Manila to host World 10-Ball Championship

Mika Immonen

MANILA, Philippines – It will be a busy first half of the year for billiards as Metro Manila plays host to both the Philippine National Open Pool Championships and the World Ten-Ball Championship (WTBC) in succession.

The 2-month-long sportsfest will open on April 16 to 20 for men and women, with Raya Sports as the organizing committee of the cue fest.

This will be followed by the 3rd World Ten-Ball Championship of the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) from May 9 to 15, which is expected to bring to Manila over 200 top players and hundreds of billiards officials and enthusiasts from all over the world.

"It will be the fifth time that Manila will host a major WPA world pool championship," said JP Fenix of the organizing committee of Raya Sports.

The championship will be played in the main hall of the World Trade Center in the Manila Bay Area in Metro Manila. The site is located close to the Mall of Asia and various hotels and attractions in Manila.

The qualifying round will be hosted by world class Star Billiards Center, no. 46 Joy Street in Grace Village, Quezon City.

Mika "The Iceman" Immonen of Finland is the defending World Ten-Ball Champion while Davao ace Lee Vann "The Slayer" Corteza from rising Negros Billiards Stable is the last year's ruler of the Philippine National Open Pool Championships.