Creating the World Pool Tour

By Yen Makabenta,

THE recent success of the World 8-Ball Championship in Fujairah, UAE underscores yet again the dynamic expansion of pool worldwide. In the Middle East, of all places, pool is taking root. The prize fund was enticing, and the event well-run. More than just the high number of players in the main draw, many more went to Fujairah to qualify. The event proved the adage that “if you build it, they will come.”

This – combined with other events in the world pool calendar – has set some minds thinking about the establishment of a World Pool Tour to finally give our sport its due. The tour will gather together major tournaments around the world under a common platform that would enable all promoters and organizations to benefit from greater international sponsorship and fan support.

The way I see it, there are now about five or six major tournaments around the world worthy of being included in the WPT. Among these are the three world championships sanctioned by the World Pool-Billiard Association – for eight ball, nine ball and ten ball. Add to this the venerable US Open 9-Ball Championship under Barry Behrman and the All-Japan Championship, and that’s five immediately.

So it’s just a matter of finding or inventing five other notable events.
Chinese-Taipei, by reason of the high quality of its players, should have an open listed in the Tour. Perhaps its annual invitational Supercup can finally mutate into an open and global tournament.

Europe should be represented by at least one major event, perhaps even two, considering that there are over 30 countries active in the European Pocket Billiards Federation (EPBF). Certainly, England and Germany should be prime sites for Europe’s contribution considering they are home to the reigning world 8-ball and 9-ball champions.

The Doha 9-Ball Open Championship, which debuts this coming June, could evolve into a major. It has the prize fund ($200,000, and $40,000 first-place money) and the TV coverage (Al Jazeera Sports Channel). The only thing to be proven is whether they can attract the fans and the players.

The Philippines can contribute its own Philippine Ten Ball Open, which will be in addition to the annual World Ten Ball Championship. The Open will make its debut in January or February next year. The prize fund will be $150,000, with first place money at least $25,000.

And then there is China. Sooner or later, the giant will awake to the possibilities, and it would be nice if it awakes by next year to contribute a huge pool event.

In my discussions with WPA officials and pool leaders, including WPA president Ian Anderson, we generally agree that there should be certain criteria for an event to be considered a major. Among the proposed criteria:

1. Global Representation and Significance – a WPT event must have worldwide significance in the sense that it is open and participated in by top players from around the world.

2. Substantial prizemoney – a WPT event must meet a threshold in terms of prize fund. The minimum prize fund should be at least $150,000 and first place money should at least be $25,000.

3. TV coverage – a WPT event must be televised not just to a national audience, but to a global one.

The events in the WPT will then become the basis for the annual world pool rankings. To be eligible for ranking, a player must play a required number of events in the tour. As things stand now, the present WPA world rankings, which curiously lists Dennis Orcullo of the Philippines as No. 1, are a little capricious and uneven. Most players don’t play enough of the listed events to contend for No. 1.

The WPA is ideal to lead in the realization of a world pool tour for several good reasons. First, it is the world’s governing body for pool, i.e. it sets the rules, sanctions events, and brings our global pool family together.

Second, it has both the credibility and the clout to deal with the continental federations, billiards manufacturers and promoters.

And third, it can serve as the ideal guardian of the rankings. It will award and tabulate the points, and officially announce the world’s No. 1 player at the end of the year.

From my discussions with Ian, I sensed that the WPA may be ready to lead us to this grail. He says the idea has been kicked around within the organization and various ideas for making it happen have been offered.

To really get things going, I suggest to the WPA the following practical moves:

1. Set 2009 as the target for launching the WPT.

2. Establish 8 to 10 events as the threshold for establishing the tour.

3. Invite suggestions from the federations and associations on what and how they can participate and contribute to the tour.

4. Establish the WPT Tour Card

5. Initiate discussions with possible sponsors to get an idea of what they’re looking for and what pool must provide.

I personally believe that pool has reached the tipping point for reaching the big time. Before the global economic slowdown, I thought it was already a given – just a matter of matching nuts and bolts. With the slowdown and nervousness, it’s going to be much harder work, but attainable nonetheless. The global economy seems to be on the mend and should by all odds be back in business by 2009. So next year could be just about right for the global bow of the World Pool Tour.

How about it, ladies and gentlemen of the WPA?

All copyrights are owned by Yen Makabenta. No duplication is allowed without his permission.