Site News
Topic: *Industry News* 2015 - 2024

Bullseye Billiards Receives BCA Seal of Approval

Denver, Colo., November 12, 2015 - Bullseye Billiards, a pool and billiard training aid, has recently been awarded the BCA Seal of Approval by the Billiard Congress America for its effectiveness for helping players improve their game. Bullseye Billiards is played as a target game and is geared towards beginners and intermediate players for learning cue ball control and positioning.

The BCA Instructors Product Review Panel tested and evaluated Bullseye Billiards for over a month before approving the product for the BCA Seal of Approval. One of the reviewers on the BCA Product Review Panel commented, "The 'Bullseye Billiards' training product and competitive billiard guide, as tested for all three main cuesports (carom, pool and snooker) resulted in data that showed that the Bullseye Billiards product can help the billiard player focus on the shot, and concentrate on cue ball positioning by having a specific target."

"As a PBIA Instructor I wanted to create a product that any student of the game would not only enjoy playing but also use to learn how to improve their game," said Razor Pool owner Jeremiah Gage. "It's a great endorsement to receive the BCA Seal of Approval for Bullseye Billiards and I look forward to helping as many students and pool players as possible learn how to develop their pool playing skills and love of the game."

Bullseye Billiards comes with a book of 200 shots, designed for any player to learn cue ball positioning. Each shot has a diagram for the line of aim, tip contact, stroke speed, and an instructional hint. Types of shots include: fundamentals, follow, stun, draw, sidespin, universal positioning, rails, scratches, and advanced shots. Also included are targets, score pads, ball placement stickers, and a pen.

About Bullseye Billiards
Bullseye Billiards was created by PBIA instructor Jeremiah Gage and is distributed by Razor Pool, LLC. Purchases can be made on the Bullseye Billiards website www.BullseyeBilliards.net. Razor Pool was founded in 2013 by Jeremiah Gage to promote billiards through competition and training. Razor Pool's flagship product Bullseye Billiards was launched in November 2014 as a training aid to give players a way to develop new skills at the table without doing traditional practice drills.

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 Billiard Congress of America leadership. The Billiard Congress of America seeks to enhance the success of its members and promote the game of billiards though educational, marketing and promotional efforts, annual industry trade shows and other programs designed to encourage billiards as a lifestyle and make pool everybody's game. For more information about the BCA Seal of Approval, visit BCA Seal of Approval or call 303.243.5070.

FargoRate Predicts USA Mosconi Cup Victory

CueSports International, Henderson, NV (Nov. 13, 2015) – Since 1994, the Mosconi Cup has featured the best players from USA and Europe to compete head-to-head in singles, doubles, and team formats until one team wins eleven matches. Since its inception, USA has eleven victories compared to Europe’s nine. Coming into 2015 however, Europe has won five consecutive years and is looking for its sixth. The event will be held Dec. 7-10 at the Tropicana in Las Vegas, NV.

Does Team USA have the talent to defeat Team Europe? According to FargoRate, the answer is a resounding YES. If you subscribe to the idea that adding the ratings of the players on a team indicates their cumulative skill level, Team USA actually has the advantage. As of today, Team USA has a combined rating of 3,950 while Team Europe’s rating is 3,924. This suggests that Team USA has a slight statistical edge in the 2015 Mosconi Cup.

TEAM USA
Shane Van Boening ( 818 )
Mike Dechaine ( 800 )
Justin Bergman ( 798 )
Skylar Woodward ( 769 )
Corey Deuel ( 765 )
Total ( 3,950 )
Avg. ( 790 )

TEAM EUROPE
Niels Feijen ( 802 )
Darren Appleton ( 791 )
Nick Van Den Berg ( 778 )
Karl Boyes ( 777 )
Albin Ouschan ( 776 )
Total ( 3,924 )
Avg. ( 785 )

Obviously, no rating system can account for intangible factors such as team cohesiveness, how a player will handle the immense pressure, etc. However, it does show that Team USA has a slightly higher overall skill level. Therefore, the FargoRate prediction is a thrilling match with Team USA defeating Team Europe by a very small margin.

FargoRate computes worldwide pool-player ratings by coupling game win/loss data from leagues, tournaments, and select challenge matches around the globe. Unlike any other system ever developed, it accurately rates all players on the same scale. A Fargo Rating of 620 means the same thing in Halifax, Nova Scotia as it does in Christchurch, New Zealand as it does in Phoenix, Arizona.

To learn more about FargoRate and to see the top 100 lists, visit www.fargorate.com. To lookup players in the FargoRate database, find a fair match between two players, or see the statistical odds of any match, visit www.fairmatch.fargorate.com/.

CueSports International (CSI) ◊ 2041 Pabco Rd., Henderson, NV 89011 ◊ (702) 719-7665 ◊ 866-USA-POOL

Team Europe ready for WPA World Junior 9-Ball Championships

The World Championships for Under 19, Under 17 and Girls players are currently on in Shanghai, China. The venue is the Huimin Middle School. A total of 96 players representing 24 nations will be competing for the coveted title of World Champion. Each category is filled with 32 players and divided into four groups. The Under 19s will play race to 9 until the quarter-finals, then switch to race to 11 racks. The Under 17s and girls will race to 7 until the quarter-finals, then switch to 8 (Under 17s) respectively 9 (girls).
Matches with European participation in the first rounds. All times are local times.

11:00
Girls Emily Heidergott (GER) v April Larson (USA)
U17 Kong, De Jing (CHN) v Daniel Maciol (POL)
U19 Pascal Bruckmann (GER) v Sun Gut Qing (CHN)
U19 Chris Robinson (USA) v Vitaly Patsura (UKR)
13:30
Girls Kristina Tkach (RUS) v Liu Xia Zhi (CHN)
U17 Gyairon Martis (BON) v Sanjin Pehlivanovic (BIH)
U17 Enkbold Temuujin (MON) v Kamil Szasor (POL)
U19 Krystian Cwikla (POL) v Marnix Abdul (BON)

15:30
Girls Xia Yu Ying (CHN) v Diana Khodjaeva (BEL)
U17 Hayashi Takeshi (JPN) v Fedor Gorst (RUS)
U19 Long Zhe Huang (CHN) v Maksim Dudanets (RUS)
The defending Champion in the girls division, Liu Yu Chen (CHN) had to cancel her participation on short notice due to health problems.

A free livestream is offered from three tables:
Table 1 www.zhangyu.tv/119214
Table 2 www.zhangyu.tv/119216
Table 3 www.zhangyu.tv/159552

Wigan To Host Snooker Stars

Robin Park Arena and Sports Centre in Wigan will once again host many of snooker’s top names in December, with FREE entry for fans.

The qualifying rounds of the German Masters world ranking event will run from December 17 to 20, followed by the World Seniors Championship qualifiers on December 21 and 22.

The same events were staged in Wigan last season, with the likes of Ronnie O'Sullivan, Jimmy White, Judd Trump and Mark Selby in action.

Once again World Snooker will be offering free access to the arena for fans.

A spokesman for World Snooker said: “We are delighted to bring the qualifying rounds of two tournaments back to Robin Park in Wigan. It’s a fantastic opportunity for fans in the area to see top class sporting action for free.

“We saw a good level of support last year and we hope to see even more people coming to the venue this time to see the world’s best players live.”

The draw and format for both events will be announced soon.

Junior World Championships down to finals

Team Europe has come up with some quite convincing and successful results. In the girls division, Kristina Tkach (RUS) reached the quarter-finals. There she had to give in to strong playing Jiang Teng (CHN) with 5:9. Tkach committed some unnecessary mistakes and consequently lost the match.

In the U17 division, Daniel Maciol (POL) managed to get revenge from last year's defeat against defending World Champion Kong de Jing (CHN). Having lost in the same-finals last year, he dethroned Kong this year with a convincing 8:2 victory and proceeded into the final match against Zhen Xiao Huai (CHN) who ousted Kamil Szaszor (POL) by a whisker with 8:7. However, Szaszor achieved a Bonze Medal in the event.

In the U19 division, Europe has another shot at a title. Maksim Dudanets (RUS) booked his seat in the final match against Long Ze Huang (CHN) with a 11:7 result over Lo Ho Sum (HKG). His teammate Kristian Cwikla (POL) had to settle for another Bronze Medal. He lost 5:11 to Huang and could not get into the match at all.

Starting at 11.00 am tomorrow, the first finals match will be;
Daniel Maciol (POL) vs Zheng Xiao Huai (CHN)
Daniel lost his opening match 1/7, but fought his way back through from the loser’s side to gain his spot in the final. His opponent, Zheng Xiao Huai is undefeated so far and is just 14 years old.

Next match scheduled for 1.00 pm start will be the final of the girls.
Xia Yu Ying (CHN) vs Jian Teng (CHN)
Jian Teng is just 15 years old but has quite a deal of experience having competed in some women’s events in China with some success. Her opponent is 16 years old, and has played some women’s events but not enjoyed the same amount of success as Teng. It should be a tough match between two very good Chinese players.

Third session is the final for the U/19 boys
Maksim Dudanets (RUS) vs Long Ze Huang (CHN)
This is a very interesting match as these two boys played each other in their very first match, with Long Ze Huang winning by narrowest of margins, 9/8. This shows that there is not very much between the two and should prove to be a great final to bring the world championship event to a close.

Captains Announce Kings Cup Day 1 Line-up! ABS-CBN Sports+Action TV to Air!                

In one day, East meets West & the world will find out which is the greatest team in the world. Kings Cup's Asia vs Europe/USA , The Real Rivalry starts November 19th. The Legend begins...

Manila, Philippines- ABS-CBN Sports, one of the premiere TV networks in Asia, will be airing the inaugural Kings Cup November 20th-22nd, 2015. This will be the 7th consecutive year in a row Dragon Promotions & ABS-CBN have been cooperated.

The TV airing schedule:

Nov. 20, Friday at 10:30 pm - 2:30 am - replay on Nov. 23, Monday at 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Nov. 21, Saturday at 10:30 pm - 2:30 am - replay on Nov. 24, Tuesday at 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Nov. 22, Sunday at 10:30 pm - 2:30 am - replay on Nov. 26, Thursday at 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm

The Live Stream schedule:
Nov. 19th-21st from 6:00pm-10:00pm Manila Time & 5:00am-9:00am USA EST.

Match Line-Ups:
4 on 4 - All members of team will be required to play.
Doubles - Van Boening/Immonen vs Ko/Ko
Doubles - Appleton/Ouschan vs Efren/Django
Singles - D. Appleton vs Ko Pin Yi
Singles - Bustamante vs Van Boening
3-3 - Ouschan/Immonen/Van Boening vs Reyes/Ko/Ko

"If Asia wins it won't be a surprise to anyone. And if West wins it won't be a surprise. It's really about your preference. This could very well go down to the final match!", said Charlie Williams, Executive Producer of the Kings Cup.

Efren. Mika. Ko. Django. Van Boening. Appleton. Little Ko. Albin. These 8 players share 14 World Championship wins, 10 US Open titles, and 6 World #1s. Never before have two teams been so stacked with skill and talent. The inaugural Resorts World Kings Cup will mark the first time Europe and USA join forces to face again the greatest players of the Asia with Philippines and Taiwan also joining forces for the very first time in history! European and American champions will go against Asia's champions on November 19th at Resorts World Manila in the inaugural Kings Cup! In what surely will become the most epic rivalry in cue sports, the pool world is about to get rocked in a war that fans have been dreaming about for years. Dragon Promotions is pleased to produce the Kings Cup, a three day contest to declare which side of the world boasts the strongest players, the East or the West. On November 19th-21st 2015, the world, as well as the players themselves, will find out! Four players on each side have been selected to represent their continent. The Kings Cup will be hosted by the award winning casino Resorts World Manila , produced by Dragon Promotions and aired on ABS-CBN Sports Channels for 12 hours of coverage and replays. The event will be played on the beautifully designed Rasson Table using Andy Cloth, Viking Cue, Cyclop Balls while the players will wear prestigious clothing made by nothing Clothing Company. Puyat Sports, Pool & Billiard Magazine, and Billiards Digest are also co-sponsors.

Pay Per View earlybird discounted special is now available on www.KingsCupPool.com for $24.95 for all 3 days, or $10 per day. Fans can watch live or the delayed telecast upto 24 hours after the event at their convenience.

"This is the most concentrated group of great players I have ever seen. For sure there is going to be some amazing pool during those three days", said Finland's Mika Immonen , Captain of Team West.

All 8 champions have either been ranked #1 in the World, won a World Championship, or combination of both. No team event has ever had a field so deep in talent.

"If you don't like playing under big pressure in a big time atmosphere, you are in the wrong job, pal", said UK's Darren Appleton.
                                        
Official Table: Rasson Billiards *
Official Cloth: Andy Cloth *Official Cue: Viking Cue * Official Balls: Cyclop. *Official Clothing: nothing Clothing
Official Table Set-Up Partner: Puyat Sports

Shane Van Boening. Mika Immonen. Darren Appleton. Albin Ouschan. Four players who have all experienced winning international championships on big stages coming together against their equal counterparts in Asia's Efren Reyes, Francisco Bustamante, Ko Pin Yi, and Ko Ping Chung.
It's going to be a war to remember.

The format of the Kings Cup will follow in the footsteps of the successful Queens Cup. Teams will play in versatile styles including singles, doubles, triples, and quadruples each of the 3 days of the men's competition.

Follow the Kings Cup at www.facebook.com/kingscuppool and visit www.KingsCupPool.com for updates.
Fans and sponsors can e-mail dragonpromotionsnews1 @ gmail.com

Maciol wins Gold Medal

Daniel Maciol (POL) has captured the title in the WPA World 9-Ball Championships Under 17. IN the final match, Maciol defeated Zheng Xian Huai (CHN) with 8:4. Both players started out quite nervously. After the third rack, Daniel found his rhythm and capitalized from his chances. Being ahead 6:2, Daniel missed his chance for getting on the hill and allowed Zheng to close the gap a bit, coming to 6:4. In the next rack, Zheng failed while attempting a jump shot. That brought Maciol on the hill. In the final rack, Maciol played an excellent safety shot which brought him the victory and the title.

In the girls final, favored Chezka Centeno (PHI) played Xia Yu Ying (CHN). Centeno dominated the match and only missed two shots. She won the one-sided final clearly with 9:3.

In the final of the Under 19s, Maksim Dudanets (RUS) could not get into his a-game. He missed positions and shots. His opponent Long Zhe Huang (CHN) got better and better and used his chances which Dudanets left him. 11:5 was the final result in favor of Long while Dudanets had to settle for silver medal.

It must be stated here that only the Gold and Silver medallists were honored in front of the public. The Bronze medals were handed out in a corner of the venue. Maybe something to think about for the organizers for future events…

Robertson Sets Sights On York

Neil Robertson is targeting success at the Betway UK Championship in York following his victory at last week's Champion of Champions.

The world number three from Australia won his first title of the season in Coventry by beating Mark Allen 10-5 in the final. And the 33-year-old now heads to the York Barbican for the first Triple Crown event of the 2015/16 campaign.

The BBC-televised tournament runs from November 24 to December 6, with 128 players chasing the coveted trophy and a top prize of £150,000.

Robertson won the title in 2013, beating Mark Selby 10-7 in the final, to become the first overseas player to complete the Triple Crown, having won the World Championship in 2010 and the Masters in 2012.

"I will always have great memories of that moment," said Robertson, who faces amateur Alex Taubman in the first round this time. "I love York because it's a great venue and we always get great crowds. I'll be preparing really well for it this time and trying to get the trophy back."

Robertson made a slow start to the current season, losing his opening match at his first three events. But he has since built momentum, reaching the quarter-finals of October's International Championship and then going all the way to the title in Coventry.

"I decided to spend five weeks in Australia over the summer which is something I haven't done since moving to the UK 12 years ago," he said. "It's harder for overseas players like myself and Ding Junhui because we have to make that sacrifice.

"I took my son Alexander and partner Mille to Melbourne and spent a lot of time with family and friends. I didn't play snooker at all and missed a few tournaments and I knew it would take me time to find my form again. But I'm very happy with the decision. And now I've got a big title under my belt it gives me a lot of confidence for the rest of the season."

Sponsors Betway make Robertson the 11/2 second favourite in a wide open betting market. Judd Trump edges favouritism at 5/1.

Among the other star names battling for the crown in York will be Mark Selby, Judd Trump, Shaun Murphy, John Higgins and Stuart Bingham.

For the full draw and format see www.worldsnooker.com

Tickets for the final session on December 6 have already sold out, and other sessions are selling fast so fans are urged to BOOK SEATS NOW. Tickets start at just £6, for more information call 0844 854 2757 or visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

Captains Reyes & Immonen Both Agree on Toughest Teams Ever Faced

Manila, Philippines- The Kings Cup is hours away to launch. Both Asia and Team West have been practicing and ready. In a media conference yesterday, all 8 players of the Kings Cup were interviewed. Captain Mika Immonen, one of the most experienced players alive in team play competition representing Europe numerous times, was asked if this was the toughest team he had ever faced. Mika without hesitation admitted this was indeed the greatest challenge in team competition. Captain Efren Reyes was asked the same question back, and his response was concurring with Immonen's.

"This is the most concentrated team of talent I have ever faced. It's going to be a real battle", said Immonen.

"Every one of their players is a champion. This is going to be very hard on us", said Reyes of his Western counterparts.

"This is going to be good for Shane and Albin. Shane might actually be on the winning side for once", said Appleton referring to the 5 years consecutive team losses USA has had to Europe.

A great article written by renowned Filipino sports journalist Bob Guerrero wrote that this could be the final time the "God Brothers" of pool Bustamante and Reyes would be paired up. Read more on that story here: www.rappler.com/sports/by-sport/other-sports/113174-kings-cup-efren-reyes-francisco-bustamante

ABS-CBN Sports, one of the premiere TV networks in Asia, will be airing the inaugural Kings Cup November 20th-22nd, 2015. This will be the 7th consecutive year in a row Dragon Promotions & ABS-CBN have been cooperated.

The TV airing schedule:

Nov. 20, Friday at 10:30 pm - 2:30 am - replay on Nov. 23, Monday at 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Nov. 21, Saturday at 10:30 pm - 2:30 am - replay on Nov. 24, Tuesday at 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Nov. 22, Sunday at 10:30 pm - 2:30 am - replay on Nov. 26, Thursday at 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm

The Live Stream schedule:
Nov. 19th-21st from 6:00pm-10:00pm Manila Time & 5:00am-9:00am USA EST.

Match Line-Ups:
4 on 4 - All members of team will be required to play.
Doubles - Van Boening/Immonen vs Ko/Ko
Doubles - Appleton/Ouschan vs Efren/Django
Singles - D. Appleton vs Ko Pin Yi
Singles - Bustamante vs Van Boening
3-3 - Ouschan/Immonen/Van Boening vs Reyes/Ko/Ko

"If Asia wins it won't be a surprise to anyone. And if West wins it won't be a surprise. It's really about your preference. This could very well go down to the final match!", said Charlie Williams, Executive Producer of the Kings Cup.

Never before have two teams been so stacked with skill and talent. The inaugural Resorts World Kings Cup will mark the first time Europe and USA join forces to face again the greatest players of the Asia with Philippines and Taiwan also joining forces for the very first time in history! European and American champions will go against Asia's champions on November 19th at Resorts World Manila in the inaugural Kings Cup! In what surely will become the most epic rivalry in cue sports, the pool world is about to get rocked in a war that fans have been dreaming about for years. Dragon Promotions is pleased to produce the Kings Cup, a three day contest to declare which side of the world boasts the strongest players, the East or the West. On November 19th-21st 2015, the world, as well as the players themselves, will find out! Four players on each side have been selected to represent their continent. The Kings Cup will be hosted by the award winning casino Resorts World Manila , produced by Dragon Promotions and aired on ABS-CBN Sports Channels for 12 hours of coverage and replays. The event will be played on the beautifully designed Rasson Table using Andy Cloth, Viking Cue, Cyclop Balls while the players will wear prestigious clothing made by nothing Clothing Company. Puyat Sports, Pool & Billiard Magazine, and Billiards Digest are also co-sponsors.

Pay Per View earlybird discounted special is now available on www.KingsCupPool.com for $24.95 for all 3 days, or $10 per day. Fans can watch live or the delayed telecast upto 24 hours after the event at their convenience.

Shane Van Boening. Mika Immonen. Darren Appleton. Albin Ouschan. Four players who have all experienced winning international championships on big stages coming together against their equal counterparts in Asia's Efren Reyes, Francisco Bustamante, Ko Pin Yi, and Ko Ping Chung.
It's going to be a war to remember.

The format of the Kings Cup will follow in the footsteps of the successful Queens Cup. Teams will play in versatile styles including singles, doubles, triples, and quadruples each of the 3 days of the men's competition.

Follow the Kings Cup at www.facebook.com/kingscuppool and visit www.KingsCupPool.com for updates.

Fans and sponsors can e-mail dragonpromotionsnews1 @ gmail.com

Chinese Billiards&Snooker Association Premier League Starts Tournament Next Year

On Oct. 25, 2016, the opening day of Snooker International Championship, the Chinese Billiards&Snooker Association National(CBSA) Secretary-General joint meeting was successful kicked off in Daqing. Wang Tao, the minister of the State General Administration of Sport small ball management center, the secretary-general of CBSA, was announced that Chinese Billiards&Snooker Association Premier League starts tournament next year, which will become a new bright spot in domestic billiards tournament.

When mentioning the premier league in billiard sport, the Premier League Snooker always come to our mind at the first time. The tournament was founded in 1987, and named Matchroom League originally, changed to Europa League in 1993, and finally confirmed as Premier League Snooker in 1998. It’s a non ranking top occupation snooker tournament, and replaced by Champion of Champions in 2003.

According to information disclosed by the Chinese Billiards&Snooker Association National(CBSA) Secretary-General joint meeting, there is a fundamental difference between Chinese Billiards&Snooker Association Premier League and Premier League Snooker, the newly premier league will cover snooker, pool and China billiards, planing four stations throughout the year and all bonus not less than 2 million RMB. “The current investment work is in progress”, Wang Tao said. The specific information is subject to a formal press conference which will be held in the end of this year or early next year, and related news will be officially announced to the public by CBSA by then.

Once Chinese Billiards&Snooker Association Premier League starts, it will become another highlight of CBSA’s events. It will not only beneficial to improve domestic billiard sports event system, but also promote the development of billiards sports. (Sourcing from www.sports.qq.com/ )

In general, Chinese Billiards&Snooker Association Premier League has great significance in the development of billiard in China. As a perfect platform for the professionals to follow the billiard trend in China even the world, GBE 2016 is supported by ACBS, APBU, QBSF, CTBA, WPBA, and other international related associations, if you want to know more about billiard market in China or tap into China’s market, GBE2016 must be the first choice. Mark your calendar and join it, March 9-11, 2016!

You can catch all the latest GBE news on the website www.gbechina.com, “follower us” on our Twitter page (@gbechina), or contact Ms. Eve Cheng via grand.ev @ grahw.com

CYCLOP Acquired Reputation in 2015 CABA

2015 CABA has came to a successful end in Yushan on November 15th and finally Zheng Yubo defeated Wang Yan and won the men’s title, while Yang Fan won the third place of women’s group and Chen Xue came back and won the championship by 15-11 with Cong Jing.

The official specified CYCLOP billiards had acquired reputation widely.

Chen Xue, the winner of the women’s race, told that CYCLOP billiards enjoy a bit heavy and beautiful colors and being used in W9BC, that is the reason why she love them.

Liu Chuang, who won the forth place of the men’s race, also indicated that with the popularity of CYCLOP billiards’ appearance in various contests, he has adapted to the playing method gradually.

Since its leapt into Chinese market, CYCLOP billiards have enjoyed tremendous reputation and after its being officially specified by CBSA, CYCLOP billiards had made debuts in all 9-Ball and Chinese Billiards contests.(Sourcing from TOP147)

CYCLOP Pool Balls, as our loyal client, will continue to exhibit at GBE in next March. Since its debut in 2007, China Guangzhou International Billiards Exhibition (GBE China) attracts more and more oversea companies bringing their latest billiard products and technology to China and improves the communication between suppliers and buyers. Thanks again for all support from Asian Confederation of Billiard Sports(ACBS), Asian Pocket Billiard Union(APBU), Qatar Billiard & Snooker Federation(QBSF), Chinese Taipei Billiards Federation(CTBF), International Billiards & Snooker Federation(IBSF), International professional pool players association (IPA), Snooker Thailand Association, European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF), Cyprus Pocket Billiard Federation, etc, we believe GBE will make a breakthrough in 2016.

You can catch all the latest GBE news on the website www.gbechina.com, “follower us” on our Twitter page (@gbechina), or contact Ms. Eve Cheng via grand.ev @ grahw.com

EAG INTERNATIONAL
The amusement & leisure show

Exhibitors from more than a dozen countries will be exhibiting at EAG in the New Year with many exciting companies attending for the first time.

Register now and join us in January to find out what's new in the world of amusement and leisure.

www.eagexpo.com

THE EVENT NOT TO MISS!
6 days to go until the World Championship 3-Cushion in Bordeaux

There is still time to decide to take the trip to Bordeaux and live a historic event. The Palais des Congrès of Bordeaux is a beautiful venue where over 1000 seats will overlook the 4 new Gabriels Imperator X models. As far as the show goes, the fans that regularly follow the tour on Kozoom know it: the level of play achieved by the best players makes 3-Cushion billiards a fascinating sport to watch. To project ourselves into the history of the game, Kozoom will present a gallery of photos illustrating all the World Champions since the first edition of the event in 1928. All the information to get to the event in Bordeaux is available on www.kozoom.com/bordeaux. The ones who are not able to make the trip can still go on Kozoom and follow the games from their living room or their club with their Premium Pass. www.kozoom.com/en/billiard-carom/premium-pass/

Betway To Donate To Bluebell Wood

UK Championship title sponsor Betway will be making a donation to World Snooker’s official charity Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice at the end of this year’s tournament, based on century breaks made.

The event at the York Barbican runs from November 24 to December 6, with 128 players including Stuart Bingham, Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, Judd Trump, Shaun Murphy and John Higgins competing for the famous Triple Crown title and a top prize of £150,000.

Betway’s donation to Bluebell Wood will be £10 for every point scored over 100, for example a 132 break would be a £320 donation. If the break is exactly 100 they will donate £10, while a magical maximum 147 would gain a £1000 bonus so would be £1,470.

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: “This is a fantastic and extremely generous donation from Betway and is sure to raise a significant and vital amount of money for Bluebell Wood.

“It’s an innovative idea as it means that every player will be striving to clear the table and score as many points as possible even when he gets past 100.

“This is going to be a sensational tournament, the Barbican will be packed and so many players are in form. The fans are in for 12 days of phenomenal snooker action.”

Betway’s Alan Alger said: “Bluebell Wood is a very worthy cause and we wanted to give the players the opportunity to make every century break count off the table as well as on it. Hopefully one of them will have us paying out the £1470.”

Bluebell Wood, in North Anston near Sheffield, offers care and support to children with a shortened life expectancy, both in their own homes and at the hospice. It provides support to children and their families throughout South Yorkshire, North Derbyshire, North East Lincolnshire and North Nottinghamshire.

For more information see www.bluebellwood.org

THE FLORIDA BILLIARDS EXPO
January 28-31,2016 The Villages, Florida

The Villages, Florida- On January 28-31, 2016 the 3rd Annual Florida Billiards Expo will offer pool fans around the world an escape from the winter cold. The FBE takes place once again in the Villages, Florida. Formerly known as the "Billiards Expo in the Villages", the Florida Billiards Expo will easily have over 1200+ attendees during the 4 days of the event. Activities include tournaments, the Legends Pro Pool School, Golf Pro-Am, Ladies Wine & Cheese Night, Dinner & Lunch with the Pros, free clinics, and the main event, the Legends of Pool Championship. The events are produced by the Villages Billiards Club and Dragon Promotions. Event marketing and promotions by Orlando Synergy.

"We are thrilled to be working alongside Dragon Promotions on this year's events. Especially the Legends of Pool tournament which we feel is going to be a big hit. We've had one success after another here in the Villages, and now after two consecutively rewarding years, we felt that it was time to expand the event and evolve it into something bigger. Dragon Promotions is the entity that will take us there", explained Phil De Angelo, one of the resident Board of Directors for the Villages and President of the Villages Billiard Club.

The Villages, Florida is the largest 50+ retirement environment in the world with over 110,000+ residents from throughout the United States and several other countries. The VBC (Villages Billiards Club) is one of over 2,000 clubs and special interest organizations within The Villages. Included in the VBC agenda are leagues, including APA and BCA, weekly, monthly and tournaments, travel teams, lesson programs, special events such as the FEENEY CUP, LADIES CUP, POWER POOL SERIES, and the annual Florida Billiards Expo. A key component of the Club is the WVBC -Women of the Villages Billiards Club that advocates and produces events and activities focused on introducing and providing opportunities for female players. The VBC is supported by fundraising initiatives that include numerous social events and a Sponsor Program of 35+ businesses from throughout the Central Florida area.

The Villages has hosted a number of professional billiard celebrities over the last few years including Allison Fisher, Mike Massey, Jeanette Lee, Tom Rossman, Ewa Mataya Laurance, Johnny Archer and Nick Varner.

"This is an exciting venture for us to cooperate with the VBC. They have very impressive facilities and a long standing, well organized infrastructure. Though our goals are modest this year, the attraction for Dragon Promotions is the massive potential for growth in the Florida Billiards Expo at the Villages", explained Cindy Lee, CEO of Dragon Promotions.

The marquee event will be the Legends of Pool. A championship featuring six legendary champions with three ladies and three men in a 2 day round robin featuring singles, doubles, mixed doubles, ring game, and special Battle of the Sexes. Notable names such as "King" James Rempe and Ewa "Striking Viking" Laurance have already committed. All ticketed pro pool shows have sold out every time in the Villages. Fans should reserve tickets in advance.

A first ever Legends Pro Pool School will also allow 30 lucky fans to participate as VIPs of the Florida Billiards Expo. Each VIP will experience a once in a lifetime opportunity to join small groups with the legendary pros working directly on their game; enjoy conversations during a VIP lunch; play 9 holes of golf with the celebrities; play in a special Pro-Am pool match; free admission tickets to all PRO matches of the Legends of Pool; and several souvenir photos documenting your experience for memories to cherish for life. The 3 day VIP Legends Pro Pool School package is only $925.

Free admission to visit the vendors, participate in selected clinics and watch the amateurs play!
VIP tickets for the Legends of Pool are extremely limited and all ticketed pro pool shows have sold out everytime .
General admission tickets are also available at $20 per session. Please visit: thevillagesentertainment.com ; (352) 753-3229 On-line orders and credit cards accepted.

Sponsors are welcomed to contact 407-782-4978 floridabilliardsexpo @ gmail.com. All other tickets, Vendors, Pro Pool School, tournament entries and information: (352) 561-4240 floridabilliardsexpo @ gmail.com
Visit www.facebook.com/floridabilliardsexpo

Kelly Fisher’s Appearance at GBE2016

10th China Guangzhou International Billiards Exhibition(GBE2016) will be grandly return during March 9-11, 2016. Xingjue Billiards will bring its brand spokesperson - Kelly Fisher to participate in the show.

Kelly Fisher is an English professional pool and snooker player. She won the World Snooker Championship six times. She switched to pool after being in the top 10 women players for the past two years and winning the San Diego Classic for three years running. Kelly achieved the No.1 Ranking in World Women's Pool and won the US Open Championship. Her typical simple and stylish dressing happens to coincide with the management and design philosophy of Xingjue Billiards. Xingjue billiard is rapidly developing under the eyes of peers in recent years. In May 2015, at GBE2015 show site, Xingjue’s booth was crowded with professional distributors and purchasers, who were attracted by the competitive billiard products. Bountiful harvest and high appreciation was received during the 3-day exhibition.

This September, in “ShiTang Cup” open of Jiangning hengxi China Youth and Children snooker series, Xingjue table won the full recognition from contestants owing to its high quality and rigorous attitude. The brand new 8 billiard tables provided a good hardware facilities for the players.

"Xingjue Billiards has been committed to training and supporting for China's young players these years. In order to provide the players with the most professional game tables, We send the best installing masters to the court a long way ahead for setup and test.” , stated by Mr.Jiang Guohui, general manager of Xingjue billiards.

It is this concept of service and responsibility that became the driving force of its continuous development. Focusing on development of youth players is to train newly emerging force for China’s Billiards Sports. It is the sense of responsibility that makes us to have enough reasons to believe Xingjue will bring the billiard industry more surprises. March 9-11, 2016, Xingjue will again show at 10th China Guangzhou Billiards Exhibition with a larger exhibition area(162 sq.m). Let’s look forward to other exciting topics except for Kelly Fisher’s spectacular live performances.

GBE Organizing Committee
Phone: +86 20 29188293                        
Fax: +86 20 82579220
Email: jenny0124 @ aliyun.com        
Website: www.gbechina.com

Manchester To Host Snooker's Players Championship

Snooker’s Players Championship will be staged at Event City in Manchester for the first time next year.

The world ranking tournament will run from March 22 to 27 and will feature many of the sport's top players.

It was previously staged in Ireland and Preston, and last season took place in Thailand, where Joe Perry claimed the title by beating Mark Williams in the final.

The Players Championship is the culmination of the season's Kreativ Dental Clinic European Tour and Asian Tour, with 32 players to qualify for the showpiece conclusion and chase a top prize of £100,000.

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: "We are thrilled to bring this tournament to Manchester for the first time. It is a major event on the calendar and deserves to be staged in a major city.

"Players are competing in European and Asian Tour events in China, Germany, Latvia, Bulgaria, Gibraltar and Poland, all striving to make sure they are among the elite 32 man field for the final event.

"Manchester has a fantastic reputation for staging top class sporting events and I'm sure the fans will be out in force to see the leading green baize giants competing for this coveted title."

The final line-up for the tournament will be confirmed after the Gdynia Open which finishes on February 28.

Tickets will be on sale shortly.

Shoot-Out Tickets On Sale

Tickets are now on sale for snooker’s celebrated Shoot-Out event, which will take place at The Hexagon in Reading for the first time in February.

The Shoot-Out has become a firm favourite among fans for its non-stop thrilling action. It will run from February 12 to 14 and televised by ITV4.

There’s a fantastic OPENING OFFER OF 20 PERCENT OFF which means that tickets start at just £12, incredible value to see top class sporting action.

There’s also a tremendous offer of £75 for a ticket covering every session of all three days of the tournament.

There is one session at 6.30pm on Friday February 12, followed by sessions at 12.30pm and 6.30pm on Saturday February 13, and 1.30pm and 6.30pm on Sunday February 14.

To book call 0118 960 6060 or visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

The Shoot-Out features 64 of the world’s top players in a knock-out format. Each match is a single frame lasting a maximum of ten minutes, with a shot clock of 15 seconds for the first five and ten seconds for the last five.

Michael White took the £32,000 top prize last season after beating Xiao Guodong by potting four balls in the last 40 seconds of an incredible final.

Fans are strongly urged to BOOK SEATS FAST as the event is expected to sell out rapidly.

Success For First WDBS Event

The new World Disability Billiards and Snooker body staged its first event last weekend, attended by players from around the UK and beyond.

The landmark event, called the 2015 Open Disability Snooker Championship, took place at the South West Snooker Academy in Gloucester.

The WDBS was launched in September with the intention to give more people with disabilities the opportunity to play cue sports.

There were three main events held at the tournament, incorporating five different disability classification groups.

Taking victory in the combined Group 4 and 5 event was India’s Raja Subramanian, who defeated Gloucester’s Tony Pockett 2-0 in the final.

His win completed a remarkable story for the 43-year-old from Mumbai, who came over to the UK especially for this event and next weekend’s LITEtask British Open billiards tournament in Bradford.

For the past seven years Raja has predominantly played billiards, rising to 25th in the world rankings in 2014. He impressed throughout the weekend in Gloucester, hitting several breaks over 50 and winning ten frames without reply on his way to a well-deserved medal.

The Group 3 event was won by Daniel Blunn of Sutton Coldfield, who defeated Andrew Harper from St Helens 2-0 in a tightly contested final.

The combined Group 1 and 2 wheelchair category was won by Surrey’s Graham Bonnell. Having topped his round robin group, he defeated Glyn Lloyd 3-0 in Sunday’s final.

There was also a plate event held on the tournament’s final day for the remaining ten players who had not progressed to the knock-out stages. This was won by Mark Parsons, who defeated Steve Packer in their single frame final.

In addition to their medals and participation certificates, all main event finalists will be invited to watch the Betway UK Championship semi-finals at the York Barbican and be presented with their medals in the main arena.

WDBS Chairman Nigel Mawer said: “It has been a fantastic first event here at the South West Snooker Academy. I have been overwhelmed by the approach of the players to the tournament, how they have enjoyed it and the outcomes we have had. We have had some fascinating stories coming out of the event.

“This is the start of a very long road to get us back to the Paralympics and to get more people involved at grassroots level playing this great sport.”

British Paralympian and WDBS board member Jonathan Adams added: “It has been a brilliant event. To say that we would be staging an event of this magnitude four months after creating the WDBS is something that I didn’t think would be possible and it has just been tremendous.

“It’s amazing to see players from as far away as India coming here to compete. To see the way that people have been captured by other people’s stories and to see it come to reality, after the work we have done, is only going to be beneficial for the future.

“We are all aware of the difficulties and the challenges that come with dealing with disability sport and disabled individuals, but it has not been about the disabilities. It has been about the abilities on the table and we have seen how much the players have enjoyed the competition and the atmosphere.

“I believe that this has put us firmly back on the map. The future is only bright.”

Prior to the two-day tournament there was an open day for people with disabilities with coaching provided by Tim Squires of Snookerbility and Bob Hill, both WPBSA Coaches. Those in attendance also had the opportunity to have photographs taken with the World Championship trophy.

It is proposed to hold the next event in March 2016 for the categories not included in this event.

Results (knock-out stages)

Group 1/2 Final

Graham Bonnell 3-0 Glyn Lloyd

Group 3 Final

Daniel Blunn 2-0 Andrew Harper

Group 4/5 Semi-Finals

Raja Subramanian 2-0 Jayson Wholey
Tony Pockett 2-0 Brent Welland

Group 4/5 Final

Raja Subramanian 2-0 Tony Pockett

Chinese Billiards&Snooker Association Premier League Starts Tournament Next Year
Chinese Billiards&Snooker Association Premier League will start tournament next year, planing four stations throughout the year and all bonus not less than 2 million RMB.

On Oct. 25, 2016, the opening day of Snooker International Championship, the Chinese Billiards&Snooker Association National(CBSA) Secretary-General joint meeting was successful kicked off in Daqing. Wang Tao, the minister of the State General Administration of Sport small ball management center, the secretary-general of CBSA, was announced that Chinese Billiards&Snooker Association Premier League starts tournament next year, which will become a new bright spot in domestic billiards tournament.

When mentioning the premier league in billiard sport, the Premier League Snooker always come to our mind at the first time. The tournament was founded in 1987, and named Matchroom League originally, changed to Europa League in 1993, and finally confirmed as Premier League Snooker in 1998. It’s a non ranking top occupation snooker tournament, and replaced by Champion of Champions in 2003.

According to information disclosed by the Chinese Billiards&Snooker Association National(CBSA) Secretary-General joint meeting, there is a fundamental difference between Chinese Billiards&Snooker Association Premier League and Premier League Snooker, the newly premier league will cover snooker, pool and China billiards, planing four stations throughout the year and all bonus not less than 2 million RMB. “The current investment work is in progress”, Wang Tao said. The specific information is subject to a formal press conference which will be held in the end of this year or early next year, and related news will be officially announced to the public by CBSA by then.

Once Chinese Billiards&Snooker Association Premier League starts, it will become another highlight of CBSA’s events. It will not only beneficial to improve domestic billiard sports event system, but also promote the development of billiards sports. (Sourcing from www.sports.qq.com/ )

In general, Chinese Billiards&Snooker Association Premier League has great significance in the development of billiard in China. As a perfect platform for the professionals to follow the billiard trend in China even the world, GBE 2016 is supported by ACBS, APBU, QBSF, CTBA, WPBA, and other international related associations, if you want to know more about billiard market in China or tap into China’s market, GBE2016 must be the first choice. Mark your calendar and join it, March 9-11, 2016!

You can catch all the latest GBE news on the website www.gbechina.com, “follower us” on our Twitter page (@gbechina), or contact Ms. Eve Cheng via grand.ev @ grahw.com