World Cup of Pool Teams Announced

MATCHROOM SPORT can announce the teams and players to contest the forthcoming PARTYPOKER.NET WORLD CUP OF POOL which takes place in Manila, Philippines from Tuesday to Sunday 7th to 12th September.

With 32 teams representing 31 countries – home nation Philippines has two sides in the competition – the World Cup of Pool sees the gathering of some of the most decorated stars of the pool firmament.

Defending champions Efren Reyes and Francisco Bustamante along with Johnny Archer, Daryl Peach, Rodney Morris, Dennis Orcollo, Niels Feijen, Jasmin Ouschan, Mika Immonen, Oliver Ortmann, Karl Boyes, Fu Jianbo, Ga Young Kim, Tony Drago and Marcus Chamat are just some of the greats of the game who will be going for the $250,000 prize fund on offer.

In fact, the 64 players competing in the tournament possess 10 World 9 Ball Championships, three World 8 Ball crowns, two World Straight Pool titles, six US Open titles, 11 World Pool Masters crowns and four World Junior Championships between them. In addition nine of the competitors have contested a World Cup of Pool final in the past.

This is the fifth running of the PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool and defending Philippines team of Reyes and Bustamante have recorded two wins in the event – 2006 and last year. Fu Jianbo and Li Hewen won for China in '07 while the American duo of Rodney Morris and Shane Van Boening collected the silverware in Rotterdam in 2008.

With a total purse of $250,000, the winning pair split $60,000 between them while first round losers are guaranteed $1,500 each. All the action will be carried live on Solar Sports in the Philippines and other broadcasters across the region.

Commented Matchroom Sport Chairman Barry Hearn; ‘It is always Matchroom Sport's priority to bring the biggest and best possible names to contest our events and I believe that this year's World Cup will be the best one yet.

‘Last year's final was a fantastic occasion with the old campaigners Reyes and Bustamante completing a fairy tale week as they held off Germany in arguably the most exciting pool final of recent times.

‘Those two are back and Bustamante's recent World Championship triumph would indicate that they still have all the ammunition at their disposal to make it a third World Cup triumph.

‘That said, half the teams in this competition are capable of winning it and I'm delighted that I will be in Manila to watch the final weekend's play,' he added.

2010 PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool – Teams & Players

Australia James Delahunty / Ricky Emery

Austria Mario He / Jasmin Ouschan

Belgium Serge Das / Noel Bruynooghe

Canada John Morra / Jason Klatt

China Fu Jianbo / Li Hewen

Croatia Carlo Dalmatin / Philipp Stojanovic

England Daryl Peach / Karl Boyes

Finland Mika Immonen / Markus Juva

France Stephan Cohen / Francois Cottance

Germany Ralf Souquet / Oliver Ortmann

Holland Niels Feijen / Nick Van Den Berg