2008 WPA World Ten Ball Championship
A TOTAL of 106 players have booked spots for themselves in the main draw
of the 2008 WPA World Ten Ball Championship which opens on September 29 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila. The players hail from 40 countries. Of the batch, four are women. Europe leads the field with 45 representatives, followed by Asia with 35, and America (North and South) with 17. The European contingent is bannered by the three reigning world champions (men’s division) in three pool disciplines: 8-ball titlist Ralf Souquet of Germany, 9-ball champion Daryl Peach of Great Britain, and straight pool champion Neils Feijen of the Netherlands. The other reigning world champion in the list is 23-year-old Lin Yuan-Chun of Chinese Taipei, winner of the women’s World 9-Ball Championship in Taipei last March. Possession of a world title, however, is no guarantee or even an advantage in the WTBC. Ten Ball is a new pool discipline with its own challenges and tests for players. Under the new rules set by the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA), it is a call-shot game. Luck as a factor is reduced to a minimum. The challengers from America and Asia will be formidable. Looming large as contenders are Shane Van Boening, No. 1 player in the United States, and Wu Chia-Ching of Chinese Taipei, a double world champion, and winner of the Puerto Princesa Cup of the Philippine Pool Tour. Host Philippines has ace bets in Marlon Manalo, the newly crowned 2008 Philippine National Champion, and Antonio Gabica, the reigning Asian Games and Philippine Open champion. The other top bets from the US are Corey Deuel, Johnny Archer, Jeremy Jones, Tony Chohan and Stevie Moore. In addition to Ms. Lin and Wu, Chinese Taipei is fielding Wang Hung-Hsiang, Yang Ching-Shun, Guinness 9-Ball champion Chang Jung-Lin, and reigning world junior titlist Ko Pin Yi. China, an emerging pool power in its own right, will be represented by Wang Ming, Dang Jinhu, Zhang Shuchun, Liu Haitao and women’s champion Li Jia. Three other Filipinos have earned berths in the WTBC. They are Jeffrey de Luna, Elmer Kalaquian and Elvis Calasang, who got in through their finish Sunday in the 3rd Philippine National Championship of the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines. Other notable Asian campaigners are Raj Hundal of India, Satoshi Kawabata of Japan, Ibrahim Bin Amir of Malaysia, and Ricky Yang of Indonesia. Among the participating countries, the US is sending the biggest delegation with 13 players. Eleven are already in the list, while two more will be named from US qualifiers concluded over the weekend. Europe’s No.1 woman player Jasmin Ouschan is also included in the list. Other notable European players are: Tony Drago of Malta, winner of the Predator International Ten Ball Championship last May; Marcus Chamat of Sweden, Konstantin Stepanov of Russia, and Mika Immonen of Finland. The list of qualified players for the main draw of the WTBC follows: Australia Denmark Louis Condo Martin Larsen David Reljic James Delahanty Finland John Wims Mika Immonen Austria France Martin Kempter Stephen Cohen Jasmin Ouschan Vincent Facquet Albin Ouschan Germany Thomas Engert Brunei Ralf Souquet Tee Chee Soon Oliver Ortmann Ak Md Saiful Azri Bin Pg Roslee Christian Reimering Sascha Tege Canada Christian Weigoni Ronnie Wiseman Daniel Merbitz Edwin Montal Great Britain China Mark Gray Wang Ming Imran Majid Dang Jinhu Darren Appleton Zhang Shuchun Daryl Peach Liu Haitao Jonni Fulcher Li Jia Karl Boyes Chile Guatemala Alejandro Carvajal Byron Elias Chinese Taipei Hong Kong Wu Chia-Ching Lee Chen Man Lin Yuan-Chun Hon Hao - Xiang Liu-Shin Mei Sit Shun Ching Wang Hung-Hsiang Au Siu Wai Yang Ching-Shun Chang Jung-Lin Hungary Ko Pin-Yi Vilmos Foldes Croatia India Ivica Putnik Raj Hundal Dharminder Singh Lilly Czech Republic Roman Hybler Qatar Fahad Mohammadi Indonesia Basqar Hussain Ricky Yang Mohd Al Bin Ali Alwi Russia Italy Konstantin Stepanov Fabio Petroni Ruslan Chinahov Patrick Menillo Bruno Muratore Serbia Montenegro Zoran Zvillar Sandor Tot Iran Farhad Shaverdi Spain David Alcaide Japan Carlos Cabello Satoshi Kawabata Naoyuki Oi Singapore Hayato Hijikata Tan Tiong Boon Korea Switzerland Ryu Seung-Woo Marcus Tschudi Jeong Young-Hwa Dimitri Jungo King Woong-Dae Sweden Malaysia Marcus Chamat Ibrahim Bin Amir Lee Poh Soon Slovenia Matjaz Erculj Malta Tony Drago Turkey Murat Ayas Mexico Ernesto Dominguez USA Shane Van Boening Netherlands Johnny Archer Niels Feijen Jeremy Jones Nick Van Den Berg Gabe Owen Huidji See Corey Deuel Louis Ulrich Philippines Tony Chohan Antonio Gabica Charlie Williams Jeffrey de Luna Shaun Wilke Marlon Manalo Stevie Moore Elmer Kalaquian Oscar Dominguez Elvis Calasang Uruguay Poland Christian Tuvi Radoslaw Babica Mateusz Sniegocki Tomasz Kaplan |
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