Staging of World Open in Yushan Nominated for 2025 Host City Awards

It has been announced that the successful staging of the World Open earlier this year at the ‘Billiards City’ in Yushan has been nominated for a prestigious award at the 2025 Host City Awards.

Organised by the World Professional Billiards & Snooker (WPBSA) and World Snooker Tour (WST), the international ranking event won by John Higgins in March has been shortlisted in the Outstanding Economic Impact category.

The Host City Awards began in 2024 and celebrate excellence in hosting, delivering, and promoting major sports, business, and cultural events worldwide.

The category for Outstanding Economic Impact recognises events that delivered clear economic value through visitor spend, job creation, and business growth and considers how investment was used and the event’s lasting contribution to the host’s economy, tourism, and global profile.

The nomination relates to the staging of the World Open in Yushan, China since 2016 which has seen the billiards industry transform Yushan from a small, relatively unknown city to an internationally recognised location with global recognition as the ‘World Billiards City’.

Nearly a decade of hosting the World Open in Yushan has led to the construction of the 4,000-seater Yushan Sports Center, International Billiards Academy, World Billiards Museum and Hall of Fame which have all provided world-class facilities that serve both professional and community needs.

In addition, Yushan has become China’s largest production based for billiard table slates, including private investment from Xingpai Group, and the core billiards manufacturing sector has become a substantial economic driver.

The winners will be announced at the Host City Awards & Dinner, which will take place on Tuesday 2 December at the Glasgow City Chambers.

Jason Ferguson, WPBSA Chairman, said: “Each event staged by the WPBSA and World Snooker Tour aims to leave a lasting legacy with its host city, and we are incredibly proud of the impact that the World Open has had on Yushan since the first staging there in 2016.

“The World Open and growing billiard industry in the city has played a major role in transforming the global perception of Yushan to a city with global recognition as the ‘World Billiards City’. We would like to thank our Host City, Yushan, and especially Xingpai Billiards for their outstanding contribution to our sport.

“We are privileged to receive this nomination for the category of Outstanding Economic Impact at this year’s Host City Awards as recognition of this legacy and we look forward to the final award ceremony taking place.”