Cue Sport Group

Archive for the ‘Tournaments’ Category

After competing for the series of billiard championships last year, all the cue players have not bring to an end their passion for the craft and even prepare for the upcoming pool competitions ahead of time, it’s just at the top of their list. And now what awaits them has been set forth. The World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) is pleased to announce that the next World 9-Ball Championship will happen in Doha, Qatar starting June 25 until July 5, 2010. Invitations will be done according to WPA rankings and via the WPA members and should commence during the spring of 2010. Expect in the entourage the names of the top professional players like Efren Bata Reyes, Ralf Souquet, Mika Immonen, Django Bustamante, and the rest of the high profiled pool players. Qualifiers for this contest will compete from the 25^th to 27^th of June in Doha. All successful cue players will battle from June 28 for eliminations all the way to July 05 for the championship.  The prize fund for this initial appearance and in 2011 in Qatar is $250,000 and will increase to $300,000 for both 2012 and 2013.

Meet Ronato Alcano, recently nicknamed “The Volcano”, a native of Calamba, Laguna, who won the 2006 WPA Men’s World Nine-ball Championship at age 34. He defeated Ralf Souquet of Germany. He is also the 3rd Filipino to win the championship – Efren Reyes in 1999 and Alex Pagulayan in 2004. In 2007, Alcano bagged the WPA World Eight-ball Championship by defeating his compatriot Dennis Orcollo in the final match 11-8. Also on the 11^th of December 2007 Ronato Alcano won the Philippines’ 31st gold medal in the 24th Southeast Asian Games Men’s 8-Ball Pool Singles at the Sima Thani Hotel Grand Ballroom. These are just few of his achievements in the billiard sports. Who would have thought, that the poor guy from Laguna, and just an elementary graduate will be given so much recognition for his contribution as a champion pool icon. Alcano is now in the peek of his career and still continues to exhibit his mastery of the sports.

For the 2010 “St. Louie” Louie Roberts Action and Entertainment Award at the Derby City Classic, a woman stood among the others. This is in the person of the Black Widow or Jeanette Lee as she got landslide votes from the DCC attendees and members of various internet forums. Lee got ahead of famous pool players like Harry Platis and Richie Richardson. The award entitled Lee to have lifetime free access to tournaments as well as DCC hotel accommodations.

The Black Widow, now on the Louie Roberts Action and Entertainment banner at the Derby City Classic tournament room, took the limelight every time she was in the action room. With elegant and graceful acts, Lee entertained spectators with her championship-caliber plays which were highly spectacular for this year.

If you are an avid fan or just a spectator of the recent happening in the world of billiards or pool, here is your chance to meet the game masters up close and in action. On March 18 – 21, catch the 2010 Masters Artistic Pool Championship at Valley Forge Convention Center in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

Witness the amazing shots of the top players in trick shot tournaments as they reveal once again their respective skills on the table. As guided by The Artistic Pool and Trick Shot Association, this event is a must-see for those interested in learning the trick shots or even those that find this kind of competition highly entertaining.

Things will heat up in January 30 to February 7 when Germany plays host to the 2010 World Pool Championship. Sanctioned by the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA), over 50 nations will vie for the much coveted world title which comes with $400,000 purse money and Harley Davidson Lottery.

More than 250 pool pros considered the best from each nation will converge and compete during the tournament in Hanover. Many have already signified their intention to join and participate and these include Ralf Souquet (GER – World Games winner), Mika Immonen (FIN – World-10-Ball Champion) and the complete winning team of the MOSCONI CUP (USA – Johnny Archer, Shane Van Boening, Corey Deuel, Oscar Dominquez).

Teams of four to six players will compete in 8-Ball, 9-Ball and 10-Ball matches to around 4,000 spectators in Exhibition Hall13 with 32 pool-billiard tables set up for said event. TVN Group will cover and broadcast the championship competition over the radio, television and internet. Simultaneously, the biggest Harley Davidson Oldtimer Collection “Myth Harley Davidson” will have an exhibit of 40 world machines showing latest trends and innovations in the world of pool and billiards, making this 9 day event an affair to remember.

Finally, a Filipina brings home the bacon in the 2009 JBETpoker.net Women’s World 10-Ball Championship. Competing in a 5 day play with 48 women pool players from around the world, Rubilen Bingkay Amit emerged triumphant. Being a dark horse and a non-favorite at the start of the competition, her victory is a total surprise and delight to Filipino and world pool enthusiasts.

Pitted against veteran and experienced pool players, Bingkay’s first semi-finals was with Japan’s Akimi Kajitani, one of Asia’s stable top players in women’s world pool and has placed 3^rd in two world championships. It was a tough game for Bingkay but she won over Kajitani 9-6 in order to make it to second world pool Championship finals.

It is sweet victory for the Philippines to have the soft-spoken and petite Rubilen Bingkay Amit competing against Taiwan’s Shin Mei Liu, two time world champion with Amit still looking for her 1^st win. Despite Liu’s taking first blood, Amit fought back and dominated the game to win 10-4 to become the First Women’s World Pool 10-Ball Champion. This proves that in the world of pool and billiards, the Philippines is a force to be reckoned with having Reyes, Bustamante, Pagulayan and Amit.

Make way for the 1^st Women’s World 10-Pool Champion and 1^st Filipina World Champion – Rubilen Bingkay Amit!