IBC is pleased to announce that preparations are underway for the 2003 edition of the Tokyo 9-Ball Tournament, where 32 of the best pool players will compete for the title of WPA World Tour Champion. The event represents the climax of the first WPA World Tour season, which saw events take place on all continents, involving hundreds of players. The Finals will take place at Venue Skip City in Saitama, Japan, just outside of Tokyo, from November 7-9. Open qualifying rounds for the few remaining spots will take place November 4-6 at Eagle Koshigaya, also in Saitama.
Competitors will include the reigning Tokyo 9-Ball champion Francisco Bustamante, the 2002 IBC World Tour Champion Ralf Souquet, as well as many other World-famous players such as Efren Reyes, Johnny Archer and Charlie Williams. Of the 32 players competing, many are pre-qualified based on their performance in this year's WPA World Tour events, or by finishing among the top 12 in the 2002 IBC World Tour. The remaining players will qualify just before the start of the Finals. The winner will receive $15,000 and the title of 2003 WPA World Tour Champion, with the runner-up getting $7,000. All 32 players will receive prize money, and all pre-qualified players will receive compensation for their air ticket (up to $1,000), plus a free hotel room for their stay in Tokyo.
The Final 4 matches will be broadcast on Saitama TV, which covers the entire Tokyo area and more than 20 million potential viewers. For a full prize money breakdown, photos of participating players and information about the WPA World Tour, please visit the IBC web site www.ibc-tour.com. If you have questions, please contact IBC by email at info@ibc-tour.com.
The official sponsors of the 2003 Tokyo-9ball are Simonis Cloth, Super Aramith Pro Balls, Mezz cues and Nagato Table.
