USA Announces 2017 Atlantic Challenge Cup Team Captain - Alison Chang

The Billiard Congress of America today announced its team’s captain to face the Europeans during this year’s staging of the Atlantic Challenge Cup taking place July 5 – 8, 2017 in Klagenfurt, Austria.

“We are thrilled to name Johnny Archer to lead Team USA as its Captain for the 2017 Atlantic Challenge Cup,” said BCA CEO Rob Johnson. “While his accomplishments in the game are enormous, Johnny’s commitment to give back to the game by dedicating time to support and grow junior play makes him the ideal candidate to lead Team USA in 2017. We are also excited to announce Johnny will be supported by 2015 and 2016 ACC Team Captain and BEF Junior Nationals Tournament Director Earl Munson. Johnny and Earl will make for a great combination to guide Team USA in player selection, pre-event training and on-site leadership.”

2015 World Pool Masters day 2 - Johnny Archer

Johnny Archer- © JP Parmentier

A 2009 Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame inductee, Archer is a four-time world 9-ball champion and winner of 25 pro tour titles. Born in tiny Twin City, Ga., Archer was drawn to the game as a junior and never looked back. Archer joined the pro tour full-time in 1986. Six years later he won his first tour title, the 1991 Sands Regency Open. The following year, Archer won five titles, including the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) World 9-Ball Championship, and was named Billiards Digest Player of the Year, the first of such POY titles Archer would garner. Archer would go on to win 12 Professional Billiard Tour (PBT) titles over the next four years, including two of his four world crowns (PBT World 9-Ball championships in 1993 and 1995). Archer once again won the WPA World 9-Ball Championships in 1992 and 1997. In all, Archer has won more than 60 tournaments. He has also been a member of Team USA in the Mosconi Cup 17 times in a row.

“This is truly a great honor,” said Archer. “Having an opportunity to give back to the game and work with these outstanding young individuals and players is a blessing. The game has given so much to me and without some special individuals in my life helping me as a junior I wouldn’t be where I am today. I want to be a part of the current rejuvenation of junior play in the US. The BEF Junior Nationals are setting participation records, other national junior events are seeing increased participation and now with the Atlantic Challenge Cup junior players have so many opportunities to benefit from their efforts. What a honor to be a part of this effort and to partner with Earl.”

Munson, who has nearly two decades of experience working with US junior players, returns as Archer’s assistant after leading the 2015 and 2016 Team USA. In addition to serving as Team USA Captain, he is also entering his 12^th year as the USA BEF Junior National tournament director and is a four-time USA team leader for WPA World Junior Championship events.

“Johnny is so deserving of this opportunity and I feel incredibly fortunate to support him as he prepares the team for 2017,” said Munson. “Johnny and I work well together and I see a great opportunity for Team USA to bring its best game to the 2017 Atlantic Challenge Cup.”

Launched in 2015, the Atlantic Challenge Cup features the best youth players from Europe and America in a Mosconi Cup style event. Six players on each team, four boys and two girls, battle it out on an annual basis to see who has bragging rights across the Atlantic. The event is the result of a joint venture between the Billiard Congress of America and the European Pocket Billiard Federation.

Stay tuned to AtlanticChallengeCup.com for continuous updates on the 2017 event.

Press release issued by the EPBF & BCA.

2016 Atlantic Challenge Cup - Earl Munson

Earl Munson – © JP Parmentier

美國撞球協會今日公布將由Johnny “The Scorpion” Archer出任美國隊隊長。代領美國隊參加7月5-8日於奧地利克拉根福舉辦的第三屆大西洋挑戰盃的領隊人選。

“我們非常高興Johnny Archer出任領隊，帶領美國隊出戰大西洋挑戰盃。他在職業生涯中取得了巨大的成就，Johnny並承諾將奉獻出時間來支持並幫助青少年撞球的發展，這也促使他成為今年美國隊領隊的理想人選。同時我們也很高興宣布Earl Munson將加入Johnny的行列。Munson現為BEF青少年全國錦標賽賽事總監，並於2015及2016年出任大西洋挑戰盃的隊長。相信他們兩人不論在領導層面、賽前訓練或指導選手上將成為很好的一個組合。” BCA主席Rob Johnson說道。

Archer 說道: “很榮幸出任此職! 能有機會帶領、教導並分享經驗給這些優秀的年輕球員是一件幸事。如果當時沒有那些特別的人們在我年輕生涯中對我的幫忙，我想我不會有今日的成就。而現今美國青少年對撞球的參與率似乎有所增加，而大西洋挑戰盃則是給予青少年球員一個能發揮出他們努力成果的機會。很榮幸能成為其一份子並與Earl合作。”

“Johnny出任領隊絕對當之無愧。我和Johnny之間的合作非常良好，今年對於美國隊來說會是一個很好的機會，他們將把最好的比賽帶到今年的大西洋挑戰盃上。” Munson最後補充說道。

大西洋挑戰盃 (Atlantic Challenge Cup) 是一項由 EPBF 歐洲撞球協會 (European Pocket Billiard Federation)與 BCA 美國撞球協會 (Billiard Congress of America) 於2015年所創辦的一項新賽事，猶如莫斯考尼杯的青少年版，進行歐洲隊及美國隊的團體對抗賽，每隊將由4位男子及2位女子選手組成。