You would be hard pressed to top Predator’s last visit to the Sportspark Klagenfurt in Klagenfurt Austria last year for the Predator WPA World 10-Ball Women’s Championship and 2022 Predator WPA World Teams Championship with over $250,000 in prize money and Chieh-Yu Chou & Team Philippines’s winning respective World Titles.
Predator doesn’t rest on their laurels though, as they are planning on an even bigger event in Klagenfurt this October, with five World Championships to be held.
In addition to the 2023 WPA World 10-Ball Women’s Championship, Predator and Richtwert will also be holding the 2023 WPA Men’s World 8-Ball Championship and the three divisions of the 2023 WPA World Junior Championships.
Klagenfurt is already well known in the sport of billiards, as the hometown of brother and sister World Champions Jasmin and Albin Ouschan.
Jasmin Ouschan’s Academy is a well known Billiard Academy located at the Sportspark Klagenfurt and will be a promotional partner on the organizing committee of the events in her hometown. “I am extremely proud that Klagenfurt will host 5 World Championships at the same time. I don’t know if that has ever happened before. It is a big task but an even bigger honor. Something for the history books!” said the 2010 WPA World 10-Ball Women’s Champion.
Jasmin Ouschan (file: 2022 PBS Germany Open)｜©Pro Billiard Series
Two-time WPA World 9-Ball Champion Albin Ouschan is also looking forward to the events: “It’s an honor to have once again the World Championships in my hometown! It shows that we did something right in the past to get the help and trust from the government and Predator to host multiple World Championships.”
Reigning World 10-Ball Women’s Champion Chou will be defending her title this year, as well as reigning World 8-Ball Men’s Champion Francisco Sanchez-Ruiz. Current WPA Boys Under 19 World Champion Szymon Kural will be too old to defend his title, but the WPA Girls Under 19 World Champion Xin Yu Hong will be defending hers. Current WPA Boys Under 17 World Champion Karl Gnadeberg will compete in the Under 19 division this year.
The biggest change in the Junior events will be that the game will evolve to 10-Ball this year. WPA President Ishaun Singh explained the switch to 10-Ball. “The change of discipline from 9-Ball to 10-Ball at the Junior Championships stems from the change at the World Games from 9-Ball to 10-Ball. 9-Ball was originally created as the professional game, but the rules of 9-Ball were interfered with in an attempt to fix certain flaws for it to be the professional game and it still seems to be a problem. The 10-Ball game has since become the professionals’ choice.”
Event promoter Richwert’s Gerald Florian is excited to see all of the top players of the sport this year. “It’s a honor and huge joy to host five World Championships as well as the best players of the world at one event! Can you ask for more?! We are looking forward to welcoming everyone to Klagenfurt!”
L to R: Gerald Florian (Event promoter of Richwert), Albin Ouschan, Jasmin Ouschan & Karim Belhaj, CEO of Predator Group｜©Pro Billiard Series
奧地利克拉根福 (Klagenfurt, Austria) 因其為世界冠軍歐斯純姊弟 (Jasmin & Albin Ouschan) 的家鄉而在撞球領域中廣為人知；去年美洲豹集團 (Predator) 在克拉根福成功舉辦世界女子10號球錦標賽與世界團體10號球錦標賽過後，計畫於今年10月再臨克拉根福舉辦一場更大的撞球盛事，屆時將同時迎來五項世界錦標賽的舉行，並將誕生五位世界冠軍。今年除了 2023 世界女子10號球錦標賽外，美洲豹將與 Richtwert 攜手合作舉辦 2023 世界男子8號球錦標賽與 2023 世界青少年錦標賽 (U17、U19 與女子組)。
2010年世界女子10號球冠軍 Jasmin Ouschan 說道: “對於克拉根福將同時舉辦五項世界錦標賽，我感到相當地驕傲。這是一個大任務，同時也是更大的更大的榮譽。” 而她位於 Sportspark Klagenfurt 的撞球運動學院也將成為其家鄉賽事組委會的推廣合作夥伴。
兩屆世界男子9號球冠軍 Albin Ouschan 同樣期待著賽事的到來，並說道: “很榮幸我的家鄉將再次舉辦世錦賽，這證明我們過去做對了事情，再次獲得了政府與美洲豹的幫助與信任來舉辦多項世錦賽。”
Albin Ouschan (file: 2023 PBS Las Vegas Open)｜©Pro Billiard Series
賽事發起人，來自 Richwert 的 Gerald Florian: “非常欣喜與榮幸能同時舉辦五項世界錦標賽，很高興看到這項運動中的頂級球員們齊聚克拉根福，我們期待著歡迎大家的到來!”
屆時世界女子10號球衛冕冠軍周婕妤與世界男子8號球衛冕冠軍 Francisco Sanchez-Ruiz 將在克拉根福賽場上捍衛其冠軍頭銜。而在世界青少年錦標賽方面，U19組的衛冕男子冠軍 Szymon Kural 將因超齡而無法挑戰衛冕；現任U17組男子冠軍 Karl Gnadeberg 今年將參加 U19 組比賽；而女子組衛冕冠軍洪欣妤則將有機會與教練周婕妤一同在克拉根福的 Sportspark Klagenfurt 挑戰衛冕。
而今年的青少年世錦賽也將迎來一重大改變，比賽項目將從原本的 9號球改為 10號球。對此 WPA 主席 Ishaun Singh 對此作出解釋道: “青少年世錦賽從 9號球改成 10號的起源來自於世界運動會於今年稍早宣布將從 9號球改為 10號球。而 9號球最初是作為職業賽事而創建，但其規則遭受到干預，為試圖修復其缺陷部分而使其能更擔起 “職業賽” 之名而發生改變。因此10號球順理地成為所選。”
Events Schedule 賽事日程
▸ Predator WPA World 8-Ball Men’s Championship 2023 美洲豹 WPA 世界男子8號球錦標賽
▸ October 17-22, 2023 (10月17-22日)
▸ $200,000
▸ 96 players
▸ Sportpark Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt, Austria
▼
▸ Predator WPA World 10-Ball Women’s Championship 2023 美洲豹 WPA 世界女子10號球錦標賽
▸ October 18-22, 2023 (10月18-22日)
▸ $150,000
▸ 48 players
▸ Sportpark Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt, Austria
▼
▸ Predator WPA World Junior Championships 美洲豹 WPA 世界青少年錦標賽
▸ October 19-22, 2023 (10月19-22日)
▸ Boys Under 19 (U19 男子組)
▸ Boys Under 17 (U17 男子組)
▸ Girls (女子組)
▸ Sportpark Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt, Austria
The matches will be broadcasted live on youtube World Billiard TV, on Kozoom and BilliardTV
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