Site News
Topic: *Industry News* April 2010

ALCANO READY FOR ASIAN GAMES BUT FIRST NEEDED TO PAST THRU QUALIFYING EVENT WHICH BEGINS TODAY
by Marlon Bernardino

AFTER a fruitful year in 2009, Ronato “Volcano” Alcano is eyeing another great year in the Year of the Tiger and in fact oozing with confidence in the forthcoming 16th Asian Games (also known as the XVI Asiad) Cue Sports Competition scheduled on November 12 to 27 in Guangzhou, China.

"I'm hoping to compete well in Guangzhou, Asian Games. I'm ready and confident," said the former double world champion (WPA 8-ball and 9-ball) Alcano, who also won the country’s gold medal in the 8-ball competition during the 2009 Laos Southeast Asian Games.

“Pero kailangan muna tayong manalo sa qualifying event,” said the lanky cue artists from Calamba, Laguna.

But first, the Bugsy Promotion mainstay Alcano playing under the banner of sportsman/ businessman Perry Mariano needed to go through grueling qualification tournament which resume today, Monday at the Rizal Memorial Billiards Center in Malate, Manila.

Two Bugsy Promotions stalwarts---Roberto “Pinoy Superman” Gomez and Dennis “Robocop” Orcullo already booked their seat in the main draw after topping separate qualifying round.

The 2007 World Pool Championship finalist Gomez defeated fellow Bugsy team mate Orcullo, 13-11, in the finals of 8-ball competition last Monday, while Orcullo, the reigning International Predator 10-ball champion on the other hand edged hall of famer and greatest player of all time Efren “Bata” Reyes in a thrilling 13-12 decision win in the finals of 9-ball competition on Wednesday.

Aside from Gomez and Orcullo, other cue artists in the main draw of 16th Asian Games were Efren “Bata” Reyes (English Billiards), Reynaldo Grandea (Carom), Rodolfo “Boy Samson” Luat (3 Cusion), 2009 World Ten-Ball Champion Rubilen “Bingkay” Amit (9-ball), former US Women’s Open 9-Ball Finalist Irish Ranola (8-ball) and Mary Ann Basas (6-red ball).

“Right now, I feel we can win gold medals in the billiards competitions. We're strong in the men's 8-ball and 9-ball events and we can surprise our rivals in women's billiards," said Ceferino “Perry” Mariano, Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) founding head in a recent interview.

The Billiards Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) qualification tournament is supervised by national billiards coach Boyet Asonto.


FORMER double world champion (WPA 8-ball and 9-ball) Ronato “Volcano” Alcano (left) and reigning International Predator 10-ball champion Dennis “Robocop” Orcullo (right) jointly raise the hand of Suzette M. Bernardo (center), a leading candidate for councilor in the fourth district of Quezon City, at the Bugsy Billiards Center in Tomas Morato, Quezon City on Saturday. Bernardo is the granddaughter of the late former Quezon City mayor Ponciano Bernardo.

ORCULLO, MANALO GOT OFF TO A GREAT START IN ASIAD 8-BALL QUALIFYING EVENT
BY: Marlon Bernardino

REIGNING International Predator 10-ball champion Dennis “Robocop” Orcullo and former snooker specialist Marlon “Marvelous” Manalo lived up to expectations by hurdling their respective rivals at the start of Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) 8-balls qualification tournament yesterday at the Rizal Memorial Billiards Center in Malate, Manila.

The Bislig, Surigao del Sur ace Orcullo defeated fellow Bugsy Promotions stablemate world champion Ronato “Volcano” Alcano, 9-3, while the pride of Mandaluyong City Manalo edged 2009 World Ten Ball finalist Lee Vann “The Slayer” Corteza, 9-8.

Other notable winners in the 8-ball qualification tournament for the 16th Asian Games set on November 12 to 27 in Guangzhou, China were power-breaker Jeffrey “The Bull” de Luna and giant-killer Mario “Aklan” Tolentino.

De Luna, a silver medalist in the 9-ball competition during the 2006 Doha Asian Games beat Francisco “Django” Bustamante, 9-7, while Tolentino, a habitué of the Star Billiards Center nipped Carlo “Cool” Biado, 9-8.

According to national billiards coach Boyet Asonto, who is tasked to supervise the said Asiad Qualifying event, Manalo goes up against Warren “Warrior” Kiamco in the next round while Tolentino will square off with Filipino billiards maestro Efren “Bata” Reyes.

The 8-balls qualifying event is applying a double-elimination format, race-to-9 using the winner’s break affair. The final round is race-to-11.

Two Bugsy Promotions stalwarts---Roberto “Pinoy Superman” Gomez and Dennis “Robocop” Orcullo already booked their seat in the main draw after topping separate qualifying round.

The 2007 World Pool Championship finalist Gomez defeated fellow Bugsy team mate Orcullo, 13-11, in the finals of 8-ball competition last Monday, while Orcullo, the reigning International Predator 10-ball champion on the other hand edged hall of famer and greatest player of all time Efren “Bata” Reyes in a thrilling 13-12 decision win in the finals of 9-ball competition on Wednesday.
Aside from Gomez and Orcullo, other cue artists in the main draw of 16th Asian Games were Efren “Bata” Reyes (English Billiards), Reynaldo Grandea (Carom), Rodolfo “Boy Samson” Luat (3 Cusion), 2009 World Ten-Ball Champion Rubilen “Bingkay” Amit (9-ball), former US Women’s Open 9-Ball Finalist Irish Ranola (8-ball) and Mary Ann Basas (6-red ball).

World Seniors Snooker Championship

World Snooker is delighted to announce the introduction of the World Seniors Snooker Championship, an annual event pitting the greatest players from the Golden Age of Snooker against each other for the right to call them self the World Seniors Champion.

This year’s tournament will include six former World Champions: Steve Davis, John Parrott, Ken Doherty, Dennis Taylor, Alex Higgins and Joe Johnson and the People’s Champion Jimmy White. The final place will be contested between Peter Ebdon and the winner of the qualifying tournament. The players will be competing for a £50,000 prize pot.

The inaugural World Seniors Snooker Championship will be held at Cedar Court Hotel, Bradford on 5-7 November 2010. Matches will be played over three frames in the quarter finals, five frame in the semis and seven frames in the final.

The World Seniors Qualifying event will be held in Cue Gardens, Bradford on 28-30 May. The players set to feature include Tony Knowles, Tony Drago, Mike Hallett, David Taylor, Dave Harold, Darren Morgan, Nigel Bond and Joe Swail. The format will be the same as the main event.

Joe Johnson, one of the key people behind this new event stated: “I have been working very hard to pull this concept together and I am glad that with World Snooker’s help we are making it a reality. I cannot wait to get out on the floor and battle it out with my old friends and adversaries. Snooker fans have been crying out for this type of event and I am sure that we will do our best to put on an entertaining Championship.”

General admission and hospitality tickets will be available for both the Qualifiers and the World Seniors Snooker Championship. Ticketing information will be available shortly from www.worldsnooker.com/tickets

BATA REYES TOPS ASIAN GAMES 8-BALL QUALIFYING EVENT
BY: MARLON BERNARDINO

HALL OF FAMER EFREN “BATA” REYES live up to his tag as the greatest player of all time when he beat countryman Jeffrey “The Bull” de Luna, 11-2, in their rematch in the finals of 8-ball competition late Monday of the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) qualifying round for the Asian Games at the Rizal Memorial Billiards Center in Malate, Manila.

The former World 8-ball and Asian 8-ball champion Reyes, playing under the banner of sportsman/ businessman Aristeo “Putch” Puyat was in full control of the race-to-11, winner’s break duel by taking a commanding 6-1 lead at the start of the finals match made some of his trademark shots including four break and run-out, and never looked back.

“Pumabor y’ung bola sa rematch na laro ko kay Jeff (de Luna). Malaking factor din naka apat na run-out pa tayo kaya nakalayo agad tayo ng lamang sa kanya,” said Reyes, who topped this month AZ billiards Player Money list who netted a total $61,580 earning including his fifth Derby City Classic Master of the Table tiara in United States to went home $20,000.

“Hopefully maganda sana performance natin sa Asian Games para muli tayong makapagbigay ng karangalan sa bayan,” said the Angeles, Pampanga cue artists Reyes, country’s undisputed billiards icon, was the unanimous choice by the United States Billiards Media Association’s (USBMA) best player of the decade. Reyes also will represent the country in the English Billiards competition.

RP billiards God Father Aristeo “Putch” Puyat is very confident that the RP pool wizards will perform well in the forthcoming 16th Asian Games (also known as the XVI Asiad) Cue Sports Competition scheduled on November 12 to 27 in Guangzhou, China.

“We have very good chances winning the gold medals in the forthcoming Asian Games in China, so I expect our cue artists will perform well in the said quadrennial meet,” said Puyat, long-time supporter of Reyes.

Earlier, Reyes who got bye in the first round subdued giant-killer Mario “Aklan” Tolentino, 9-6, but lost to de Luna, 8-9, in the third round of winner’s brackets.

However, came back in the one-loss side by defeating former WPA 9-ball and 8-ball champion Ronato “Volcano” Alcano, 9-5, Warren “Warrior” Kiamco, 9-6, reigning International Predator 10-ball champion Dennis “Robocop” Orcullo, 9-7, to arrange a rematch with unbeaten de Luna, the 2007 Manny Pacquiao International 9-ball champion who also won the silver medal in the 9-balls competition of the 2006 Doha Asian Games.

De Luna, meanwhile edged former world no.1 Francisco “Django” Bustamante, 9-7, Ricky “Bai” Zerna, 9-8, Reyes, 8-9, Orcullo, 9-5, then bowed to Reyes, 2-11, in the finals.

According to national billiards coach Boyet Asonto, who is tasked to supervise the said Asiad Qualifying event, action will resume today, Wednesday for the 9-balls competition at the same venue.

Joining Reyes (8-ball and English billiards), in the main draw of 16th Asian Games were Gomez (8-ball), Orcullo (9-ball), Reynaldo Grandea (Carom), Rodolfo “Boy Samson” Luat (3-Cushion), 2009 World Ten-Ball Champion Rubilen “Bingkay” Amit (9-ball), former US Women’s Open 9-Ball Finalist Irish Ranola (8-ball) and Mary Ann Basas (6-red ball).

PERRY MARIANO'S BROTHER PASSES AWAY AT 65
by Marlon Bernardino

ARCHITECT Francisco "Punky" B. Mariano of Merville, Paranaque, peacefully joined his Creator, Monday morning, due to colon cancer. He was 65.

Punky, as he is fondly called, is the only brother of Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) founding head and Bugsy Promotions president Ceferino “Perry” Mariano.

“We will surely miss him,” said sportsman/ businessman Perry Mariano, who manages the billiards career of former double world champion (WPA 9-ball and 8-ball) Ronato Alcano, reigning International Predator 10-ball champion Dennis Orcullo, 2007 World Pool Finalist Roberto Gomez, Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Gandy “Yang-Yang” Valle, among others.

He was cremated yesterday (Tuesday) at the Manila Memorial Park. He is survived by wife Eder, daughters, Gel, Maan and Lala, his only brother and sister-in-law Perry and Verna Mariano, nephews Mike and Hadley, nieces Verena and Vernice, among others.

World Snooker Announce New Three Year Deal for Wuxi Classic

World Snooker today announced a new three year agreement to hold the Wuxi Classic in Jiangsu Province, China.

The event will take place in Wuxi, the home of Chinese Snooker Super-Star Ding Junhui, on 2nd – 6th June 2010 and will be the first event to take place at the stunning new venue which is being built just for Snooker.

This year’s event is an invitational tournament; however, the parties have agreed to explore opening the tournament up to all 96 professional players and assigning ranking points in years 2 and 3.

The 12 man field for the 2010 Wuxi Classic will see defending champion Mark Allen take on the likes of Ali Carter, Ryan Day, Marco Fu, Mark Selby, Ding Junhui, Shaun Murphy and seven-time World Champion Stephen Hendry plus 4 local wildcards.

Commenting on the new agreement Ding Junhui said, “It’s a good tournament in the summer and every year I’ve done well. It is good for the people to watch top snooker and Wuxi is my home town. I like playing in front of my home fans.”

Barry Hearn, Chairman of the WPBSA stated: “This new agreement demonstrates both snooker’s growing popularity in China and their desire for more professional World Snooker tournaments. China is a key market for World Snooker and it is important that we continue to work with our partners to nurture snooker’s growth for the benefit of our new fans and all the World Snooker players.”

Glasgow on Cue For New World Open

World Snooker is delighted to announce the introduction of the World Open. The tournament will be the first ever open ranking event, allowing amateurs to compete against the world’s top players with £500,000 prize money on offer.

In a field of 128 players, there will be 32 amateurs plus 96 professionals.

The event will take place at the SECC, Glasgow on 18-26 September 2010 and will feature a random draw throughout. There will be three qualifying rounds which will culminate with the top 32 taking on the round two winners, with at least four of these matches held over to the venue stage. All matches leading to the final will be a best of five shootout, the final will be contested over 11 frames.

The qualifying rounds will be held at the World Snooker Academy.

The amateurs will be selected by the governing bodies of China, Middle East, Africa, Belgium and Germany.

In addition there will be 20 non-professionals places, the winners will come through qualifying events held throughout the UK, 10 from Rileys Clubs and 10 from independent snooker clubs.

WSL will issue invitations to two former World Champions, the Ladies World Champion plus one other female player and two juniors. The BBC, Eurosport, CCTV5, Great Sports Channel (Shanghai) and Now TV (Hong Kong) will provide extensive coverage of the final stages. The tournament will have a new relaxed dress code to enhance the atmosphere.

Barry Hearn, Chairman of the WPBSA stated: “The new format creates a hugely exciting and challenging tournament for the players. A real David and Goliath clash which will capture the public imagination. The World Open will give everyone the opportunity to take part and maybe earn the chance at playing the very best in the game.”

“The World Open will be a great event which will show the changes that snooker is making to make the game more appealing to the fans and players. It is another world class event in Scotland and I hope the fans will turn out to support it,” said Current Betfred.com World Champion John Higgins.

Reanne Evans winner of six consecutive Ladies World titles is relishing the prospect of competing against her male counterparts, “it’s been a long time coming for the women’s game. I’ve done everything I can in the sport but this will be a great chance, it’s exactly what I have worked so hard for.”

Scott Taylor, Chief Executive, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, said: “We’re delighted that for the first time, the World Snooker Open will welcome both male and female players of all ages, as well as those from an amateur level. This reflects the exciting period of change that snooker is currently undergoing and should further heighten its appeal.

“Glasgow City Marketing Bureau is proud to continue its support of the event, which is set to bring around 4,000 attendances to the SECC, as well as around £335,000 to Scotland’s economy and almost £1million worth of TV exposure.”

Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer at EventScotland, the national events agency said: “We are delighted to be supporting the World Snooker Open as it announces some exciting new changes. EventScotland has supported the event since 2006, and over that time it has grown significantly in international appeal. This new format will guarantee the World Snooker Open generates even more exposure for Scotland as this is the first time that both amateurs and male and female players of all ages will be invited to participate in an official ranking event.”

KIAMCO BEATS ALCANO, TOPS ASIAD 9-BALL ELIMS
BY: MARLON BERNARDINO

WARREN “WARRIOR” KIAMCO showed the Filipino billiards community that he is still a force to be reckoned with in the sport of Pool.

The Pasil, Cebu native Kiamco beat former double world champion (WPA 9-ball and 8-ball) Ronato “Volcano” Alcano in a thrilling 15-14 decision win in the finals of the Asian Games qualifying event of the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) 9-balls competition late Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Billiards Center in Malate, Manila.

Actually, Kiamco, one of the top player of Jonathan Sy's Negros Billiards Stable was in full control of the duel by taking a 14-7 lead in the race-to-15 winner's break format.

However, Alcano, one of the top gunner of Perry Mariano's Bugsy Promotions rallied in the end game clustering seventh straight racks to level the count at 14-all going to the final rack.

Alcano, the 2009 Laos Southeast Asian Games 8-ball gold medallist had a chance to win the game but a miscue in the Green 6-ball in the 19th racks allowing Kiamco to clean up the table and escaped a 15-14 decision win.

“Magaling talaga si Ronnie (Alcano), talagang world champion. Kasi kahit nakalamang agad ako ay talagang humabol siya at muntikan pa akong matalo. Buti na lamang sumablay siya sa No.6 ball sa last rack,” said Kiamco.

On the road to the finals, Kiamco bested fellow NBS ace Ricky “Bai” Zerna, 13-10, while Alcano defeated Bugsy Promotions stalwart Joven “The Shark” Bustamante in a similar 13-10 win.

With the win, Kiamco joins early qualifiers---Roberto “Pinoy Superman”Gomez(8-ball), Dennis “Robocop” Orcullo (9-ball), and billiards king Efren “Bata” Reyes (8-ball/ English Billiards) to represent the country in the forthcoming 16th Asian Games (also known as the XVI Asiad) Cue Sports Competition scheduled on November 12 to 27 in Guangzhou, China.

Other cue artists also in the main draw of the said quadrennial meet were Reynaldo Grandea (Carom), Rodolfo “Boy Samson” Luat (3-Cushion), 2009 World Ten-Ball Champion Rubilen “Bingkay” Amit (9-ball), former US Women’s Open 9-Ball Finalist Irish Ranola (8-ball) and Mary Ann Basas (6-red ball)

Tournament director of the BSCP Asiad qualifying event is Ms. Christine “Ish” Caparras of Puyat Sports assisted by national billiards coach Boyet Asonto.

Team CSI - Deuel and Strickland Head to Hard Times and Showboat

Team CSI-American Grand Master members Corey Deuel and Earl Strickland will be performing exhibitions and clinics in Sacramento and Redding, California May 24-27 immediately following their participation in the World Pool Masters (May 12-16) and the U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship (May 17-22) at the Riviera Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

The first stop for Deuel and Strickland will be the Showboat Lounge in Redding, Tuesday May 25th. The Team CSI duo will perform an exhibition at 7:30 pm. Spectators will win prizes and have chances to match up against either Deuel or Strickland in mini challenge matches and also the chance to play with one of the pros in a scotch doubles match. Strickland will also perform trick shots and only in the way Strickland can, tell tales of his life on the road.

The two-day Team CSI event at Showboat will conclude on a more serious note Wednesday May 26th where Deuel and Strickland will hold a 4 hour clinic from 11am to 3pm. Registration is limited to 12 students. The 12 students are divided into 2 groups of 6 and each group will spend 2 hours with each of the Team CSI Pros. The fee for this great opportunity to learn from two of the best is only $200 per person.

Thursday May 27th Duel and Strickland will travel to Hard Times Billiards in Sacramento where they will again hold another 4 hour pool clinic from 11am to 3pm. For more information or to register for a clinic contact Team CSI Manager Mark Cantrill at 480-612-7732.

For more information about Team CSI please visit www.playcsipool.com

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

DENNIS ORCULLO BOOKS ANOTHER TRIP TO WORLD POOL TILT
BY: MARLON BERNARDINO

BUGSY PROMOTIONS top player Dennis “Robocop” Orcullo outclassed Warren “Warrior” Kiamco, 21-14, Friday to book his spot in the 2010 World Pool Championships (WPA World 9-ball) on June 27 to July 5 in Doha, Qatar.

Orcullo, the reigning International Predator 10-ball champion took control early and went on to top the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) qualifying round hosted by its president and long-time billiards patron Sebastian “Baste” Chua at the Star Billiards Center in Quezon City.

“Tiwala ako kay Dennis (Orcullo) na maganda ang ipapakita niya sa World Pool Championship. Sa katunayan, isa siya sa pinakamagaling na bilyarista sa ating bansa at kailangan niya lamang ng world WPA crown para maging ganap na world champion.” Said sportsman/ businessman Perry Mariano, co-founder of BMPAP and president of the star-studded Bugsy Promotions.

The former fisherman from Bislig, Surigao del Sur Orcullo, joins countryman Ronato “Volcano” Alcano, Marlon “Marvelous” Manalo, Lee Vann “The Slayer” Corteza, Antonio “Nickoy” Lining and Antonio “Ga-Ga” Gabica in the tournament proper.

Orcullo also schedule to play in the 2010 Party Poker World Pool Masters on May 12 to 16 and the inaugural United States Open 10-Ball Championships on May 17 to 22, both will be held at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.

GIVING BACK TO THE SPORT WE LOVE!

     My hair continues to grow silver gray with wonderful memories and a continuing passion for the sport of billiards in all its forms – pocket (regular and artistic disciplines), carom (mainly 3 Cushion), and snooker (when the occasion arises). Since the summer of 1985 my primary observation and heartfelt “victories” have been on the amazing “sight and sound” attached to the beauty, promise, and vision of each roll regardless of the final paper score!!

     I have come to realize that the true joy of receiving of any title, trophy, and / or monetary award lies in the sharing of these special gifts with others who often run the good race, but that otherwise never enter the “winner’s circle”. “Ms. Cue” and I have seen this “giving back” effect or “channeling of blessing” in action by players at all levels, faithful fans of our sport, special media resources, sponsor contributors, and many others.

     Some share their time! Some share their talent! Some share their products and/or select services! Some even share their finances! And, in the sharing, comes a “return” that often can’t be measured – to the heart of the person giving and to the sport as a primary benefactor. The
more we give, the more our sport and the hearts within it benefit.

     As many of you may know 3 Cushion Billiards is my favorite game. Recently the USBA board took initiatives to promote their own tour with a series of grass roots carom events leading up to the USBA Nationals. A special contributor outreach was done among the players and fans of 3 Cushion asking for ANY donation they could make to help out. Time, talent, products, select services, and any financial contributions were requested and were received in a variety of forms.

     From the financial side of things, some gave $5, some gave $10, and some gave more. Even with a small player base, those who normally never give made a decision to donate in an effort to support the sport discipline they loved. Over the years of “getting back” from 3 Cushion (in most cases not financially), the players and fans realized that it was time to “give back” for what they had in fact received – the joy of it all and the fellowship at each event, whether in the competitive arena or watching from the sidelines. One person even agreed to match EVERY dollar contributed with 50 cents of HIS OWN. The overall “giving back” to the sport they love is helping to expand 3 Cushion interest today and impact the USBA tour growth in a very positive and successful way!!    

     Each person playing 3 Cushion loves the special nature of each shot attempted and the special “victories” achieved with each make (or miss)!! There is something very “special” about 3 Cushion, but then again there is surely something very “special” about the select discipline of billiards you love as well. I can only imagine how strong our overall sport would be if EVERYONE gave a LITTLE BACK to the discipline of their choice – 8 ball, 9 ball, 10 ball, bank pool, one pocket, artistic pool, and many others!

     A special thanks to EVERYONE that has given!! And, a special thanks to ANYONE that plans to “step to the plate” in the future for the sport discipline they love. There is no better time than NOW to experience the joy of giving! Recently I was sent the following words of wisdom for your reading enjoyment and consideration:    

“Volunteers Plant the Seeds of Kindness”

Our lives are measured not by what we have or take,
But by what we give back and the difference we make.

…For all the seeds of kindness you have planted!!



Special Note: Almost everyone that reads this article will know the specific sport discipline that "rings your enjoyment button" more than others and that you are connected with as a player, fan, media/promotion source, or sponsor.

For those of you that have made a decision to "give back", I suggest you contact specific event / organization directors that make your favorite discipline available to you . Often this is a matter of doing an internet search, asking room owners about their event schedules, and / or contacting fellow players / fans in your area. You may also decide to create your own event that "gives back" via your own personal and / or business resources.

If you have specific questions on "how to give back" please contact me via email -- drcue@artisticpool.org or phone 765.795.4968 (h) / 765.760.7665 (c).

                 Have a great day!    "Dr. Cue" and "Ms. Cue"

‘ROCKET’ JOEL POCKETS £5,000!
Snooker kid, 16, wins nationwide comp to find new Ronnie O’Sullivan

Young snooker ace Joel Walker got the break of his lifetime when he won the search for the new ‘Rocket’ Ronnie O’Sullivan.

Joel, 16, from Charnock, Sheffield, yesterday (Fri) beat seven other finalists and pocketed £5,000 when O’Sullivan picked him as the most promising player in the nationwide ‘Future Stars’ competition.

Joel, who collected his winner’s cheque from O’Sullivan at The Crucible, said: ‘I am delighted to win. Ronnie is my snooker idol. For him to pick me out as the best means a lot to me.

‘I’m dedicated to snooker and want to try and be as good as Ronnie one day. My mum and dad have always supported my snooker ambition. But the sponsor’s cheque will be a big help.’

Joel’s mum Mandy, who watched her lad lift the ‘Future Stars’ trophy, said: ‘This means everything to the whole family. Joel is determined to make a career in snooker. Thanks to Ronnie and Rileys, he is off to a great start.’

The ‘Future Stars’ competition, sponsored by Rileys, the UK’s largest pool and snooker operator with 120 clubs nationwide, was the brainchild of O’Sullivan, who wants to see young players in this country get every chance to make their way in the game.

Nearly 1,000 under-16 players from across the country went to Rileys clubs to enter ‘Future Stars’ and take on a series of cue and ball-control tests of skill set by O’Sullivan.

They were whittled down to the eight who performed in front of the former World Champion at The Crucible.

O’Sullivan, who is Rileys Snooker Ambassador, said: ‘The standard of play was fantastic. Joel just had the edge in a really close competition. I will be training and mentoring him as the year goes along. He is a real talent.

‘I’d been wanting to put something back into the game for a while. I spoke about it to Rileys, and along came Future Stars.

‘It is important for snooker to look after the young talent we have in this country.’

Rileys Chief Executive Maurice Kelly said: ‘Congratulations to Joel. We are delighted with the success of Future Stars. It was a great idea from Ronnie that got the ball rolling!

‘We will certainly be looking to make Future Stars an annual event. Rileys are committed to helping snooker at grass roots.’

WPBSA Announce Cllr Jason Ferguson Co-opted onto the Board

Following a meeting today of the Board of the WPBSA, World Snooker has announced that former WPBSA Chairman, Jason Ferguson has been co-opted onto the Board. Jason will officially join the Board as of the 9th May 2010.

Jason Ferguson is currently non-executive Director of the award winning Sherwood Environmental Village Limited including the Chairman of Audit for the company as well as currently holding public office as the Mayor of his home town, Ollerton, Notts.

A former top 32 player, Jason has been a member of the WPBSA for approaching 20 years. He held a position on the WPBSA Board for 4 years including a tenancy as Chairman.

Jason has also held director position on English Amateur Snooker and Billiards Association and the World Confederation of Billiard Sports being instrumental in the World Games held in Japan 2002.

On his appointment Jason Ferguson said: “I am delighted to take up the position at this decisive period for the sport of snooker. Snooker has been very close to my heart all of my life and I am honoured to be able to give something back to the sport.”

On behalf of the WPBSA Board, Barry Hearn, Chairman said: “On behalf of my fellow Board Members I am very pleased to welcome Cllr Jason Ferguson on to the Board of the WPBSA. Jason will be a valuable asset to have on the Board and will bring important input into our decision making process from a players perspective. This is an exciting time for the sport of snooker and Jason’s experience and knowledge of the sport will ensure the members’ interests are appropriately represented. “

U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship Qualifier Winners Vegas Bound

Eight qualifiers were held for the 2010 U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship. Produced by CueSports International (CSI), the main event is scheduled May 17-22, 2010 at the Riviera Hotel & Casino and attracted both men and women players from across the globe vying for the $89,000 purse.

The following eight qualifier winners will be among the 128 player field:

1. Gus Briseno qualified February 7th at a special stop of the Desert Classic Tour in Arizona
2. Manny Chau qualified April 11th at First Break Cage, Sterling, VA
3. Greg Harada Jr. qualified February 20th at Butera’s, Moorpark, CA
4. Frankie Hernandez qualified in a points spot via Tony Robles’ Predator 9-Ball Tour
5. Edwin Montal qualified April 25th at Sharks Billiards, Alberta, Canada
6. Andrew Pettenger qualified April 18th at The Wynkoop, Denver, CO
7. Bill Stock qualified April 4th at Pool Sharks, Las Vegas, NV
8. Marc Vidal qualified April 11th at The Golden Fleece, Kenmore, WA

Some of the more notable names confirmed for the U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship are: Efren Reyes, Earl Strickland, Jasmin Ouschan, Mika Immonen, Ralf Souquet, Kelly Fisher, Ricky Yang, Yu Ram Cha, Dennis Hatch, Pin-Yi Ko, Darren Appleton and Karl Boyes just to name a few of the illustrious participants in the event. Players will be arriving from 18 countries: Australia, Austria, Canada, England, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United States.

This is an event not to be missed. For spectator ticket information and pricing contact Mark Estes at CSI (702) 719-7665 or email him at marke@playcsipool.com

For those who cannot attend in person, OB Cues and The Delta-13 Rack will be sponsoring the Action Report (TAR) live stream of the U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship for the duration of the 6 day event. Visit www.theactionreport.com for more information about the live stream.

The U.S. Open 10-Ball Championship is sponsored by: Diamond Billiard Products, Aramith, Simonis, OB Cues, Delta-13, Billiards Digest, TAR, and BreakRAK.

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

WORLD SNOOKER INCREASES COMMITMENT TO SHEFFIELD

Sheffield’s status as the home of snooker has been given a boost with the announcement by World Snooker today (Friday) that all qualifying events, including those for the World Championship and stages of a new professional competition are to be hosted by the city in addition to extending the agreement for the World Professional Snooker Championship.

Eleven new events will take place in Sheffield at the World Snooker Academy in the city during the 2010/2011 season. Qualifying events for ranking tournaments and four of the new Players Tour Championships will be staged. The Players Tour Championship is an exciting addition to the sport where professional players and amateur qualifiers will compete in 12 tournaments across Europe for their chance to play in a 24 strong televised event to be held in March 2011.

The news comes after Sheffield City Council and World Snooker finalised the formal agreement to host the World Professional Snooker Championship for 2011 to 2015 inclusive. Earlier this week Sheffield City Council’s Cabinet formally approved the proposals for the city to host the blue ribbon championship. The event has been secured by Sheffield through a partnership of the City Council, Creative Sheffield and Welcome to Yorkshire, the new tourism agency for the Yorkshire region.

Barry Hearn, Chairman of World Snooker, said Sheffield’s reputation as ‘Snooker City’ has now been given a new momentum.

“I am very pleased that The Betfred.com World Snooker Championship will continue to be held in Sheffield for a further five years. The Crucible holds a lot of memories for me personally, but also for millions of fans around the World.

“Sheffield and Welcome to Yorkshire have shown tremendous commitment to World Snooker and we are very pleased to develop our relationship further. Hosting our Qualifying tournaments and PTC events at the Academy ensures the top professional players get increased access to the world-class facilities which we have provided for them.”

Sheffield City Council Chief Executive John Mothersole underlined the importance of snooker to the city and the development of the relationship with World Snooker.
He said: "The World Snooker Championship represents, by a sizeable margin, the highest profile and most prestigious annual sporting event hosted by the city. As well as the massive economic impact, and the boost in local pride in the city hosting the event every year, people visiting the city to see the snooker have a positive opinion of Sheffield. This is why both Sheffield City Council and Creative Sheffield have worked so hard to retain the Championship through to 2015.

“An additional benefit is the opportunity to showcase the newly opened Crucible Theatre, which has undergone a £15 million transformation and is now a world-class venue for a world-class event.

“We are also delighted to see that the city’s very positive relationship with World Snooker is developing further, and that we will be hosting both the professional qualifiers and stages of the Players Tour Championship here in Sheffield in the future.”

Shaun Murphy, 2005 World Champion was equally enthusiastic about the announcement, “It is great news for snooker, for our sport and for Sheffield. There is a great history here and there have been some memorable moments. Having lived in Sheffield I know it’s a great city.
“This sends out a message to all concerned, it’s a very positive for the sport.”

Dan Bates from Sheffield Theatres underlined the significance of the announcement, “It is fantastic that Sheffield will still be hosting such a prestigious, world class and internationally recognised event. We have a strong part to play - not only in terms of tradition but the Crucible has consistently met the needs of the players, press and public for over 30 years. I am delighted that the refurbishment has lived up to its promise, and we look forward to many more World Snooker championships to come.”

Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire added: “We are delighted that the World Snooker Championships will continue to be held in Sheffield for another five years; snooker and Sheffield are synonymous with one another. The extra competitions are also fantastic news for Sheffield and must surely secure its place as the world’s number one Snooker City. Yorkshire is proud to host world class major events and as a world class destination we look forward to welcoming snooker fans from around the world to enjoy everything we have to offer.”

Ronnie and Co heading for Berlin

Given the immense interest of snooker in Germany Ronnie O’Sullivan, John Higgins, Stephen Hendry and the rest of the World Snooker stars are coming to Berlin in February 2011. For the first time in 14 years Germany will host a World Snooker Professional Ranking event ”The German Masters, one of the seven ranking events on the World Snooker tour.

The top 16 of the World Rankings plus 16 qualifiers from the professional tour will play in the 2500 seater Berlin Tempodrom on 2nd-6th February. Eight more places are available for German amateur players who qualify for the tournament. The prize fund for the event will be 300,000 Euros.

The new agreement was announced by World Snooker and Dragonstar.de on Thursday 29th April 2010 at the Betfred.com World Snooker Championship. The sports blue ribbon event is currently taking place in Sheffield, UK and millions of Germans are following live coverage on Eurosport.

Barry Hearn, chairman of World Snooker, said: “We know that there is a huge interest for snooker in Germany. We can see this from our viewing figures on Eurosport, the number of German registered users on Worldsnooker.com and the German fans who come over to the UK to watch our events. It is time to give something back to our German fans. I am sure the event will be a great success!”

Predator Pros Dominate 2010 World Competitions

JACKSONVILLE, Florida. (April 27, 2010) – Predator Cues congratulates its professional billiards players who have been at the “top of their games” so far in 2010.

Predator’s Yu Ram Cha of Korea kicked off the winning streak in Taiwan with an undefeated run to win the 2010 Amway WPA Women’s World 9-Ball Open on March 7.

Then, for the first time, all competing Predator players won Gold medals at the European Championship held in Zagreb, Croatia from March 18-27, 2010. As well, Predator’s Jasmin Ouschan made history by winning Gold medals in all four women’s disciplines – 8-ball, 9-ball, 10-ball and straight pool; never before has a female player won more than two Gold medals at the European Championships.

Predator Gold medal winners at the 2010 European Pool Championships include:

Men’s 8-ball – Konstantin Stepanov* (Russia)
Men’s 9-ball – Ralf Souquet (Germany)
Men’s 10-ball – Ralf Souquet (Germany)

Women’s 8-ball – Jasmin Ouschan (Austria)
Women’s 9-ball – Jasmin Ouschan (Austria)
Women’s 10-ball – Jasmin Ouschan (Austria)
Women’s Straight Pool – Jasmin Ouschan (Austria)

Wheelchair 8-ball – Kurt Deklerck (Belgium)

Straight Pool – David Alcaide (Spain)

Most recently, Predator Pro Karl Boyes became the World 8-Ball Champion after beating Predator’s Niels Feijen in a 13-12 win at the 2010 WPA World 8-Ball Championship held in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates on April 10.

“Predator Cues is proud to be aligned with such a wealth of talent in the billiard industry,” said Karim Belhaj, president and CEO of Predator Group. “We congratulate all of the Predator professional players on their accomplishments so far this year and look forward to celebrating many more wins in the months to come.”

About Predator Cues
Predator Cues, an international billiards industry leader, produces high-performance pool cues by developing revolutionary technology that enhances performance for billiards players worldwide. More than half of the world’s top touring professionals trust their games to PredatorÒ … the choice of champions. Headquartered in Jacksonville, nothing., USA, Predator Cues is a division of Predator Group whose core brands also include Poison Billiards and Uni-Loc®. For more information regarding Predator Group’s products, visit www.predatorgroup.com. For information on Predator Cues visit www.predatorcues.com, or look for Predator Cues on Facebook and Twitter.

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* Professionals may be co-sponsored by other companies and use Predator technology as an extra advantage.