WPBSA Finalises World Championship Invitations
The 16 players to be invited to compete in the qualifying rounds of this year’s Betfred World Championship have now been confirmed by snooker’s world governing body the WPBSA.
Following the release of an initial shortlist last month, compiled in consultation with the IBSF and the regional and national governing bodies around the world which it works with, seven of those players have now formally accepted their invitations to play at Ponds Forge from 6 to 13 April. These players are:
- Ng On Yee (Hong Kong) – WLBS World Champion
- Zhao Xintong (China) – IBSF World runner-up
- Jamie Rhys Clarke (Wales) – IBSF World Under-21 runner-up
- Ka Wai Cheung (Hong Kong) – IBSF World Under-18 champion
- Josh Boileau (Ireland) – European Under-21 Champion
- Brandon Sargeant (England) – European Under-21 runner-up
- Tyler Rees (Wales) – European Under-18 Champion
The WPBSA has decided that in respect of the remaining places, opportunities are to be granted to players from the home nations and countries that have hosted European Tour events during the 2015/16 season, that have also previously hosted events on the World Snooker Tour. Such players are to be selected on the basis of their leading players on this season’s EBSA Order of Merit, limited to one player per country.
The full list of these players, in order of their position on the EBSA Order of Merit, is as follows:
- Hammad Miah (England)
- Kishan Hirani (Wales)
- Mateusz Baranowski (Poland)
- Dylan Craig (Scotland)
- Lukas Kleckers (Germany)
- Brendan O’Donoghue (Republic of Ireland)
- Conor McCormack (Northern Ireland)
- Rodion Judin (Latvia)
- Bratislav Krustev (Bulgaria)
The draw for the qualifiers will be made after the China Open, which finishes on April 3rd.
Tickets for the qualifiers are on sale now – for details call 0114 2233777 or visit here: www.worldsnooker.com/tickets/2016-betfred-world-championship-qualifiers/
