RP to host World 10-ball tourney

The World Pool-Billiard Association, the international governing body for pool sports, has awarded the Philippines the rights to host the WPA World Ten Ball Pool Championship starting in September-October this year, and for the next four years thereafter.

WPA president Ian Anderson said that the inaugural World Ten Ball Championship will be staged from Sept. 29 to Oct. 5 in Manila. Among the likely venues is the Philippine International Convention Center.

He cited the Philippines' successful hosting of the 2006 and 2007 World Pool Championship as one of the key reasons for the country's winning of the much-coveted Ten Ball event. Raya Sports, with the assistance of the Billiards & Snooker Congress of the Philippines, secured the rights to host the WPC for two years running and organized private and public sector support for the prestigious international tournament.

Under the terms of the agreement, the Philippines will have the rights to organize the WTBC for an initial term of five years, and will have the right to extend it for a further three years.

“This gives our country the opportunity to brand this major pool championship as our own,” said Makabenta. “As a vehicle for national promotions and sports development, the possibilities and opportunities are limitless.”

Ten Ball is now the game of choice of most professional pool players, especially in the United States and the Philippines. They prefer it because of its greater complexity, difficult patterns and demand for power-breaking.

WPA has set a minimum of 128 players to play the main draw of the WTBC. But over 200 players from over 50 countries are expected to come to Manila for the event, as they vie for sports in the tournament proper.

This year's championship will offer $400,000 in prize money, with $100,000 going to the champion. Cash prizes will be given up to 64th place in the tournament. In subsequent editions of the tournament, the prize fund is projected to increase to $500,000.