Bengkel to host Asian billiards meet
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Bengkel Billiard Hall, Sudirman Central Business District, Central Jakarta, will host the 12th Asian 9-Ball Pocket Billiards Championship early next month.
Sanctioned by the Asian Pocket Billiards Union (APBU), the event will run from July 1 through July 6 with a total of US$8,450 in cash prizes on offer.
Twenty seven men and 10 women players are already on the list for the main draw. They come from 10 of the 18 APBU country members.
The participating countries are Brunei Darussalam, China, Chinese Taipei, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam and Indonesia.
While the visiting teams are allowed only two men and a woman in the main draw, Indonesia has eight men and four women.
The Indonesian players, according to Ishwara Adi from the organizing committee, are the best in the national rankings administered by the Indonesian Billiards and Snooker Association (POBSI).
Indonesian players are Siauw Wieto, Arief Rahman, Ignatius Sigit, Adam Abdurrahim, Apsi Chaniago, Eddy Hartono, Hamzah Parlaungan, Paulus Baginda in the men's category; Sri Wahyuni, Angelina Magdalena, Kiki and Mutiara Sasini Bunga in the women's.
Siauw Wieto was one of two Indonesian players to participate at the last tournament in Taipei in February, which was won by local players Fu Che-Wei (men's) and Liu Shin-Mei (women's).
Both Taiwanese are among the participants listed for the Jakarta round.
The main draw in the women's category has already been confirmed to feature 32 players, but the men's main draw has yet to be decided between 48 and 64.
"We are still discussing the options with POBSI officials," Ishwara said here on Tuesday.
The remaining places in the main draw will be filled through the qualifying matches on the opening three days of the competition.
Malaysia will come with the most players in the qualifying stage, with 10 names, while the Indonesian team has yet to decide the qualifiers, with registration still open for locals.
"We expect around 200 players at the qualifying stage," Ishwara said.