The 8th annual 2010 All Ireland Open 9-Ball Pool Championships and the annual All Ireland Under-21 9-Ball Pool Championships organised and promoted by Ireland’s American 8 & 9 Ball Pool Tour will be staged in the Rep of Ireland for the first time in the 8^th year history of this popular tournament which has seen some great champions on its roll of honours list over the years with all winners of this prestigious event also inducted into Ireland’s 9-Ball Hall Of Fame………

These two prestigious All Ireland 9-Ball championships will take place on Saturday 31^st August 2010 at the beautiful and superb playing venue in Cork City situated at Planet Leisure situated at Fitz’s Boreen, Old Mallow Road, Blackpool, Cork City………..

This fantastic venue consists of 12 World Championship Brunswick American Pool Tables with a fully Licensed Bar in the finest surroundings……..

PAST CHAMPIONS:—–(Open Event)
2003: Kevin Smith (England)
2004: John Wims (Kildare)
2005: Pat Holtz (Scotland)
2006: Sam Gibson (Antrim)
2007: Paddy Mc Loughlin (Down)
2008: Declan Hughes (Armagh)
2009: Jason Power (Waterford)

PAST CHAMPIONS :——(Under-21)
2004: Paddy Mc Crory (Down)
2005: Peter Doherty (Derry)
2006: Mark Mc Donald (Antrim)
2007: Tony Burton (England)
2008: Mark Mc Donald (Antrim)
2009: Tony Burton (England)

TOURNAMENT ENTRY:—– everyone is reminded that all entries must be pre-entered on or before Wednesday 28^th July as know entries will be accepted on the day of the tournament with the open event starting at 10am while the under-21 event will start at 12noon……..

ENTRIES / INFORMATION:—– for all information regarding both events and what way to go about entering both tournaments contact 07917887147 or from Rep of Ireland (0044) 7917887147 or by emailing irelandsamericancuesports@yahoo.co.uk or visit the following website www.rballsports.com

Details of both events is as follows:

Name of Tournament: All Ireland Open 9-Ball Championship

Date: Saturday 31^st July 2010

Venue: Planet Leisure, Fitz’s Boreen, Old Mallow Road, Blackpool, Cork

Closing Date: All players must pre-enter by Wednesday 28^th July —– no entries on the day

Number of Tables: 12 World Championship Brunswick American Pool Tables

Current Champion: Jason Power (Waterford) 2009 champion

Format: Straight knockout —– Race to 9 —– Handicap Event

Entry Fee: £25 or 30 euros

Tel: 07917887147 or from Rep of Ireland (0044) 7917887147

Email: irelandsamericancuesports@yahoo.co.uk

Website: www.rballsports.com

Name of Tournament: All Ireland Under-21 9-Ball Pool Championships

Date: Saturday 31^st July 2010

Venue: Planet Leisure, Fitz’s Boreen, Old Mallow Road, Blackpool, Cork City

Closing Date: players has up to 11am the day of the tournament to enter

Number of Tables: 12 World Championship Brunswick American Pool Tables

Current Champion: Tony Burton (England) 2009 champion

Format: Straight knockout —– Race to 7

Entry Fee: £15 or 20 euros

Tel: 07917887147 or from Rep of Ireland (0044) 7917887147

Email: irelandsamericancuesports@yahoo.co.uk

Website: www.rballsports.com

PLANET LEISURE:
This fabulous venue in Cork is a €20 Million facility and is the flagship of the group which is the latest addition to the Leisure World and Peak Physique family of centres.

The Planet Entertainment opened in November 2005 and includes 14 lanes of Ten Pin Bowling with its spider glow in the dark lanes.

It also has Cosmo’s, a 10000 square foot indoor play centre.

There is a fully licensed bar encompassing 12 World Championship Brunswick American Pool Tables in the finest surroundings.

It also includes The Apollo diner and Galaxy Games.

Planet Health Club opened its doors in December 2005 and is one of Cork’s most exclusive health clubs.

It offers its members the complete package from the finest gym facilities to heated pool, outdoor hot tub, sauna and steam and beauty treatments.

PLAYERS:
These tournaments are open events to any player………if it happens that any player or players don’t agree with the rules which is set in place by Ireland’s American 8 & 9 Ball Pool Tour, the organizers has the right to refuse any entry if need be……

NOTE:——–Ireland’s American 8 & 9 Ball Pool Tour hasn’t been organizing any events in 2010 due a busy schedule on other sports and the lack of playing venues in Ireland, which has seen a lot of  players returning back to play other cue-sport games, but Ireland’s American 8 & 9 Ball Tour are still searching to find new playing venues for its tour, and will still be trying  to help promote all American Cue-Sport games throughout the 32 Counties..………

Ireland’s American 8 & 9 Ball Tour has been organizing events throughout Ireland since 2003 and the organizers believes the only way forward is to start promoting the game in all counties throughout Ireland which is hard at the present time because a lot of counties doesn’t even have one American table in venues but Ireland’s American 8 & 9 Ball Tour are still willing to keep trying…..

On the other hand there are probably venues out there with American tables that the tour doesn’t know about so if players could let the organizers know of any venues the tour will make contact with the venue owners even if its only one table…….

TOURNAMENTS:

The tour has secured a new playing venue in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal and will be holding a new 9-ball tournament there shortly………

A new invitation £1,000 champion of champions is being planned.

A new invitation 2,000 euros players league is also being planned which will be played over a weekend of  Saturday & Sunday.

Sam Gibson, the 2006 All-Ireland 9-Ball Champion, is starting a new 9-Ball tour. The first event is due to take place in Frames, Belfast on Sunday 28th March.

Entry Fee: £25.

Tour registration is £25, and goes towards the posters, tour cards, trophies and administration costs.

The game is 9-ball, and there will be no dress code for first event, but after that there will be a dress code to help attract sponsors.

Players should to be at the venue by 11am, with play starting at Noon.

Anyone who is interested in playing in the first event should call Sam on 07597640625 (ROI: 0044 7597640625) or sign up on the relevant thread on the Irish 9 Ball forum.

Prize money:

All entry fee money will be paid out. 25% of the field will get paid.

Example (32 player field):
1st £250
2nd £150
3rd £100
4th £100
5th – 8th £50

The number 1 player at end of year will also win a cue.

The tour dates for the rest of the year are:
2nd May
6th June
4th July
1st Aug
5th Sept
3rd Oct
7th Nov
5th Dec

Any interested sponsors, please contact Sam on 07597640625 (ROI: 0044 7597640625). Sponsors names will be put on posters and in newspapers. Sponsorship of £50 will get the sponsor’s business card on the tour poster. The larger the sponsorship the bigger the logo with be.

There will also be tour shirts for sale in future, with some of the money being added to the events.

The World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) is pleased to announce that the World 9-Ball Championship will be conducted in Doha, Qatar from June 25 until July 5, 2010. Qualifiers for this event will be held in Doha from June 25 until June 27 and the main event will be conducted from June 28 until a champion is crowned on July 5.

The prize fund for this initial appearance and in 2011 in Qatar is $250,000 and will increase to $300,000 for both 2012 and 2013. Invitations will be done according to WPA rankings, and via the WPA members. Invitations will be done according to WPA rankings, and via the WPA members and should commence during the spring of 2010.

In another year which sees no 9-ball world championship for the men, the women continue their successful world championships in China, with a new 16year old superstar taking gold, and Ireland winning silver!

Teenager Liu Shasha of China defeated Ireland’s Karen Corr 9-5 to claim the title and set her career in motion in grand style. When the last day of the Kappa 2009 Women’s World 9-Ball Championship in Shengyang, China began there were four undefeated players all seeking the same prize. The two semi-final matches could not have been closer. First, Karen Corr defeated Fu Xiofang of China 9-8 to earn her berth in the final set. Then Liu Shasha edged her fellow Chinese citizen Pan Xiaotang by the same 9-8 margin to get her ticket punched for the honor of playing Corr in the finals.

Before the final match a playoff was held between Pan Xiaotang and Xiaofang to determine our third place finisher. Pan controlled this match throughout and took that spot with a very convincing 9-1 victory. Then a crowd of over 1,000 very excited fans took their seats to watch the final battle.

It appeared that Corr would walk away with the title. She was the master of the table early on and rarely gave Shasha a glimpse of daylight. At one point she led our race to nine games by the score of 5-1. Shasha was obviously nervous and off her game. But then, assuming that she had to be aggressive to have a chance at victory, she put her nerves down and began her march. She won the next game to make the score 5-2, then broke and ran five racks in a row to lead 7-5. The penultimate rack had a bit of back and forth but Shasha won that as well and then on the final break she made four balls on the snap and easily made the clearance to take her 6th break and run of the match and earn the gold!

All players are asked to get in contact with the tour organisers by this Thursday 19th November if travelling to Galway on Saturday 21st November for the 2009 Connaught Open 9-Ball Championship (Open Handicap Event)……

This event has been advertised all year on the 2009 tournament diary along with all other events at the top of the main page on the following website www.rballsports.com.

Entry fee is £25 with all entries accepted and information received by calling 07917887147 or from the Rep of Ireland (0044) 7917887147.

NOTE:
Only players that pre-enters on or before Thursday 19th November will be notified of all details regarding this event.

It’ll be a happy Halloween for some at the 4th Event of Irelands 9-Ball Pro and Challenge Tours. The two tournaments take place in Frames, Little Donegal Street, Belfast at 10am, Saturday 31st October.

Format:
9-Ball
Single Elimination (Straight Knockout)
Race to 9
Alternate Breaks
Handicap

Entries:
Entry Fee: £25 or 30 euros.
Any player not signed up for the Pro Tour can play in the Challenge Tour. All players must pre-enter on or before 29th October by calling Tour Director Ronnie Boyle on 07917887147 or from Rep of Ireland (0044) 7917887147 or by emailing irelandsamericancuesports@yahoo.co.uk.