LUXOR - The World Cup cycle, which consists of five tournaments this year, will get a new incentive as of this year. At the end of 2015, the top twelve ranked players after five World Cups will be rewarded by a total prize money of 24.000 euros. The winner will receive the main prize, 5.000 euros. This news was announced by UMB President Jean-Claude Dupont during the World Cup in Luxor. The other latest report came from a meeting with the board and a gathering with players. Jean-Claude Dupont made clear that one or more players soon will be presented as candidates to represent the (top) players in the UMB board. ,,We would prefer it to be a player in the top sixteen, who will have a voice in important sportive decisions.''
The Belgian UMB-president briefed the players also on the state of affairs regarding the possible admission of the billiards sport to the 2020 Olympic Games. Dupont discussed that in Japan two weeks ago with members of the Olympic Committee. Japan will host the Olympic Games in 2022.
With the decision to introduce the World Cup cycle with a prize schedule, the UMB wants to attract the competition. For now there is a guarantee for three years, in which the total schedule can be increased. ,,The money for the incentive (stimulus) is mainly coming from sponsors, but also from Internet and television rights.''
The UMB now has the theoretical certainty that the prize schedule is budgeted at 24.000 euros. ,,We don't exclude that new contracts with new sponsors are coming up. Then, a major part will be added to the budget. We don't say that this increase is meant to raise the amounts for the top twelve. We would also, for example, include the first 24 players, because the middle group is also very important.''
The players, specifically from the top of the rankings, were informed today about the plans to deliver a candidate for the board, which will be elected for four years. Dupont: ,,The players themselves have asked to vote, but we only work with discussion and consensus, not voting.'' The intention is to represent the players in sportive ways to deliberate, take control and inform the players. The representative actually is the permanent contact between board and players. ,,The same we aim to do with the ladies, with an election among the first 32 players'', Dupont said. ,,The two won't act together, but are supposed to signal the specific problems of the top players and the ladies.''
The candidate must be supported by at least ten other players. The UMB board expects to receive the candidates before April 15, after which the board will make the final decision on the appointment.
The route to get billiards at the Olympics is still a long one and full of obstacles. The umbrella organization of all the organized federations, one hundred sports in total (28 Olympic sports, 32 having a higher status and the other sports in the waiting room) has recently made a shortlist of seven sports to replace other discontinued Olympic sports.
Billiards, with its three disciplines carom, snooker and pool, is among the 32 sports that are systematically waiting to be allowed to participate. Jean-Claude Dupont, not only the president of the UMB (world federation carom) also president of the WCBS (World Confederation of Billiard Sports), travelled to Japan two weeks ago for a meeting with the Japanese organizers for 2020.
The International Olympic Committee has accepted that the organizing country makes suggestions. The Japanese have done a survey and comes to a list of eleven sports wishing to be nominated. The IOC, later on, must support the candidacy.
Jean Claude Dupont: ,,The Japanese organization will propose a maximum of two sports. We can assume that baseball will be certainty one of them. It is the national sport number one, which is practiced worldwide. Moreover, Japan has medal chances in that sport. I have no doubt that baseball is the number one to nominate. And besides that? Squash and dancing are contenders as well as billiards. We have a slight chance, at least.''
The IOC will decide on the proposal in 2016 on assignment. ,,In Japan there are certain ideas about billiards as an Olympic sport. They are even willing to accept one of the three disciplines. We, as WCBS, consider that as unacceptable. It must be all three disciplines or nothing. There is a thought to have a combination: for example, players who show up in three disciplines. We believe that this is unthinkable: a professional snooker player will never play the other two disciplines and vice versa.''
The president and his board insist that the three separate disciplines should be proposed. ,,If that's not possible, there could be an alternative to compose teams with three players, in which each plays his own discipline.''
How does Jean-Claude Dupont estimate the chances?
,,We've always been terribly far away from acceptance, but now, I must say, we have a slim chance. And we must do everything to exploit the opportunity.''