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 23 – 25 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 23 the INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS includes top stars in the sport. Darren Appleton, from England, returns to defend his crown as 2011 Champion of Champions. Jung Lin Chang, 2012 World 8-Ball Champion, will represent Taiwan. Shane Van Boening, 2012 Players Championship Champion, will represent the USA. Dennis Orcollo, 2012 US Open 10-Ball Champion, will represent the Philippines.
On October 24 the INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS presents the top Women players in the world. Ga Young Kim, from South Korea, returns to defend her crown as 2010-2011 Champion of Champions. Allison Fisher, 2012 US Open 9-Ball Champion, will represent England. Karen Corr, 2012 BCA Hall of Fame inductee, will represent Ireland. Jasmin Ouschan, 2011 Masters 9-Ball Champion, will represent Austria.
On October 25 the WORLD CUP OF TRICK SHOTS will present Team USA vs. Team Europe, with eight international stars contending for the Gold Medal. Andy Segal, 2012 World Trick Shot Champion, will captain Team USA. Nick Nikolaidis, 2012 World Trick Shot Runner-up, will captain Team Europe. Team USA also includes champions Bruce Barthelette, Mike Dechaine and Jamey Gray. Team Europe includes champions Luke Szywala, Florian Kohler 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 23, the three matches for the INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS will begin at 3PM. On Wednesday, October 24, the three matches for the INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS will begin at 3PM. On Thursday, October 25, 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 Diamond Billiards Tables. The tournaments are also sponsored by Aramith Tournament Balls, Simonis Cloth, Mueller Recreational Products, Executive Billiards Delta-13 Racks and Silver Cup Chalk.
The 2012 events will be produced by Billiards International. 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
