WCBS World Billiard Congress Forges Ahead in 2004

Press Release

During the 2004 WCBS World Billiard Congress, which was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, USA, representatives for national, continental and world federations of all three disciplines of Carom, Pool and Snooker from all five continents, were gathered to debate o­n the latest development of Billiards Sports worldwide. The World Confederation of Billiards Sports (WCBS) is an umbrella organization for all Billiards Sports worldwide, recognized as such by the IOC and the GAISF.

Leading up to the World Billiard Congress the WCBS also held an Extra-Ordinary General Assembly at which a new WCBS Constitution was ratified. For a number of years the WCBS had invested quite some effort in adopting a new and more up-to-date constitution, without ever being able to find a wording that all parties would agree to. However, based upon a domestic dispute within the WCBS, which last year in fact was resolved by the IOC Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), the need for a new constitution was universally accepted. The new WCBS constitution, which came into force immediately following the EGA, accepts as direct members both an amateur and a professional body for Snooker and English Billiards, independently from each other. The World Professional Billiards & Snooker Association (WPBSA) that had withdrawn from the WCBS o­n September 3, 2002, a decision that indirectly caused the domestic dispute, now again is back within the WCBS: “The WPBSA is pleased to accept the invitation to membership of the WCBS and we look forward to working within that organization to support and further the interests of cue sports”. By that the WCBS again is representing all three divisions of Carom, Pool and Snooker.

To further underline that the cooperation between the WCBS and the WPBSA is governed by mutual understanding and full support, the WPBSA recently accepted full responsibility for the nomination of 16 men, both amateurs and professionals, to compete at the 2005 Duisburg World Games. The International Billiards & Snooker Federation (IBSF), an amateur Snooker body, had failed to comply with WCBS deadlines, and the WCBS therefore was contemplating to replace Snooker with a 3-Cushion Carom competition for women. However, following the WPBSA intervention Snooker (Men) is now rescued for the program of the World Games, together with 3-Cushion Carom (Men) and 9-Ball Pool (Men & Women). Billiards Sports will therefore easily be able to provide with the absolute best athletes in the world for this event, where all four medals will be competed for with a field of 16 athletes each, representing all five continents.

Ron Froehlich, President of both the International World Games Association (IWGA) and the Association for IOC Recognized International Sports Federations (ARISF), was o­ne of the guest speakers during the WCBS World Billiard Congress in Las Vegas. His two presentations, o­n the themes of the recent development within the IOC with regards to the Olympic Program, as well as the history and development of the World Games, were well received by the participants. The WCBS is fully intent o­n making itself and Billiards Sports a worthy contender for inclusion into the Olympic Program in the future, and Ron’s presentations therefore were received with huge interest and a longer Q&A session followed. Quite a few sports have been able to use the participation at the World Games as a platform upon which they later have been elevated into the Olympic Program, and the WCBS hope to be able to follow that example. The Billiards Sports portion of the 2005 Duisburg World Games will take place in Bottrop (GER), July 20-24, and the WCBS will in cooperation with the Duisburg Organizing Committee also provide with a Billiards Show, displaying some of the world’s finest artists in Billiards & Pool Artistic. Mike Massey (USA), who has won 3 out of the 4 World Pool Artistic Championships, was approached during the World Billiard Congress o­n this matter. He has accepted to participate and other great artists will follow his example.

In March 2003 the WCBS together with all other IOC recognized sports bodies supported the adoption of the WADA Anti-Doping Code, and therefore now is working o­n its own WCBS Anti-Doping Rules. These rules will be in accordance with the WADA Code and will govern the implementation of it at all Billiards Sports events worldwide, independent of the level. This will also include out-of-competition testing of a fair number of athletes, both nationally and internationally. Rob Koehler, Deputy Director of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) with a direct responsibility for IF capacity building, which includes implementing provision of the Code (testing, athlete whereabouts and appropriate rules and regulations to carry out provision of the Code), also made a presentation at the Congress in Las Vegas. Rob felt that the WCBS so far has worked in a responsible fashion towards this goal, and that it soon would be in a position to sign an agreement with WADA concerning the implementation of the Code for all Billiards Sports. Also the presentation of the WADA Deputy Director was followed by a Q&A session, and mainly questions concerning out-of-competition testing were raised. Another important issue, whether alcohol should in fact be o­n the list of prohibited substances for Billiards Sports, or not, was deliberated upon. The WCBS is now actively looking for medical expertise to be working o­n the WCBS Anti-Doping Committee, and will welcome nomination for these positions.

Barry Hearn, CEO of Matchroom Sport and organizer and promoter of the WPA World 9-Ball Championships, made a presentation o­n the future of Billiards Sports with regards to promotion and television. Barry, who has a past also as a promoter of Snooker, gave a colorful vision of how he felt that the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) would need to operate in order to bring its sport forward, and by that indirect delivered the same message also to Carom and Snooker. His presentation included a video presentation that further underlined most of the statements that he made. In just a few years the coverage of Pool o­n television has gone from a few hours in a few countries to literally thousands of hours in some 70-80 countries worldwide, a remarkable development which largely can be credited to the work of Barry Hearn and his Matchroom Sport. Barry also announced that the 2004 WPA World 9-Ball Championships will be hosted in Taipei (TPE) in July, and that agreements have already been made for television broadcasting throughout the whole of Asia and Europe, whereas negotiations are still o­ngoing for in America with both Fox Television and ESPN. He felt that it would be of great importance that the WPA would now also accept individual athletes as direct members of the association, a matter that was further deliberated o­n during the WPA Board of Director’s meeting that followed the World Billiard Congress.

After a year of domestic dispute and turbulence, the WCBS with the 2004 World Billiard Congress was able to display great understanding among its various integers, and cooperation within its fold that will bring Billiards Sports forward in its strive for a brighter future. – “When all federations o­n all levels, whether Amateur or Professional, are cooperating with the same goals and understanding, little will be standing in the way for the future development of Billiards Sports, encompassing also a possible future inclusion into the Olympic Games. We are fully intent o­n supporting the Olympic Movement, to implement the WADA Anti-Doping Code, and to allow harmony to govern our actions. We do welcome the WPBSA back under the WCBS umbrella and do look forward to a successful participation of Billiards Sports in the 2005 Duisburg World Games”, Jorgen Sandman, the President of the WCBS, stated at the conclusion of the 2004 WCBS World Billiard Congress.

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