The World Skilled Billiards and Snooker Affiliation (WPBSA) is at present happy to announce its involvement in a brand new period of sports activities governance for snooker and billiards with the official launch of the World Snooker Federation (WSF).

The WSF brings collectively each newbie {and professional} snooker and might be a key organisation as snooker appears to be like to take its place on the Olympic and Paralympic programme. The WSF has been formally established as a not for revenue Worldwide Sports activities Federation (IF) in Switzerland. The WSF might be based mostly in Lausanne, Switzerland, residence to many influential worldwide sports activities organisations, together with the Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC).
Regional & Nationwide Federations

The WSF is open to accepting membership from Regional Our bodies and Nationwide Federations internationally that share its imaginative and prescient to develop the game in any respect ranges.

With the help of those Our bodies and Federations the WSF will now kind a part of a world construction for snooker and billiards during which Nationwide Federations can develop new and thrilling alternatives. For the previous seven years the WPBSA and World Snooker have established many new occasions working in shut co-operation with Nationwide Federations such because the Indian Open, Riga Open, Six Pink World Championship in Thailand and numerous rating occasions in China.

The expansion of the game by way of these relationships and the elevated commercialisation of the tour by way of World Snooker has enabled the WPBSA to make important investments in grassroots improvement initiatives. Initiatives resembling World Incapacity Snooker, the World Ladies’s Snooker Tour, Cue Zone into Faculties supported by accredited teaching programmes are all now gaining momentum. It’s the WPBSA’s want to work intently with many extra Nationwide Federations world wide and this will now be achieved by way of the World Snooker Federation members.

The WSF can even present important enjoying alternatives by way of the staging of a unified WSF Novice Championship. This new, blended gender occasion might be open to the elite performing gamers of Nationwide Federations who’re members of the WSF and supply a chance to qualify for a spot on the World Snooker Tour. The primary staging of this Championship will happen earlier than the beginning of the following (2018/19) World Snooker Tour season.

The WPBSA has already introduced that it’s going to help with the funding of a brand new Problem Tour which is able to work alongside the World Snooker Tour to growing elite pathways for high amateurs and new rising expertise. Nationwide Federations who’re WSF Members may have additional alternatives to host a few of these occasions.

Governance

The WSF might be run by a board of administrators who will be sure that acceptable governance and accounting practices are in place. The board might be supported by a newly constituted Council comprising as much as ten folks from throughout the globe representing completely different areas and continents. The WSF is dedicated to bringing collectively a very numerous and multinational workforce.

WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson stated: “Following a restructure of the skilled sport in 2010, the World Skilled Snooker Tour has by no means been stronger. We’ve got seen unprecedented development and we are actually a very world sport. With this development comes a accountability for us to make sure sustainable profession pathways for elite expertise and enjoying alternatives for all in any respect ranges. We should guarantee there aren’t any obstacles in our sport, irrespective of of politics, race, gender or incapacity. Solely after we obtain this, can we be thought of to be a ‘true sport’. There are some unimaginable folks world wide, firm administrators, gamers, officers and referees, a lot of whom serve our sport as volunteers. It’s the imaginative and prescient of the WSF to have interaction with these people from inside our sports activities worldwide neighborhood.”

To serve the perfect pursuits of snooker and billiards and to attain the aspirations to turn into an Olympic and Paralympic sport, it has been essential to reconfigure the IF construction in billiard sports activities to make sure adherence to the very best requirements of integrity, transparency and governance.