The Malta Pool Association will be organising the European Eight-ball championship at the refurbished Dolmen Hotel in Bugibba next week.

Over 500 participants from 12 countries – 42 of them locals – will be taking part in the event, which is the biggest ever European Championship. It is also the seventh time that Malta is organising the event.

The venue will be the same Dolmen Hotel – at the Conference Hall – and will be held on 23 tables.

Seven categories are being contested. These are Men A, Men B, Men C, Women, Under 18, Under 23 and Over 50. The Maltese will be taking part in all the categories, except that for Women.

Apart from the team championship, the individual event will also be staged.

Vince Degiorgio, director of the championship, said yesterday that all the established nations will be taking part with their top players.

Nations represented will be Belgium, Channel Islands, Cyprus, France, England, Ireland, N. Ireland, Portugal, Scotland, Wales, Morocco and Malta.

The opening ceremony is being held at 9.30am with play starting at 11am on the same day. The finals in all categories will be held on the last day of the championship, that is, 18 February.

The 42-strong Maltese contingent will consist of seven teams – Men A, B and C, Under 18, Under 23 A and B, Over 50s A and B.

Degiorgio said Malta won this European event three times in the past – in 2002, 2008 and 2013. It had also won the Under 18 event in 1999 and the Under 23 twice in 2015 and 2016. The Maltese Under 23 side had also won the world championship in 2011.

He added that Anton Cuschieri is the current holder of the European individual championship title. He won the event last year in England. The same player had won the Grand Masters Tournament in Blackpool, England, in 2013. Another Maltese player who won the individual European title was Clayton Attard, in 2011.

The Parliamentary Secretary responsible for Sport, Dr Clifton Grima, also addressed the press yesterday.

He said he was pleased to see a small association as the MPA being able to organise such a big tournament in a professional manner. He had earlier visited the hall where the 23 playing tables are already in place.

He added it was government’s intention to continue helping such associations who therefore help to increase tourism to the islands with the participation of so many foreigners in their events.

He augured success to the Maltese players and also to the organisers.

The prize money for the championship consists of €21,500.

Admission to the playing hall will be free of charge.

The Malta teams

 

Men A: Claudio Cassar, Antoine Cuschieri, Christ Tabone, Antoine Aquilina, Kevin Mercieca, Miguel Falzon. Manager Carmel Cilia.

Men B: Wayne Bonnici, Jason Mifsud, Lothar Mallia, Brendon Falzon, Troy Zammit, Warren Falzon. Manager Malcolm Azzopardi.

Men C: Jurgen Attard, Daniel Grima, Joseph Tabone, Tony Muscat, Mario Cutajar, Duncan Pisani. Manager Mark Tabone.

Under 18: Elcid Aquilina, Christian Spiteri, Rudger Xerri, Steve Muscat. Manager Saviour Mifsud.

Under 23 A: Scott Muscat, Dejan Grech, Ryan Pisani, Ryan Falzon. Manager Jason Agius.

Under 23 B: Gilmour Scicluna, Gary Zammit, Joseph Zammit, Ian Grech. Manager Vince Saliba.

Over 50 A: Marcel Micallef, Alfred Attard, Tonio Mifsud, Brian Grech, Christ Mills, Marco Bonello. Manager Brian Grech.

Over 50 B: John Lombardo, Stephen Scicluna, Joseph Aquilina, Manuel Mallia, Domenic Camilleri, Twanny Mifsud. Manager Joseph Aquilina.