This October sees the 20th annual ClubWPT.comWorld Pool Masters taking place for the first time in Poland in what will be the tenth different venue in the tournament’s storied history.
Working in partnership with the regional billiard organisation, Swietokrzyskie Stowarzyszenie Bilardowe as well as the local town, Matchroom Sport will be bring 16 of the world’s top players to the southern city of Kielce for the three day tournament which takes place from Friday 5th to Sunday 7th October.
Taking place in the Hala Legionow, the event will see defending champion Ralf Souquet back to try for his seventh Masters title but the likes of World No.1 Darren Appleton, 2009 champion Alex Pagulayan, ’12 World 9 Ball runner up, Li Hewen, Dennis Orcollo and a quartet of Polish sharpshooters including PartyPoker.net World Cup finalists Karol Skowerski and Wojciech Szewcyk will all be looking to stop him.
Sporting a $20,000 top prize, the event will be produced by Matchroom Sport Television who will be producing 15 x 1 hour programmes of the event for international syndication.
Commented Matchroom Sport Chairman Barry Hearn, “Having staged our World Pool League tournament from 1998 to 2006 in Warsaw, we are delighted to be returning to Poland with the Masters.
“The standard of pool in Poland has increased dramatically in the intervening years and I’m sure that come October one of the four Polish players in the field will have every chance of lifting the Masters crown.
“We’re very excited to be bringing this event to the people of Kielce and I know all the players are thrilled to be coming to Poland.”
The Masters is being made possible by the support of the City of Kielce. Deputy Mayor Andrzej Sygut commented, "Sport has always been a way to a successful life in Kielce,”
“We will try to help all the athletes and guests at the Masters do their best. Our city’s motto is ‘Come and see,’ he added.
Marcin Krzeminski - chairman of the organizing committee continued, "We were the host of the World Junior Championships and the European Championships in Kielce and now we have a new challenge. The best players in the world will arrive in Kielce and we hope we can all survive the fantastic drama and emotion that the Masters will surely bring."
