WPA World Nine-ball Championship
Encyclopedia
The WPA World Nine-ball Championship is an annual, international, professional nine-ball pool (pocket billiards) tournament, founded in 1990, sanctioned by the World Pool-Billiard Association
(WPA), and principally sponsored and organised by Matchroom Sport
(who provide the event's official website, under the less specific name World Pool Championship). It is divided into Men's, Women's and Wheelchair Divisions, and is presently held in Doha
, Qatar
.
. The event was organised solely by the WPA from this inauguration through 1999. In July 1999, Matchroom Sport attempted to get involved with the organisation of the event, but their bid failed. The WPA event was played in Alicante
, Spain
, and won by Nick Varner
of the United States. Broadcast on ESPN
, it was the first pro nine-ball championship to be televised. Matchroom, meanwhile, instead organised what it called the World Professional Pool Championship, a competing and non-WPA-sanctioned event in Cardiff
, Wales
, which was won by Efren Reyes
of the Philippines
. The WPA was impressed by the professionalism of Matchroom's event organising and promotion, and the two parties agreed that, starting in 2000, the Matchroom and WPA tournaments would merge into a single official world championship, organised by Matchroom. The WPA also agreed to recognise the results of the 1999 Matchroon event, meaning that official listings show both Varner and Reyes as 1999 world champions. Matchroom changed its promotional name for the event to the "World Pool Championship", dropping the word "professional" from the title.
The event remained in Cardiff through 2003. In 2001, the number of competitors in the Men's Division was increased to 128 and a Men's Division first prize raised to US$
65,000.
The 2004 and 2005 events were held in Taiwan
, with a Men's Division first prize of $75,000 as of 2004. The 2005 tournament saw two rules changes: Last-64 and last-32 matches were extended to format, and the on the tables were narrowed, to make the game more difficult.
In 2006, the Philippines became the host country for two years. All matches became alternating- all the way from the group stages to the finals. Men's Division first prize escalated to $100,000. In 2007, the event ran from 3–11 November, and Daryl Peach
of the England
was the victor. Because of the global late-2000s recession the championship did not reappear on the calendar in 2008; for some time neither Matchroom nor the WPA released any predictions regarding its reinstatement, and no 2008 event was held, either.
After this two-year hiatus, the tournament returned as the 2010 WPA World Nine-ball Championship
, 18 July, in Qatar, and is expected to recur in Doha until further notice. Francisco Bustamante
of the Philippines won the 2010 title.
World Pool-Billiard Association
The World Pool-Billiard Association is the international governing body for pocket billiards . The group was formed in 1987, and was initially headed by a provisional board of directors consisting of representatives from Japan, the United States, Sweden, and Germany...
(WPA), and principally sponsored and organised by Matchroom Sport
Matchroom Sport
Matchroom Sport is a sport event promotions company founded by the English entrepreneur Barry Hearn. It first came to attention in the sports of snooker and boxing and is also involved in pool, bowling, golf , fishing, darts and poker...
(who provide the event's official website, under the less specific name World Pool Championship). It is divided into Men's, Women's and Wheelchair Divisions, and is presently held in Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
, Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
.
History
The first World Nine-ball Championship was held in 19901990 in sports
1990 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Pirmin Zurbriggen, Switzerland-American football:...
. The event was organised solely by the WPA from this inauguration through 1999. In July 1999, Matchroom Sport attempted to get involved with the organisation of the event, but their bid failed. The WPA event was played in Alicante
Alicante
Alicante or Alacant is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Alicante and of the comarca of Alacantí, in the south of the Valencian Community. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 334,418, estimated , ranking as the second-largest...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and won by Nick Varner
Nick Varner
Nick Varner is an American pool player and was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America in 1992.-Career:...
of the United States. Broadcast on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, it was the first pro nine-ball championship to be televised. Matchroom, meanwhile, instead organised what it called the World Professional Pool Championship, a competing and non-WPA-sanctioned event in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, which was won by Efren Reyes
Efren Reyes
Efren Manalang Reyes is a Filipino professional pool player and a two-time world champion. Reyes is considered by many to be the greatest all-around pool player in the history of the game. He is affectionately nicknamed "Bata" and "the Magician".-Early life:Reyes was born in Pampanga in 1954...
of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. The WPA was impressed by the professionalism of Matchroom's event organising and promotion, and the two parties agreed that, starting in 2000, the Matchroom and WPA tournaments would merge into a single official world championship, organised by Matchroom. The WPA also agreed to recognise the results of the 1999 Matchroon event, meaning that official listings show both Varner and Reyes as 1999 world champions. Matchroom changed its promotional name for the event to the "World Pool Championship", dropping the word "professional" from the title.
The event remained in Cardiff through 2003. In 2001, the number of competitors in the Men's Division was increased to 128 and a Men's Division first prize raised to US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
65,000.
The 2004 and 2005 events were held in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, with a Men's Division first prize of $75,000 as of 2004. The 2005 tournament saw two rules changes: Last-64 and last-32 matches were extended to format, and the on the tables were narrowed, to make the game more difficult.
In 2006, the Philippines became the host country for two years. All matches became alternating- all the way from the group stages to the finals. Men's Division first prize escalated to $100,000. In 2007, the event ran from 3–11 November, and Daryl Peach
Daryl Peach
Daryl Peach is an English professional pocket billiards player. Nicknamed "Razzledazzle" and "the Dazzler," he defeated the Philippines' Roberto Gomez in 2007 to become the first English male to win the WPA World Nine-ball Championship...
of the England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
was the victor. Because of the global late-2000s recession the championship did not reappear on the calendar in 2008; for some time neither Matchroom nor the WPA released any predictions regarding its reinstatement, and no 2008 event was held, either.
After this two-year hiatus, the tournament returned as the 2010 WPA World Nine-ball Championship
2010 WPA World Nine-ball Championship
The 2010 WPA World Nine-ball Championship was the professional nine-ball pocket billiards championship, sanctioned by the World Pool-Billiard Association and organised by Matchroom Sport. It was held from 29 June through 5 July in Doha, Qatar, hosted by the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation...
, 18 July, in Qatar, and is expected to recur in Doha until further notice. Francisco Bustamante
Francisco Bustamante
Francisco Bustamante is a Filipino professional pocket billiards player from Tarlac, and the 2010 World Nine-ball Champion., nicknamed "Django", after the lead character of the film of the same name, and sometimes also called "Bustie", especially in the United States.-Early life:Bustamante is the...
of the Philippines won the 2010 title.