Ssb - world billiards championship

[MySockPuppet]

The World Professional Billiards Championship will take place next week at the Northern Snooker Centre, Leeds.

Billiards is the warning snooker should heed. It used to have its own circuit but is now down to only one tournament.

The three-ball game is one of considerable skill with a long, proud history. But for billiards, snooker may never have been invented.

The event runs from September 2-6. Here are thr groups:

GROUP A
Mike Russell, Devendra Joshi, Ian Williamson, Rupesh Shah

GROUP B
Sourav Kothari, Gary Rogers, Martin Goodwill, Balachandra Bhaskar

GROUP C
David Causier, Peter Gilchrist, Mark Hirst, Bernard French

GROUP D
Geet Sethi, Pankaj Advani, Dhruv Sitwala, Michael Kreuziger, Robert Hall


More...

[Monique]

It is a game of considerable skill indeed. I have tried myself at it a few times and it's really extremely difficult.
When I was in Duffel last June there was a billiard competition running there also. Apart from the Indian team it was almost exclusively old men playing it. Shame.

[wildJONESEYE]

indeed Snooker should take note of billiards it had only 3 balls and what does snooker do yes in theire wisdom or lack of reduce balls on the table where will it end 1 red snooker ??

[dantuck_7]

GROUP A
Mike Russell, Devendra Joshi, Ian Williamson, Rupesh Shah

GROUP B
Sourav Kothari, Gary Rogers, Martin Goodwill, Balachandra Bhaskar

GROUP C
David Causier, Peter Gilchrist, Mark Hirst, Bernard French

GROUP D
Geet Sethi, Pankaj Advani, Dhruv Sitwala, Michael Kreuziger, Robert Hall

Seems like quite a small entry of players....

Who is the favourite then?

[wildJONESEYE]

Seems like quite a small entry of players....

Who is the favourite then?

id say Geet Sethi and Mike Russell must be favarates.

[bongo]

I wish the WPBSA would have 110sport TV streaming from the event like at the snooker qualifiers, but WPBSA don't think like that.

[the montrealer]

ssb world billiards

Hi i it would be great if there would be Video Streaming of this Tournament in order to promote the game of Billiards maybe someone knows Leonard

[Redphex]

yep, it's a shame that there will be no streaming from this tournament - since in days like this it's actually quite easy to do.

We will again have at least 1 stream at the 2009 EBOS Austrian Open later in September.

p.s. It's interesting to see that it needs a posting on SSB to get a discussion going on Billiards even if there is already another thread concerning this tournament here: http://www.thesnookerforum.com/board...ad.php?t=19308

[Frying Scotsman]

?There is no doubt that pro snooker should look out as it may go the same way as the pro billiard circuit-diminish then die
It is a shame that superb cuemen such as Mike Russell and Peter Gilchrist have to ply their considerable skills coaching players in Qatar and Singapore (not to deride these countries) and not have the opportunity to show their talent in this country.Still,nobody can blame them for making a living abroad as thats where the cash is.Billiards is absolutely massive in asia-India in particular-as anybody who knows anything about it will tell you.Their top players benefit from state sponsorship and are given every chance to improve/maintain their skill level.
With pro snooker finding sponsors more diffiult to come across,albeit in a very difficult market where companies are struggling to survive let alone sponsor tournaments.This does beg one question.As many people will knowthat sponsorship by major companys can be written off against tax,then why,with the influence of Sir Rodney Walker and co on the board of WSA,is snooker unable to attract sponsors? The product is certainly there!

[bongo]

Seems like quite a small entry of players....

Who is the favourite then?

It's between Mike Russell and Geet Sethi. Those two rule the game so much I can't see anybody getting close to beating them other than possibly Gilchrist, even though all the players are very good. I'll say Mike Russell will win it.