THE MONTH-LONG festival of pool continues in Podčetrtek, Slovenia tomorrow (Tuesday) with the start of the DYNAMIC BILLARD European Junior Championships which runs until Tuesday 30th July. In all, there are 13 separate events in the four main disciplines – straight pool, 8 ball, 9 ball and 10 ball – as well as two teams tournaments. Under 17 and under 19 boys play all four disciplines, while the under 19 girls compete in 8, 9 and 10-ball.
In total, there are a 130 young athletes in attendance from 30 European countries, which is a glowing testament to the strength of the game across the continent. In all, 28 tables are in operation during the events.
The Championships will see successful athletes qualify for the Predator World Junior Championships which take place in Hamilton, New Zealand from 2nd to 8th September. In total, 11 players will gain spots for the Word Championships. The four winners in the U19 and the U17 boys’ divisions and the three winners in the girls’ division will soon be packing their bags for the long flight to New Zealand.
Making her debut as a European Championship Tournament Director is Sweden’s Ann-Sofie Löfgren, who is the EPBF Youth Sports Director, and she will be ensuring the smooth running of the European Championships.
She said, “It is my first time but I have so many people with experience around me, so I am sure everything will work out perfect. The teamwork between EPBF, the referees team, IBPF, the Slovenian Federation and Kozoom is really important for these type of events, and I know we have the same goals and we all want what is best for the sport and for our young ones.
“It is always a joy to see these young boys and girls just having a good time playing pool. They are our future stars so we will do our best to let them do what they love to do. The hotel where we are at also has a nice pool and some relaxing areas, so there will for sure be swimming and playing around for the kids and the team leaders.” she added.
The schedule of events is available on the EPBF site and the tournaments will be taking place over the following days:
14.1: Starts on Tuesday 23rd. Final on Wednesday 24th
10 Ball: Starts on Wednesday 24th. Final on Friday 26th
8 Ball: Starts on Friday 26th. Final on Sunday 28th
9 Ball: Starts on Sunday 28th. Final on Tuesday 30th
Teams: Starts on Thursday 25th. Final on Tuesday 30th
Play can be followed on a daily basis on https://www.epbf.com/tournaments/european-championships/
For viewers at home, Tables 1 & 2 will be streamed throughout on YouTube. Table 1 will be on the Kozoom channel, while Table 2 will be available throughout on the EPBF platform. All other tables can be viewed on the Kozoom.com website, where there are a variety of subscription options.
Table 1 link = https://www.youtube.com/@KozoomTV/streams
Table 2 link = https://www.youtube.com/@theepbf/streams
Tables 1-20 = https://home.kozoom.com/en/all-cue-sports