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GUINNESS 9-BALL TOUR 2007 CUES OFF IN SINGAPORE

12 July 2007, Singapore: 24 of Asia's elite cue artists resume the quest for glory as the fourth leg of the region's premier pool competition, the 2007 Guinness 9-Ball Tour, gets underway at the luxurious Orchid Country Club in Singapore from July 13 – 15. Four WPA world champions will grace the event this weekend with reigning 8ball and 9ball title-holder Ronato Alcano, Wu Chia-Ching (2005), Chao Fong-Pang (2000 &1993) and Alex Pagulayan (2004) all raring to showcase their legendary skills in the annual nation-hopping event organized by ESPN STAR Sports, Asia's number one sports broadcaster.

Seeking to make an impression is the local contingent represented by standout cueist Bernard Tey, Chan Keng-Kwang, Eric Tan and Ricky Chew. Currently eighth in the Order of Merit, Tey will seek to lead his compatriots to victory as he aims to cement his place for the climactic showdown in Bali.

Meanwhile, the Filipino squad, spearheaded by Alcano, will be seeking to redeem themselves after a lacklustre start to their 2007 campaign.  Eager to notch their first victory, the Philippines has sent a strong squad to the Lion City with "The Volcano" Alcano flanked by hotshot rookie Roberto Gomez, the 2006 IPT 8 Ball Championship runner-up "Marvelous" Marlon Manalo, and 2006 Philippine National Champion Pagulayan.

The players draw conducted today has resulted with the hometown bets bracketed in tough matchups. In Group C, Tey will be testing the pocketing prowess of Hong Kong's best cue artist, Au Chi Wai, who is also aiming to improve on his tenth place Tour ranking. "KK" Chan, in Group G will need to be on top-form if he wants to advance past Taiwan's pool phenom Wu Chia-Ching while Eric Tan will have his hands full as he opens up his campaign against "The Volcano" Alcano in Group D. Likewise, Ricky Chew needs to be at his best as he is bracketed together with Indonesia's number one player Ricky Yang and the 2006 IPT North American Open 8-Ball Championship runner-up, Manalo of the Philippines.

Other key matchups to look out for in the round-robin stages will be the epic battle against Chang Jung-Lin and Pagulayan as they collide in Group A and the contest over at Group B between the up-and-coming Filipino star Gomez and India's lone representative Lilly who is seeking to repeat his storming run at last month's Genting Highlands leg.

As it stands, the Taiwanese contingent continues to reign supreme with the young Chang Jung-Lin leading the charge – claiming the hill at the inaugural leg in Jakarta and bagging the crown in last month's Genting Highlands edition while his compatriot Yang Ching-Shun contributing to the cause by adding the Kaohsiung leg to the mix. With two more legs to go before the Bali Grand Final, the Taiwanese remain on track for a possible historical sweep of the six-city event.

Up for grabs in the Singapore stop is a total prize purse of US$50,000 as well as points to qualify for the Tour's Grand Final in Bali which will feature the Top Ten players in the overall Order of Merit. With the new partnership forged between ESPN STAR Sports and Guinness, the total prize money has doubled to US$320,000 from US$160,000 for last year's tour which marks the region's biggest purse to-date with the winners of each leg earning US$15,000 while the Grand Final Champion pocketing US$36,000.

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

Speaking for Guinness, John Galvin Marketing Manager Guinness® remarked:  "Guinness® is proud to be the title sponsor of the inaugural Guinness® 9 Ball Tour for the first time in Singapore, bringing together 24 Asian cue masters from all over the region to compete for top honours and automatic qualification for the WPA World Pool Championship. Guinness® wishes to bring the excitement of 9 Ball pool to even more Singaporeans and give them an opportunity to enjoy the Greatness of Guinness® and 9 Ball pool."

Jamie Davis Managing Director ESPN STAR Sports added: "The Guinness 9 Ball Tour indeed has special significance to us. Not only is it a showcase of Asia 's finest pool talent, but it also provides an avenue for Asia's best to qualify for the World Pool Championships. Guinness 9 Ball Tour, Asia's Premier Pool Competition, plays here tomorrow, and I'm sure the players will be raring to rack up points for a shot at the Grand Final. All the best to all the players and I look forward to a great tournament!"

Echoing his sentiments, Mr. Ronnie Chua Honorary Secretary, Cuesports Singapore said :  "Cuesports Singapore would like to thank ESPN STAR Sports and Guinness for bringing this world class event to Singapore and we are proud to be associated with it. With the Guinness 9Ball Tour touching down in Singapore, I am sure the popularity and standard of play in 9 Ball pool will definitely be taken to a higher level in our country."

To welcome the tour and the players, Mr. Dennis Tan General Manager, Orchid Country Club commented: "Orchid Country Club is proud to play its role in this value chain. We are proud to be given the privilege to host the prestigious Asia's Premier Pool Competition – the Guinness 9-Ball Tour at the Grand Ballroom, of the Club. With the Guinness 9-Ball Tour, we hope to be able to add this prestigious event into our annual events calendar and contribute towards promoting its growth through continuous partnerships with ESPN STAR Sports & GUINNESS. 

The Guinness 9-Ball Tour remains the only ranking tour in Asia for players to qualify for the WPA World Pool Championship and the top ten finishers in the Tour's Order of Merit will automatically earn a slot for pool's most prestigious event, the 2007 WPA 9Ball Championship scheduled for Manila in November at the internationally acclaimed Araneta Coliseum.

Telecast of Asia's premier pool competition will be carried LIVE on STAR Sports with fifteen hours of exhilarating competition from 13 to 15 July. Broadcast times are as follows:

Fri, 13 July, 2007            from 4.00pm (HKT)        Preliminaries (3 matches)
Sat, 14 July, 2007           from 4.00pm (HKT)        Quarterfinals (4 Matches)
Sun, 15 July, 2007         11:00am (HKT)               Semifinals & Finals (3 Matches)
(Competition on Friday will start at 11am; TV Schedules subject to change without prior notice)

The Guinness 9Ball Tour is sanctioned by the Asian Pocket Billiard Union (APBU) and organized by ESPN STAR Sports' Event Management Group (EMG). Guinness is the title sponsor for the Tour. The local sanctioning body is Cuesports Singapore. 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 New Paper is the Media Partner. The Official Venue is the Orchid Country Club .STAR Sports is the official broadcaster while Starhub is the official Broadcast Partner.

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