Opportunity of a lifetime: Saudi stars set for grandest stage of them all at World Pool Championship

‘Crown Jewel’ of the World Nineball Tour takes center stage in Jeddah with 13 local players competing in pinnacle event alongside the world’s top 100 pool marksmen

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 3 June 2024: After weeks of building anticipation amongst Saudi sports fans, the World Pool Championship is set to kick off today in Jeddah with another incredible sporting spectacle live from the Green Halls.

Over an illustrious 32-year history, the World Pool Championship has morphed into the ‘Crown Jewel’ of the World Nineball Tour (WNT). This internationally-coveted event has captured the admiration and imagination of global audiences year after year with the greatest pool marksmen on Earth battling it out for the sport’s greatest prize.  

This time around, the World Pool Championship makes its debut in the Kingdom – the new home of this pinnacle competition for the next 10 years.

In partnership with the Saudi Arabian Billiard & Snooker Federation (SABSF) and Ministry of Sport, 128 elite cueists from around the world are competing for the historic glory in Jeddah.

From June 3-8, 223 matches are locked in across six action-packed days of competition with a record-breaking prize pool at stake alongside valuable WNT ranking points.

Evidently, the World Pool Championship is a ‘must-attend’ occasion for Saudi sports fans far and wide. But alongside the inevitable drama and thrill sure to unfold, the event is all the more unmissable because over a dozen of Saudi Arabia’s most established and fastest-rising pool players also feature.

A total of 13 Saudi-born players are competing in the World Pool Championship as wildcard entrants. They join 15 other wildcards in going up against the top 100 WNT players.

It’s the opportunity of a lifetime for the Kingdom’s best and brightest – one they have dreamed of ever since they first picked up a cue.

“I’ve watched the World Pool Championship every year without fail and always told my family that I would play in the event myself one day,” explained Nawaf Shamardal, the Saudi star who began playing when he was 11 years old.

After many years, Shamardal is about to realize his lifelong ambition. The opportunity to compete in a major tournament featuring the likes of defending world champion Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, world #2 Fedor Gorst, and five-time US Open champion and 2022 world champion Shane Van Boening is one he attributes to Vision 2030.

“Our visionary leadership has made all of this possible,” the Saudi national team player continued. “Led by Vision 2030, the investments we have seen in all sports – across all levels – have shown that opportunities for there for us to realize our sporting ambitions.

“With hard work and dedication over a long period, sportsmen and women can work towards their ultimate goal of competing in major international events right here in Saudi Arabia. I feel incredibly blessed to find myself in this position and I can’t wait to play in the sport’s most prestigious tournament in front of a home crowd.”

The Kingdom has hosted more than 100 international sports events since 2015 – welcoming over 2.6 million people throughout this time. With the World Pool Championship, the sport of pool becomes the latest to grace Saudi shores – following football, F1, boxing, tennis, esports, and more.

Crucially, the event is truly international. In addition to 128 players and over 40 nationalities competing, 15 broadcasters will showcase 2024 World Pool Championship coverage in more than 90 countries globally – 50 televised hours and 100 streaming hours.

For the Saudi players competing, making a name for themselves in Jeddah and progressing through the tournament could see millions of pool enthusiasts watching them in action from afar. However, the players are confident heading into the event and do not feel daunted by such a prospect.

“These are the kind of occasions why people around the world pursue sport in the first place – to play against the very best in the biggest events,” said Ahmad Al Jabbar. The 31-year-old Saudi talent says he and his compatriots are looking forward to their first World Pool Championship appearance.

“We have spoken about this many times between practice; it’s important to embrace and enjoy the occasion and give it your all,” he continued. “Sporting history is littered with sensational stories of underdog teams and players triumphing. If we play to our best levels, then who knows? Anything is possible.”

Shamardal and Al Jabar are joined by Hussein Al-Mustafa, Othman Alzahrani, Fahad Alharbi, Ahmed Zahid, Khalid Al Ghamadi, Khalid Al Otaibi, Ahmed Al Ahmadi, Saad Aldress, Fahad Aldhayan, Abdullah Saeed Alshammari, and Waleed Albalkhi in representing the Kingdom in Jeddah.

The World Pool Championship begins today and local audiences are sure to give the hometown heroes an incredible reception before their matches get underway.