Memories from yesteryear will be rekindled in more ways than one as the GB 9 Ball Tour returns to Daventry for this year’s Paul Medati Trophy, the GB9 Pro Cup and the Rasson Billiards Challenge Cup.
Whilst not everyone on the tour will have played against or alongside Paul Medati in their careers, most will be aware of his dedication to cuesports and to GB9. A former snooker professional who made the hop over to American pool in later life, his was a warm and wonderful character who is missed on the tour to this day. His legacy lives on in GB9′s annual competition named in his honour, and the best pool players from across Great Britain and the continent will be doing battle to try and win the winner’s purse and beautiful Paul Medati Trophy itself.
This event also sees the tour return to arguably its spiritual home in the form of the superb Daventry Court Hotel in Northamptonshire. Previously known as the Barceló Hotel, this venue has hosted some of the most memorable matches in the tour’s history, and the combination of facilities and playing conditions made it one of the most popular venues in the tour’s portfolio. GB9 are delighted to be returning to the venue and hope that all competitors, both old and new, enjoy the tournament at the hotel.
The 2014 Paul Medati Trophy is also the first competition in GB9′s history to carry aGUARANTEED prize fund of £9,250 (11,300 Euro), with £1,300 (1,600 Euro)guaranteed for the winner of the main event. We hope that this guaranteed prize money will attract more players from across Great Britain and the rest of Europe to play on the tour and experience for themselves the tournament conditions that GB9 prides itself on.
GB9 are also delighted to announce that former US Mosconi Cup team member and US Open 9-Ball champion Corel Deuel will be competing in his first GB9 event. Corey is the reigning US snooker champion after having made a crossover to the 15-red cuesport in recent years. He has been nominated this season to represent the United States Snooker Association at the World Snooker Q-School event in Gloucester later this month. He will compete in the Paul Medati Trophy whilst over in England and we wish him the best of luck in both competitions during his time across the Atlantic.
Alongside the main event this weekend will also play host to two other events: The elite 16 man Pro division which at this event will see a number of familiar names from the Eurotour such as Stephan Cohen, Denis Grabe, and Bruno Muratore compete alongside the best the UK has to offer in Karl Boyes, Daryl Peach, Imran Majid, Phil Burford and Mark Gray. The less proficient pool enthusiasts will all compete in the Rasson Billiards Challenge Cup which uniquely to GB9 sees the field split into two equal sections with the lowest ranked participants playing each other for a ring fenced prize pool whilst the top ranked amateurs and players entering on a single event basis play each other for a slightly larger chunk of the prize money on offer.
With the arrival of our very own Rasson Victory table which will be used for all live-streamed matches, we are now in the enviable position to have seventeen tables available to us at tour events. This will allows us to continue to run the event on sixteen tables whilst we also run some exciting side action competitions and challenge matches in another room.
Play in Daventry will begin on the evening of Friday 16th May, with competition continuing right the way through to the evening of Sunday 18th. Entry to spectators is free all week and live-streaming will be available throughout the Paul Medati Trophy to compliment the unique rack-by-rack live-scoring service. Competition is sure to be as fierce as ever with the spirit of GB9′s most loved and respected players living on.
Entry to this event closes at midnight on Tuesday 13 May and so if you want to get involved do not delay and fill in the event entry form NOW.
In 2014 GB9 is proudly sponsored by Rasson Billiards, Simonis Cloth, Aramith Billiard Balls, OB Cues and Kamui Tips making the perfect combination of the very best equipment in the most outstanding venues.
