Saudi Arabia to host World Cup of Pool in Jeddah

Saudi Arabia will host the World Cup of Pool, which will run from 23-28 June in Jeddah.

The World Cup of Pool has been an established major event in 9-ball since 2006 and adopts a straight-knockout format. Matches are race to 7 in the first two rounds, race to 9 in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, and race to 11 in the final.

Austrian pair Albin Ouschan and Mario He are defending champions having won the trophy for a second time in 2019. Previous winners of the World Cup of Pool include Philippines, China and USA.

The newly formed partnership with Matchroom Pool kick starts a 10-year agreement, throughout which the Kingdom aims to raise the profile of pool at grass roots level by way of coaching visits, player appearances and school seminars.

Matchroom Sport Chairman Barry Hearn said: “This is a huge moment for 9-ball pool. The sport is expanding globally and we are thrilled to be able to bring one of the biggest and most prestigious events to the Middle East.

Hearn added: “This is a great chance for pool fans in Saudi Arabia to see the world’s elite players in one of the biggest tournaments. It is also an opportunity for us to help grow this fantastic sport in the Middle East and we look forward to working with our partners to deliver a huge event, benefiting in particular grass-root interest in pool and inspiring the youth of Saudi Arabia to achieve excellence in this sport.”

For those on the move, we will have the 2020 Mosconi Cup covered via our website skysports.com/more-sports, our app for mobile devices and our Twitter account @skysportspool for latest news and reports when the competition returns to Alexandra Palace, London from Tuesday, December 1st until Friday, December 4th.

(c) Sky Sports 2020: Saudi Arabia to host World Cup of Pool in Jeddah