An Australian online sports site, PoolComps.com, with potential to be the world's biggest, will begin operating global tournaments next Friday (October 27). The first weekly tournament carries prize-money of US$10,000 and is open to registered players who pay only US$7.50 a month. Many other services, including coaching advice, are available free of charge from PoolComps.com, which is already operational.
The new site is a brainchild of the sport's main controlling bodies, the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) and the World Confederation of Billiard Sports (WCBS). It has been four years in development and provides enthusiasts with a new level of technical excellence in online play.
PoolComps.com is supported by a unique, patented tournament system, also developed in Australia, that will allow a wide range of continuous, global competitions, as well as major events such as world championships for online players. Players choose their own times to compete in the initial rounds and schedules are introduced only in the deciding stages.
PoolComps.com is scheduled to conduct its inaugural World 8-Ball and World 9-Ball Online Pool Championships before the end of this year, with entry at no extra cost to subscribers. These will become world-class annual events and the 2006 prize pool will total US$100,000.
All activity on the site will provide a direct cash benefit to the WPA and WCBS, which will be shared among their constituent organisations to promote the sport. Every affiliated country will therefore be a partner in this venture. This will mean that, for the first time, cue sports will be assured of substantial, continuing funding. Partners in the project see this as an important element in the quest for long-awaited Olympic status for pool, the world's most-played sport.
The PoolComps.com site explains the mechanics of pool to newcomers and provides professional coaching for all levels of skill, irrespective of location. Some of the world's leading professional players are engaged in the coaching processes.
The site shows players how to execute standard and trick shots, plan game strategies and understand factors such as angles and spin. Players are able to see the correct degree of force and the point of impact required to execute each shot correctly, and to replay it in slow motion. All the experience gained on PoolComps.com is directly applicable to table-top play.
PoolComps.com has already made extensive commitments to the development and public awareness of the sport.
The company was naming rights sponsor of the 2006 World 8-Ball Pool Federation championships held at Blackpool, UK, June 5-15, the PoolComps.com Austria Open (7-11 June) the PoolComps.com Netherlands Open (20-23 September) and the PoolComps.com Swiss Open (4-7 October). In Spain, the PoolComps.com Costa del Sol Open will be held in Malaga, 6-10 December. All these events are on the European Pocket Billiard Federation tour.
These events, with divisions for men, women, junior and disabled players, are introducing pool and PoolComps.com to millions of enthusiasts through extensive media coverage, particularly on television through BSkyB and Eurosport.
PoolComps.com is also a major sponsor of the World Junior 9-Ball championships for male and female players aged 19 and under, to be played next month in Sydney and nationally televised later.
After the online world championships for 8-Ball and 9-Ball for PoolComps.com members, a range of new, continuous competitions will be introduced in addition to the weekly tournament, and all prize pools will grow as overall membership increases.
PoolComps.com was developed by a small team of programming and design specialists working in Sydney, funded by local cue sport enthusiasts who are not seeking personal publicity. The company has no plans to issue shares or, by any other means, raise money from the public, or to seek stock exchange listing.
