Bali to host 9-ball and snooker c'ships

Bali to host 9-ball and snooker c'ships

JAKARTA (JP): Bali will host the Nine Ball and Snooker
Championships in Denpasar later this month as a warm up for the
20th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Bandar Seri Begawan in
August.

The spokesman for the Indonesian Billiards Association, Basuki
Santoso, said on Wednesday that seven countries had confirmed
their participation in the Bali championships, while another
three countries were also expected to participate in the event.

"Japan, Chinese Taipei, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam,
Australia and host Indonesia will definitely compete in the
championships. Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia are expected to
confirm later," he said.

Billiards and snooker are among 21 sports featured at the
biennial SEA Games. Other sports are track and field, badminton,
basketball, boxing, cycling, soccer, golf, hockey, karate, pencak
silat, polo, sepak takraw, shooting, squash, swimming, table
tennis, tae kwon do, tennis, bowling and rowing.

The association's provincial branches are preparing their
athletes for the Bali championships, including the association's
two strongest chapters in Jakarta and East Java.

The Rp 25.2 million (US$2,830) event, which will take place
from Feb. 24 to Feb. 27, is the first international open
tournament hosted by Indonesia.

Basuki said that the championships were recommended by the
National Sports Council and the Asian Pocket Billiard Union. The
nine-ball winners will receive points which will count toward
their Asian rankings. (yan)