Francisco Bustamante
Champions from around the world will go head-to-head in a three-day extravaganza of professional billiards. The INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS, INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS and WORLD CUP OF TRICK SHOTS will be held October 5 – 7 at Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, CT.
The three events are widely considered the toughest tournaments to win in professional billiards. Once each year international champions are brought together in sudden-death shootouts with pressure-cooker formats and the highest prize money in special events. The winners claim one of the most coveted titles in pool – Champion of Champions!
On October 5 the INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS includes top stars in the sport. Mika Immomen, from Finland, returns to defend his crown as 2009 Champion of Champions. Francisco Bustamante, 2010 World 9-Ball Champion, will represent the Philippines. Ralf Souquet, 2010 European 10-Ball Champion, will represent Germany. Karl Boyes, 2010 World 8-Ball Champion, will represent England.
On October 6 the INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS presents the top Women players in the world. Jasmin Ouschan, 2009 WPBA Player of the Year, will represent Austria. Ga Young Kim, 2010 U.S. Open Champion, will represent South Korea. Xiaoting Pan, 2009 All Japan Champion, will represent China. Monica Webb, 2009 San Diego Classic Champion, will represent the U.S.A.
On October 7 the WORLD CUP OF TRICK SHOTS will present Team USA vs. Team Europe, with eight international stars contending for the Gold Medal. Andy Segal, 2009 Trick Shot Magic Champion, will captain Team USA. Stefano Pelinga, 2009 Euro Trick Shot Champion, will captain Team Europe. Team USA also includes champions Tom Rossman, Bruce Barthelette and Jamey Gray. Team Europe includes champions Luke Szywala, Nick Nikolaidis and Gabriel Visiou.
The three events are each regarded as the supreme test of skill in billiards. The players are so evenly matched that any one player could beat the others on a given day. The INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS and the INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS are 9-Ball, with a format of two sets and a 1-game sudden death tie-breaker in the event of tied sets. The format for WORLD CUP OF TRICK SHOTS requires Team members to execute a challenge shot of their choice, and their opponents must duplicate the shot or lose a point. The sudden death tie-breaker to decide a match requires an incredible eight rail bank shot onto the face of a $100 bill. All in all, the three events are the wildest shootout of the year.
Mohegan Sun, the host site, will make all three events ADMISSION FREE to pool fans. On Tuesday, October 5, the three matches for the INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS will begin at 3PM. On Wednesday, October 6, the three matches for the INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS will begin at 3PM.
On Thursday, October 7, the three matches for the WORLD CUP OF TRICK SHOTS will begin at 3PM. The events will be held in the Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun and those attending must be 21 years of age or older.
The trophies and the checks will be presented by Mohegan Sun and Fusion Billiards Tables. The tournaments are also sponsored by Aramith Tournament Balls, Simonis Cloth, Mueller Recreational Products, Executive Billiards Delta-13 Racks, Silver Cup Chalk and AcCue Shot Training Device.
The 2010 events will be produced by Billiards International, Ltd. Those attending should arrive early for each tournament session. Make plans today to attend INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS, INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS and WORLD CUP OF TRICK SHOTS. For information call Mohegan Sun toll free at 1-888-226-7711 or log on to www.mohegansun.com
