Block tickets for The Malta Cup, the 32-man knockout world ranking snooker tournament being held at the Hilton Conference Centre in Portomaso, between Monday 30 January and Sunday 5 February are on sale.

These will be available from Café Veneziana in Melita Street, Valletta, Kids’ Korner in High Street, Hamrun, Munch Cafe in Sliema Road Gzira and 9 Ball Café Snooker Hall in Triq it-Turisti, Qawra.

Block tickets for the whole seven-day tournament, comprising 35 matches, will cost Lm30.

Both ‘wild card’ matches, as well as Tony Drago’s first qualifying match against Shokat Ali will be played on Monday 30 January, the opening day of the tournament.

Three other last 32 matches (Round 1) will also be played on this day. On Tuesday 31, the winner of the Drago – Ali match will play the last 48 qualifier against Barry Pinches along with five other Round 1 matches. The remaining Round 1 matches will be played on 1 February.

The last 16 round will be played on Thursday 2 February. Till this stage, all matches will be played on a three-table set-up and will be on a best of nine frame basis.

The quarter-finals will see the set-up changed to a two-table format and these will be played on 3 February starting at 4pm, all matches best of nine.

Both semi finals will be played on a one-table setup on Saturday 4 February, at 3pm and 8pm, best of 11 frames. The final, which will be best of 17 frames, will be contested on Sunday 5 February and will be played over two sessions, one at 2pm and the second at 7pm.