The 2000 World Pool League    Results   

· The World Pool League consists of six players playing each other once, making a total of
  15 matches in the League programme.
· Each match is played over 10 racks. All racks to be played with alternate breaks.
· Two points will be awarded for each match won and one point for a 5 - 5 draw.
· At the completion of the League section, the top four players will move forward into the play-offs.
· In the event of two players finishing on the same number of points the player scoring the most
  racks overall will take the higher position.
· The player who finishes top of the League will face the player who comes fourth in the first
  semi-final and the player who comes second will meet the player who comes third in the
  second. The semi-finals will be a race to 7 racks, alternate breaks
· The two semi-final winners then compete to decide the 2000 World Pool League Champion in a
  race to 7, alternate break match

· Dates - November 10 - 12, 2000

· Players - Jim Rempe (USA), Francisco Bustamante (Philippines), Ralf Souquet (Germany),
  Steve Knight (England), Radoslaw Babica (Poland), Niels Feijen (Holland)

· Venue - Room A, (Ruminski), Warszawski Dom Technika N.O.T., Czackiego 3 - 5,
 Warsaw, Poland

· TV - 18 matches (18 x 1 hour programmes) - 15 League matches Top 4 Play-Offs -
  2 x Semi Finals & 1 Final

The Matches
Date           Time        Match
Fri  Nov 10   2.00 pm   Ralf Souquet v Radoslaw Babica
Niels Feijen v Steve Knight
Jim Rempe v Francisco Bustamante
Fri  Nov 10   7.00 pm   Niels Feijen v Radoslaw Babica
Steve Knight v Francisco Bustamante
Ralf Souquet v Jim Rempe

Sat Nov 11   2.00 pm   Francisco Bustamante v Radoslaw Babica
Steve Knight v Jim Rempe
Niels Feijen v Ralf Souquet
Sat Nov 11   7.00 pm   Steve Knight v Radoslaw Babica
Ralf Souquet v Francisco Bustamante
Niels Feijen v Jim Rempe

Sun Nov 12  2.00 pm   Steve Knight v Ralf Souquet
Niels Feijen v Francisco Bustamante
Jim Rempe v Radoslaw Babica
Sun Nov 12  8.00 pm   Play-Offs - Semi Final 1
Play-Offs - Semi Final 2
Play-Offs - Final
Schedule subject to change
 
THE PRIZE FUND
Champion $12,000
Runner-Up$  7,000
Beaten Semi-Finalists $  5,000 (x 2)
5th Place$  4,000
6th Place $  2,000
TOTAL$35,000

Players Profile

Jim Rempe - USA
Age - 53 Based - Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA Nickname - King James Hobbies - Fishing, Food Years Playing- Since childhood - 31 years a professional and still going strong! Achievements - Over 90 major titles including 11 world championships in all the different games ( 9-Ball, 8-Ball, Straight Pool & One Pocket ) World Pool League Champion in 1998 & 99.
One of the game's legends, Rempe has been winning titles for the best part of 30 years and goes into this year's League with a 100% record in the event. Rempe's top eight finish at September's US Open shows that he is still up there with the best. In addition, King James was the victorious USA captain at last December's Mosconi Cup.

Francisco Bustamante - Philippines
Age - 36 Based - Kiel, Germany Nickname - Django Hobbies - Shopping, Jogging & Swimming Years Playing- A professional since the early 80's Achievements - A multitude of titles throughout the world. 1998 Player of the Year. 1998 No.1 on US Camel Tour. Semi-Finalist 1999 World Championship.
Bustamante, along with Reyes, Luat and Andam are the Big Four Filipino players who have done so much to make pool one of the biggest sports in their homeland. Due to the commitments of world travel, Busta now lives in Germany, where he is a popular figure. Third place in last months US Open indicates that Bustamante is finding his form again. A semi-finalist in the '98 World Pool League where he lost 9 - 7 to Rempe.

Steve Knight - England
Age - 27 Based - London, England Nickname - Knight Rider Hobbies - Playing Poker, Music Years Playing- A professional player for nearly five years Achievements - Numerous titles on the UK Pro 9-Ball Tour. Highest placed European player at 1999 World Pool Championship. Two Mosconi Cup appearances for Europe
Knight has emerged over the last two years as the leading exponent of 9-Ball Pool in the UK and is now looking to make his mark on the world stage. Originally from Manchester, but now an adopted Londoner, Steve spends two months a year travelling in the United States where he plays big money gambling matches. Knight will again be representing Europe at this December's Mosconi Cup - last year he was Europe's most successful player.

Radoslaw Babica - Poland
Age - 21 Based - Poznan, Poland Nickname - The Choirboy Hobbies - All Sport Years Playing- Playing for money since 1998 Achievements - 1999 Polish 9-Ball Champion. Knocking out top American Shannon Daulton at the 2000 World Pool Championship.
Babica played as a 19 year-old in the inaugural World Pool League and his lack of experience showed against a world-class field of players. However, in the intervening two years the young Pole has developed significantly through playing regularly on the Euro Tour against the top players in Europe. At the recent World Pool Championship, Babica sensationally beat Shannon Daulton 9- 8 after trailing for most of the match. He subsequently narrowly lost to Fong Pang Chao, the eventual champion. Expect a far better showing than 1998's 5th place.

Ralf Souquet - Germany
Age - 31 Based - Manching, Germany Nickname - The Kaiser Hobbies - Music, Badminton, Cinema, Soccer Years Playing- A professional since 1990 Achievements - 1996 World Champion, 1996 World Masters Champion. 1996 Champion of Champions. 2000 wins; World Masters, Russian Open, Krefeld Masters, Simonis 10-Ball Open, European 8-Ball Championship, US 14.1 Open
Unquestionably the giant of European pool, Souquet has won nearly every major title in his ten year career. This includes the '96 World Championship and a slew of European Championships. Souquet will be captaining the European team at the Mosconi Cup this December and the ultra-competitive German will be looking to lead his side to their first victory since 1995. This is the Kaiser's debut in the World Pool League and he should certainly start out as favourite

Niels Feijen - Holland
Age - 23 Based - The Hague, Holland Nickname - The Terminator Hobbies - Deejaying, Movies, Going Out Years Playing- First year as a professional Achievements - 1998 Dutch 9-Ball Champion, 2000 European Team Champion, EuroTour runner-up.
One of the up-and-coming young pool players in Europe, Niels has made a solid start to his career. Currently ranked No.5 on the Euro Tour, Feijen caused a major upset at this year's World Pool Championship when he came from 5 - 0 down to beat Francisco Bustamante 9 - 6 in the last 64 matches. The World Pool League will give Feijen the chance to show what he is made of amongst a world class field of players.

Television

Matchroom Sport produced their first pool tournament in the summer of 1993 and are now the world's biggest producers of televised pool with an annual roster of six events. They are:
The World Pool League. Now entering its third year, the League features six competitors from Europe, America and Asia playing in a unique league format. Won in '98 and '99 by Jim Rempe, the League is broadcast live on Wizja Sport in Poland. It is also aired as 18 x 1 hour programmes in the UK, China, South Africa, Australia as well as throughout Asia on the ESPN-Star network.
The World Pool Championship. The blue ribbon event of world pool features 96 players from somewhere in the region of 30 countries doing battle over 9 days for the biggest prize-fund in the sport - US$250.000. Held every July in Cardiff, Wales, the World Championship is broadcast live in the UK, Canada and across the Far-East. In addition it is aired as 9 x 2 hour programmes across Europe, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
The World Pool Masters. This event is held every August in the UK and has a field of 16 select players from across the globe. Played over three days, the total prize-fund is US$45.000. The Masters is broadcast throughout the world as 15 x 1 hour programmes.
The Mosconi Cup. Since its inception in 1994, the Mosconi Cup has gone from strength to strength. The Mosconi is live for four days on Sky Sports in the UK and features two teams from America and Europe battling it out for supremacy. Each session attracts 700-strong crowds and the atmosphere is wild!
The St Andrews Cup. England v Scotland is the name of the game at the St Andrews as two three-man teams play a series of singles and doubles matches over one day. The St Andrews is broadcast on Scottish Television and features the big names of UK cue sports; Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, Jimmy White, John Higgins, Steve Knight and Ross McInnes.
The World Pool Trickshots. There are six players and each does a 12 minute routine of trickshots to entertain a packed crowd. At the end the audience vote for the winner. Regularly won by Poland's Bogdan Wolkowski, the World Pool Trickshots is broadcast across the globe.