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GUINNESS 9-BALL TOUR 2007 MOVES ON TO TAIWAN

Five World Champions Among 24 World Class Players Set For Battle in Kaohsiung 

17 May 2007, Kaohsiung, TAIWAN : Asia's premier pool competition, the Guinness 9-Ball Tour, moves to the harbour city of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, where 24 of the best pool players in the world have converged to do battle from 18-20 May at the Kaohsiung Business Exhibition Center. Organised by ESPN STAR Sports, Asia's number one sports broadcaster, the Kaohsiung leg will boast four WPA World Pool Champions in Ronato Alcano (2006), Wu Chia-Ching (2005), Alex Pagulayan (2004) and Chao Fong Pang (2000 & 1993). Three-time World Junior Champion Wu Yu-Lun is also making his debut appearance in the Tour.

The players will be competing for the winner's purse of US$15,000 as well as points to qualify for the Tour's Grand Final in Bali which will feature the overall Top Ten players. With total prize money of US$320,000 (from US$160,000 for last year's Tour), there is much to play for and a cheque for US$36,000 awaits the Grand Final Champion. The Guinness 9-Ball Tour is also the only ranking tour in Asia for players to qualify for the WPA World Pool Championship. The top ten finishers in the Guinness 9-Ball Tour Order of Merit will automatically qualify for pool's most prestigious event, this year scheduled for Manila in November.

Welcoming the players to Taiwan, Mr Chuan Tsun-Che, President of the APBU said: "Pool fans from around the world have been able to enjoy the outstanding skills and abilities of Asian pool players, thanks to ESPN STAR Sports for organizing this tour and for promoting and broadcasting this wonderful tournament." 

"We thank Guinness for their generous sponsorship in making this Tour bigger and better, and all the sponsors who are part of the success of the Guinness 9-Ball Tour. We look forward to a wonderful weekend of world-class pool from all the players."

Speaking for Guinness, Mr Paul Bisson, Commercial Development Director, Diageo Taiwan said: "Guinness has a tradition of supporting sports all over the world. We are delighted to extend the tradition of support to the game of pool via our association with ESPN STAR Sports. Pool has been growing steadily and we are excited to make our contribution for pool's growth in the region. We look forward to working with ESS, pool players and the Asian and country associations during the Guinness 9 Ball Tour.

Mr Hsi Shen-Lin, Managing Director, ESPN STAR Sports Taiwan, added: "Our sincere thanks go to the Kaohsiung City Government who have always been supportive of pool events. As we all know, Kaohsiung will be hosting the 2009 World Games of which pool is one of the most important events at the Games. Thank you for welcoming back the Guinness 9-Ball Tour to this wonderful city, and we look forward to a successful event here." 

With six stops, this is the biggest Tour since its inception in 2003. Following Kaohsiung , the Tour will visit Kuala Lumpur in June, Singapore in July, Shanghai in August and return to Indonesia for the Grand Final in Bali from August 31-September 2.

Last month, the opening leg in Jakarta saw a classic showdown between long time pool rivals, Philippines and Taiwan as they clashed all the way from the group stages to the final where Taiwan's Chang Jung-Lin emerged the victor over 2007 Philippines National Champion Lee Vann Corteza.

Reigning World 8-Ball and 9-Ball champion Ronato Alcano remarked: "It's good that the young players are finally emerging and now the competition has really opened up. The format of the competition makes every match a must-win and it'll be the player who hits top form who would win – and any one of us here are fully capable."

Viewers in Asia will enjoy fifteen (15) hours of LIVE and exclusive coverage on STAR Sports from the second leg of this six-stop Tour. Matches will be aired live from the following times:

Friday          May 18       Group Stage                    from 1700hrs (Hong Kong time)
Saturday      May 19       Quarter-finals                    from 1300hrs
Sunday        May 20       Semi-finals and Final        from 1130hrs
Admission to the competition venue at the Kaohsiung Business Exhibition Center is free.

The Guinness 9-Ball Tour is sanctioned by the Asian Pocket Billiard Union (APBU) and organised by ESPN STAR Sports' Event Management Group (EMG). Guinness is the title sponsor for the Tour. 188Bet is the Gold Sponsor. Iwan Simonis and Aramith supply the official tablecloth and official balls respectively. Brunswick Metro provides the official pool table while Predator is the official cue. The official apparel is BCLN. The venue sponsors are the Kaohsiung City Government and the Kaohsiung Organising Committee for the 2009 World Games.

For more information on the Tour, please visit www.guinness9balltour.com. For the latest schedules and program information on ESPN STAR Sports, please visit www.espnstar.com.

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