ANTWERP – Starting next year, the world's elite in three-cushion will compete in a cycle of five World Masters tournaments in five countries, with a total prize money of 1,300,000 dollar. The winner of these events will earn $50,000, 24 players will be invited to each tournament. The project was initiated by GDM Sports and Drawshots, formerly Kozoom. Mr. Adrian Wang CEO of GDM Sports and UMB President Mr. Farouk Barki signed a three-year contract this Saturday on the final day of the World Championships in Belgium. Xavier Carrer, formerly CEO of Kozoom, led the presentation in the upstairs room of the AED Studios, attended by about ten world-class players.
The World Games project consists of five annual, five-day tournaments, which do not count for the world rankings but are lucrative due to their professional organization and the substantial prize money players can earn. The first tournament will be played in Colombia from March 31st to April 4th. The second tournament is played in France from June 30th to July 4th. Vietnam will follow from August 5th to 9th, South Korea (the date has not yet been determined), and China from December 16th to 20th. The field of 24 players per tournament will be drawn from the top 20 players in the world rankings, to be selected eight weeks before the tournament start. This field of 20 will be supplemented by four wildcards: one from the UMB, three from Drawshots.
The winner will receive $50,000, the runner-up $25,000, two semi-finalists $12,500, and the quarter-finalists $10,000. The best match and the highest run are rewarded by $3,000.
After signing the agreement, Mr. Farouk Barki expressed his delight at the arrival of the circuit. "With this project, we have signed a historic agreement with Drawshots Studio for the next three years. The World Masters UMB 3-cushion billiards herald a new era for professional carom billiards. It is aimed at promoting our sport globally and inspiring young players."
The World Masters offers the biggest annual prize pool in the history of billiards. Mr. Adrian Wang of GDM-Sports and Drawshots Studio said: "This project is based on a shared vision with some of the most successful leaders in the global billiards industry, pioneers who have achieved remarkable success in the American market. Our collaboration represents much more than a series of sporting events. It marks the beginning of a global movement to elevate three-cushion billiards to unprecedented heights."
The founder assures: "With the experienced team of Drawshots Studio, now leading Kozoom's networks and digital platforms, we are committed to creating a world-class platform for players, fans, and innovators in the industry to drive international growth. And especially to inspire the next generation of champions."
Marco Zanetti spoke on behalf of the players and, among others, expressed his admiration for Xavier Carrer, one of the great promoters of three-cushion billiards over the years. Zanetti also thanked Adrian Wang for the confidence he has shown in billiards with this project. "We are promoting and inspiring our sport in more and more countries," said the Italian top player in his comment. He also pointed out the role of UMB President Mr. Barki in always finding new ways to improve billiards culture. Zanetti concluded: "This is a big day for all of us and for our sport."
Raymond Ceulemans, the billiards legend, also shared his perspective: "The project presented here is a fantastic plan. It sounds incredibly good if it comes to fruition. I always remind Dr. Bayer's initiative 40 years ago, when we, as players, also started earning some money. For now, in this era, it has become much more wonderful for the players. I wish I had been a top player during this time!!’’.
The tournament format of the cycle:
X Four round-robin groups of 6 players, matches to 40 points with an equalizer
X Knockout of the top 8 to the final to 50 points without equalizer
X Group composition: according to the UMB Events ranking with the Z system
X Forty-second time clock, two timeouts per match
Billiards fans can follow all the action live on the official Kozoom channels, including Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
The UMB 3-Cushion World Masters is supported by:
Xing Pai (Star), Liberwin (fabrics), and GDM Sports (Dynaspheres, Gabriels Billiards, Vector, GoCloth, Molinari).
The press conference with the world top players
Mr. Xavier Carrer launches the big news for the World Masters
Mr. Wang and Mr. Barki shake hands after signing the contract