributor of pool cues, performance shafts and billiard accessories. McDermott is proud to announce the Custom Cue of the Month Giveaway for May 2014.

Each month, McDermott gives away a free pool cue to a lucky contestant. For May, the giveaway cue is the GS12C1, a customized version of their popular GS12 model. It features a birdseye maple forearm & sleeve with a custom "Camouflage" stain and an upgraded with a brown pebble leather wrap.

To enter the contest, visit www.mcdermottcue.com/giveaway and fill out the simple survey. There is no limit to the number of times you can enter the contest. At the end of the month, McDermott will randomly select a winner to receive a free GS12C1 pool cue. Congratulations to last month’s winner, Gary Haynes of Gahanna, OH. He won a G222C2 with a G-Core shaft.

McDermott Cue is headquartered in Menomonee Falls, WI and markets under the brands of McDermott Cue, Star Cue, Lucky Cue, Element Cue, Wildfire, Pool Prodigy, Intimidator i-Shafts, G-Core Shafts, Big Boy Shafts, Sledgehammer Break Cue and Stinger Break/Jump Cues.

For more information about this press release, contact McDermott’s Creative Director, Derek Blaguski, at derekb@mcdermottcue.com or call 1-800-666-2283. More information can be found at McDermott Cue.

The 2014 Qualifiers for the 74th World Tournament of 14.1 Begins

New York City, NY - For the eighth year in a row, qualifiers will be held nationwide for the 74th edition of The World Tournament of 14.1. Players all over the United States will be able to take their chance with a low entry to win a spot to play against the world's most extraordinary straight pool players! Each qualifier winner will be guaranteed a minimal of 5 round robin matches in the finale main event. The main event will take place once more in New York City. Dragon Promotions and Dr. Michael Fedak are pleased to bring the 74th production of the oldest billiard event in the world on August 4th-9th, 2014. An even bigger star studded field is expected this year at Steinway Billiards Cafe, who is once more hosting the world's grandest straight pool championship.

The first qualifier kicks off this May 3rd weekend at Slate Billiards in Boynton Beach, Florida with room owner Michael Bradford hosting a World Tournament Qualifier for the second straight year.

A special NAPL league members only qualifier will be held next on June 14th in New York City at world famous Amsterdam Billiard Club. Tony & Gail Robles will be hosting this event for the second straight year.

June 21st the World 14.1 Qualifier returns making it 8 years in a row for Red Shoe Billiards in Chicago, Illinois. Room owner John Lavin and 14.1 supporter extraordinaire Dennis Walsh will be running the show.

Sandcastle Billiards in Edison, New Jersey will host their 3rd straight qualifier. Pool enthusiast Ed "Sandman" Liddawi will be running the event.

The finale qualifier will be held July 19th at Amsterdam Billiards in New York City. Amsterdam has been a huge supporter of the World Tournament of 14.1 from the start of its resurrection in 2006 and has held a qualifier each year. This has all been due to the enormous generosity of Greg Hunt, owner and founder of Amsterdam Billiard Club since 1989.

Last year's event had standing room only crowds on most of the days. And there were many firsts such as USA's champion Shane Van Boening entering for the first time, China's first 14.1 player in Can Wang, and of course the record shattering performance from England's Darren Appleton in the semi-finals when he ran a perfect 200 against Filipino World Champion Francisco Bustamante. DVDs of last year's events can be acquired by clicking onto this link www.3cushioncues.com/DVDs/cat2041798_1871329.aspx or call 707-533-4727 .

"I get excited each year to see what new players qualify for the Worlds. But each and every player in the qualifying heats are all part of the overall World Tournament experience. It's the only major tournament in the United States that has a major organized qualifying system. Which is a credit to the prestige of the title. Straight pool is the father of all games, so it's understandable that this is one of the most looked forward to events of the year for pool enthusiasts", says Charlie Williams, Executive Producer of the World Tournament.

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Dragon Promotions is one of the leading producers of billiards and sports programming in the world today covering billiards, tennis, football, golf, charity events and more. In a span of 14 years, Dragon Promotions has produced over 200 international events airing on TV networks globally from the USA, China, Philippines, South Korea, Canada, the Middle East, all of Asia, and Europe. Events include The World Tournament of 14.1, Korea vs Philippines Football, The Women's World 10-Ball Championship, The Typhoon Haiyan Tennis Tournament, The Queens Cup, The Orlando Summer Tennis Open, The International 10-Ball Championship, King & Queen of Carom, Empress Cup, Pro Pool Schools, DP Pro Classic, Women's Trickshot Challenge, World Junior 10-Ball Championships, The World Mixed Doubles and many more. Visit www.dragonpromotions.com

Get the latest news and complete results of all years at www.worldstraightpool.com and daily year round updates on www.facebook.com/Worldstraightpool . Follow Dragon Promotions news at www.twitter.com/Dragonpromoter

Vendor spaces are also available, 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

Join the 141 Club ! Limited to the first 141 members. Visit www.worldstraightpool.com/tickets.html Tickets will be sold at the door during the event. Sponsors and private contributors can still join this year's event. Final added money and fundraising for the 3rd Annual Straight Pool Hall of Fame are still being generated. To help be a part of this treasured event, please contact Dragon Promotions and join the 141 Club.

CSI Confirms Morra, Shaw, Orcollo, and Ko

CueSports International, Henderson, Nevada (May 2, 2014) – John Morra (CAN), Jayson Shaw (GBR), Dennis Orcollo (PHI), and Ping-Chung Ko (TPE) have officially confirmed as the final four (4) of only sixteen (16) players that will compete in the inaugural CSI Invitationals which will take place July 18-25, 2014 during the BCAPL & USAPL National Championships at the beautiful Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV. Below are just a few highlights of their most recent accomplishments.    

John Morra (CAN)
 2014 Derby City Classic 9-Ball Champion
 2013 Canadian Championships Men’s Open 9-Ball & 10-Ball Champion
 2012 Derby City Classic 9-Ball Banks Champion
 2011 US Bar Table Championships 8-Ball Champion
 2011 US Bar Table Championships All-Around (2nd place)

Jayson Shaw (GBR)
 2014 US Bar Table Championships 10-Ball (3rd place)
 2014 US Bar Table Championships 9-Ball (4th place)
 2013 Empire State 10-Ball Championship Champion
 2013 Jay Swanson Memorial 9-Ball (2nd place)
 2013 US Open 9-Ball Championship (3rd place)
 2013 US Open 8-Ball Championship (4th place)

Dennis Orcollo (PHI)
 2014 Derby City Classic Master of the Table
 2014 & 2013 US Open One-Pocket Champion
 2014 & 2013 Jay Swanson Memorial 9-Ball Champion
 2013 World Cup of Pool Champion
 2013 US Bar Table Championships 10-Ball & All-Around Champion
 2012 China Open Champion
 2012 US Open 10-Ball Champion

Ping-Chung Ko (TPE)
 2012 Golden Break 9-Ball Invitational Champion
 2011 World Cup of Pool (3rd place)
 2010 All Japan Men’s Championship (2nd place)

Each CSI Invitational event (10-Ball & 8-Ball) will be $16,000 added ($32,000 total) and feature 16 of the world’s best players to compete in a round robin format (four groups of four). Each group will consist of a North American, European, Filipino, and Asian player with the top finisher from each group advancing to a single elimination bracket. In each event, every player will receive prize money with first place winning $8,000. Players announced thus far include:

North America
1. Mike Dechaine
2. Shane Van Boening
3. Corey Deuel
4. John Morra

Europe
1. Darren Appleton
2. Ralf Souquet
3. Thorsten Hohmann
4. Jayson Shaw

Philippines
1. Francisco Bustamante
2. Efren Reyes
3. Warren Kiamco
4. Dennis Orcollo

Asia
1. Pin-Yi Ko
2. Yu-Hsuan Cheng
3. Jung-Lin Chang
4. Ping-Chung Ko

CSI sent invitations to players not only for their proven skills and accomplishments, but also for the respect and dignity they display as professional pool players. For at least one hour per day during these events, they will provide free lessons, demonstrations, autographs, etc. for the BCAPL & USAPL amateur players. Additional player announcements will be made as they confirm.

CSI is dedicated to creating more choices for all players. In the past 9 years CSI has directly paid out $9,000,000 to 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, the US Open 8-Ball 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.

CSI Presents the OB Challenge: Dechaine/Deuel vs. Bustamante/Reyes

CueSports International, Henderson, Nevada (May 3, 2014) – CSI is proud to present the OB Challenge: Mike Dechaine / Corey Deuel vs. Francisco Bustamante / Efren Reyes. This exciting match will take place July 21, 2014 during the BCAPL & USAPL National Championships at the beautiful Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV. Those in participating in the BCAPL or USAPL National Championships can watch for free in person or via direct live stream feed in their hotel room. Those not in attendance can watch via pay-per-view at www.playcsipool.com/LiveStreaming.aspx.

This will be a scotch doubles 8-Ball match in which the players will be wearing microphones and will be allowed to communicate during the match. This will be a great opportunity for fans to hear these superstars discuss their thoughts and strategies throughout.

CSI is dedicated to creating more choices for all players. In the past 9 years CSI has directly paid out $9,000,000 to 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, the US Open 8-Ball 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.

The IPA (International Professional Pool Players Association) tour rolls in to Bradford

With new sponsorship, better prize money, and a “top table“ team to make sure the players are the centre of attention (unlike other pool organisations we don’t even need to mention), the IPA (International Professional Pool Players Association) tour rolls in to Bradford this coming weekend (9th-11th May) for the English Open and Amateur events plus the Professional Cup.

With players planning to travel in from as far afield as France, Malta, Scotland, Ireland, and even South Africa, as well as the cream of both English and Welsh

players and over a hundred competitors, the action will come thick and fast – thank goodness for the free livestream via the website (www.ipapool.com) and regular Facebook updates as well as free entry for any spectators who fancy popping down to the Bradford Hilton, and you cant' say fairer than that?

With a combination of considered tactics and pure potting prowess, 8 ball pool is one of the fastest growing sports in the World today, and this is your opportunity to get involved at no cost and with all the fun - The IPA – taking pool forward in the 21st century.

Snooker Final TV Peak Close To Six Million

Snooker's Dafabet World Championship scored outstanding viewing figures on the BBC, with a peak audience of nearly six million for the final.

The tournament at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield ran from April 19 to May 5 and achieved a total viewership of 26.427 million, up 15 per cent on 2013's figures.

Mark Selby beat Ronnie O'Sullivan 18-14 in the final to win the title for the first time, and the three-minute peak for the concluding session was 5.951 million, which was 53 per cent up on last year. The average audience for the final session was 3.5 million, for a 15 per cent audience share.

The BBC televised a total of 153 hours of coverage throughout the event, compared to 144 hours in 2013, with an average live audience of 936,000, an increase of 11 per cent on last year.

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: "We are thrilled with these excellent viewing figures. The audience share was the highest in six years and the peak figure was the highest since 2011.

"It was a wonderful tournament with exciting matches and close finishes, and of course the mesmerising final with Mark Selby winning in dramatic style. I'm delighted that so many millions of people in the UK tuned in to watch our biggest event.

"These figures - alongside our record ticket sales for the tournament - underline the fact that snooker remains one of the UK's most popular sports. There is so much support for snooker among the public and it's only going to get stronger."

Hendry, Davis And Wattana In Line For Invitations

Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis and James Wattana will be awarded invitations to World Snooker Tour events during the 2014/15 season, where there are places available.

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn recently announced that invitations will be offered to players who have won multiple ranking titles in their career and made a significant contribution to the sport of snooker.

These invitations will be offered to Hendry, Davis and Wattana - in that order - in ranking events where there are less than 128 entries from tour players, and in European and Asian Tour events where there are less than 120 entries.

Should additional players be required to complete the 128 or 120 playing-fields then they will be selected from Q School rankings derived from the 2014 Q School events.

The invitations are subject to these three players signing a standard player's contract.

Hendry is snooker's most successful ever player, winning seven world titles and 36 ranking events, while Davis won six world crowns and 28 ranking events. Thailand’s Wattana won three ranking titles and, as an ambassador for the sport, played a huge part in the development of snooker in Asia.

French National D1 3B Championship, May 10-11

The mighty Agipi bastion in Schiltigheim is closing its doors very soon after many years of fascinating and thrilling matches in three cushion with lots of highlights. Claude Fath’s champions team with Frédéric Caudron, Marco Zanetti, Jérémy Bury and the new French champion Jean-Christophe Roux enters the famous arena one more time to take a chance for victory and grab the French team title. Don’t miss the unique chance to witness the great competition once again in the Agipi auditorium. Three teams compete for the French team title, which was in Agipi’s hands for so many years. Kozoom will broadcast the matches from Strasbourg live. The live video coverage starts on Saturday 10 May.

If you don't have your Premium Pass yet, you can order it now.

- Agipi (Caudron, Zanetti, Bury, Roux)
- Laxou (Blomdahl, Horn, Soumagne, Kremer/Six)
- Andernos (Kasidokostas, Forthomme, Barbeillon, Connesson)

Saturday 0900: Andernos vs Laxou (*)
Saturday 1500: Agipi vs Loser *
Sunday 1400: Agipi vs Winner *

Andy Cloth Chosen for The World Tournament : European Qualifier Added !

Berlin, Germany - Good news for Europeans! For the first time ever, Germany will host a qualifier for the World Tournament of 14.1 by new Bata Bar & Billiards in Berlin. Now the straight pool lovers in Europe will get their chance to partake in the greatest 14.1 championship ever. And they get to play it on the world's greatest billiard cloth. Andy Cloth has been chosen as the Official Cloth of the World 14.1 and continues its massive growth internationally. Players from all over can pay a low entry fee and be able to take their chance to win a free spot against the world's most extraordinary straight pool players! Each qualifier winner will be guaranteed a minimal of 5 round robin matches in the finale main event. The main event will take place once more in New York City. Dragon Promotions and Dr. Michael Fedak are pleased to bring the 74th production of the oldest billiard event in the world on August 4th-9th, 2014. An even bigger star studded field is expected this year at Steinway Billiards Cafe, who is once more hosting the world's grandest straight pool championship.

"Andy Cloth's reputation and growth is spreading because of our quality and unbeatable prices. This is enabling us to reinvest back into the sport. And what better event to sponsor than the World Tournament, the longest running pool event on Earth. I think Mosconi, Caras, Mizerak and all the legends will be happy knowing the game they love is continuing with the finest players and equipment", says EJ Glode, President of Andy Cloth USA and promoter of the Wyoming Open.

"We are very pleased for Bata Bar & Billiards to host the only qualifier in Europe and the first one ever in Germany. The World Tournament is the biggest and most legendary tournament in pool history, and to be associated with it is quite an honor", said Patrick Baumann, Owner of Bata Bar & Billiards and billardpro.de which will be supplying additional prize money to help with some expenses to the qualifier winner. Bata Bar has also covered their entire poolroom with Andy Cloth, even prior to the idea of hosting the qualifier. More information about Bata at www.batabar.com.


Brand new and very upscale Bata Bar & Billiards will be the hottest spot to be in Berlin.

Get the latest news and complete results of all years at www.worldstraightpool.com and daily year round updates on www.facebook.com/Worldstraightpool . Follow Dragon Promotions news at www.twitter.com/Dragonpromoter

Vendor spaces are also available, 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

Join the 141 Club ! Limited to the first 141 members. Visit www.worldstraightpool.com/tickets.html Tickets will be sold at the door during the event. Sponsors and private contributors can still join this year's event. Final added money and fundraising for the 4th Annual Straight Pool Hall of Fame are still being generated. To help be a part of this treasured event, please contact Dragon Promotions and join the 141 Club.

WPBSA Statement

On Monday 12th May 2014 Nicholas Stewart QC sat as the Appeals Committee to hear the remaining parts of Stephen Lee’s appeal against the finding that he was in breach of the WPBSA Rules for match and spot fixing in connection with seven matches in 2008-9. The appeal was against the finding, sanction and the costs order imposed by Adam Lewis QC in September 2013.

The hearing has concluded and Nicholas Stewart QC’s decision is expected to be given later this week.