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TWO current world champions, two winners in
qualifying events and Europe’s No. 1 female player have secured
slots in the inaugural staging of the World Pool-Billiard
Association (WPA) 10-Ball Championship in September.
Ralf Souquet of Germany, Daryl
Peach of England, Wu Chia-Ching of Chinese Taipei, Antonio Gabica of
the Philippines and Jasmin Ouschan of Austria will be fighting for
the $100,000 top prize in the September 29 to October 5 event at the
Philippine International Convention Center.
Souquet ruled the WPA World
8-Ball Championship in Fujairah, UAE on April. He has been a
consistent Top 5 player in the world for the past five years.
Peach won the WPA World 9-Ball
title in Manila in November.
Wu and Gabica are the first two
winners of the World Ten Ball Championship qualifying events held
under the Philippine Pool Tour.
Wu topped the Puerto Princesa
Mayor’s Cup held June 17 to 22 in Palawan. He won the 8-Ball and
9-Ball world titles in 2005.
Gabica, on the other hand, bagged
the Mandaluyong Mayor’s Cup on May 6 to 11. He is the reigning
Philippine Open champion and a gold winner in the 2006 Doha Asian
Games.
Ouschan got an invitation from
the WPA. She placed fifth in the 2006 World Straight Pool
Championship featuring both men and women players.
The WPA has set a minimum of 128
players in the main draw of the World 10-Ball Championship. The
majority of spots go to the continental associations while the rest
are allocated for qualifying events and wild cards.
The distribution of slots are as
follows: APBU – Asia (30), BCA–North America (14), EPBF–Europe
(40), OPBA – Oceania (4), South America (4), AAPA – Africa (2),
Spots for Women Players (7), WPA World Champions (3), Spots for
Qualifying Events (14), Spots for Tour Events (4), Wild Cards (6).
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