What Countries "Subsidize" Players and How?

KoolKat9Lives

Taught 'em all I know
Silver Member
I keep seeing vague references here where some countries financially assist their players. I'm hoping to learn more of the details & perhaps segway into the impact it has upon pro pool. TY!
 

AngryTurtle

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Perhaps not a subsidy directly but I remember hearing on a ESPN broadcast (Challenge of Champions, perhaps?) that Thorsten Hohlman was in the German Army and did nothing but play pool. The US Army does similar for things like target shooting, but I have never heard of an offical US Army Pool team.
 

BJTyler

AzB Member
Silver Member
I keep seeing vague references here where some countries financially assist their players. I'm hoping to learn more of the details & perhaps segway into the impact it has upon pro pool. TY!


From Niels' bio:

"Then a big thing also happened in Holland: The Olympic Commitee gave pool the highest status. This meant that if players reached the quarterfinal in the European or World Championships, they got their A-Status which meant a monthly income through pool!"
 

PINKLADY

ICNBB
Silver Member
From Niels' bio:

"Then a big thing also happened in Holland: The Olympic Commitee gave pool the highest status. This meant that if players reached the quarterfinal in the European or World Championships, they got their A-Status which meant a monthly income through pool!"

what's the date of this post?
 

FranCrimi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I keep seeing vague references here where some countries financially assist their players. I'm hoping to learn more of the details & perhaps segway into the impact it has upon pro pool. TY!

The details you are looking for are not easily available. Many federations are closed mouthed about their subsidy policies for their players. You can try contacting them but they may not be willing to answer. If they do, it may not be with any specific details.
 

pro9dg

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I keep seeing vague references here where some countries financially assist their players. I'm hoping to learn more of the details & perhaps segway into the impact it has upon pro pool. TY!

It is a complex question because support comes in many forms. In the UK nobody receives anything. So Appleton, Boyes and Peach all became WPA World Champions out of their own pocket. The only ones who would fall into the ‘government backed’ category are Holland although I believe that the salaries awarded to 3 male and 1 female player are actually sourced via the IOC.
Qatar do something similar for their players. But the majority of the nomad players are either self sufficient or are funded by their home country federations.
Another variation is the success reward. As an example one Middle East player received $4000 for reaching 5th place in the World.8 Ball. When he arrived back home he took off in a limo to The Royal Palace where he ruler presented him with a further $125,000 for bringing fame to his country.
This also happened – The Chinese Taipei players who became World Champions also received another $150,000 each.
So like many things on AZ the opinions formed are based on exaggeration or ignorance of the facts
 
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Johnnyt

Burn all jump cues
Silver Member
I keep seeing vague references here where some countries financially assist their players. I'm hoping to learn more of the details & perhaps segway into the impact it has upon pro pool. TY!

Great question. I'm sure there is someone from each country on here (AZB) that can answer or find out the amount/answer. I'll start, U.S.A gets $.0000000 from the gov or anywhere else. Johnnyt
 

itsfroze

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It is a complex question because support comes in many forms. In the UK nobody receives anything. So Appleton, Boyes and Peach all became WPA World Champions out of their own pocket. The only ones who would fall into the ‘government backed’ category are Holland although I believe that the salaries awarded to 3 male and 1 female player are actually sourced via the IOC.
Qatar do something similar for their players. But the majority of the nomad players are either self sufficient or are funded by their home country federations.
Another variation is the success reward. As an example one Middle East player received $4000 for reaching 5th place in the World.8 Ball. When he arrived back home he took off in a limo to The Royal Palace where he ruler presented him with a further $125,000 for bringing fame to his country.
This also happened – The Chinese Taipei players who became World Champions also received another $150,000 each.

So like many things on AZ the opinions formed are based on exaggeration or ignorance of the facts

And yet you still grace us with your presence,
we should most certainly feel blessed. :grin-angelic:
 

pro9dg

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
And yet you still grace us with your presence,
we should most certainly feel blessed. :grin-angelic:

Who pulled your chain? A respected poster asked a question and I answered it. If you don't like that....SWIVEL
 

Nostroke

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Korea gives small stipend (maybe 300 american) to GYK for each of her world championships but im vague on whether it's a pension for later or she gets it now.
 

HelloBaby-

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
In Taiwan
Pro gets monthly salary, Pro-only tour and tourneys with huge prize money. Pool is like a national sport over there, so pro pool players over there are very well-treated.

In MANY MANY MANY Countries : like Austria, Germany, Holland, China, Viet Nam etc
Pool = a sport, it has a national federation get funding from the Ministry of Sport, so pro players get at least monthly salary, some full packages paid for international tourneys and reward for good acheivements .
 

arps

tirador (ng pansit)
Silver Member
in the Philippines, the usual: Puyat Sports or Bugsy Promotions, or a small/partial sponsorship from a commercial product, or your own money. it will be evident especially this coming WPC in Doha.
the only time the government exists is AFTER you win a championship title - politicians will flock around you so that they could tag themselves with the fame and attention you're getting. otherwise, you're just a hustler/gambler to them, no matter how much efren-skills you have.
 

lost

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
in the Philippines, the usual: Puyat Sports or Bugsy Promotions, or a small/partial sponsorship from a commercial product, or your own money. it will be evident especially this coming WPC in Doha.
the only time the government exists is AFTER you win a championship title - politicians will flock around you so that they could tag themselves with the fame and attention you're getting. otherwise, you're just a hustler/gambler to them, no matter how much efren-skills you have.

Don't burst everybody's bubble :wink:

By the way could you post a picture of Efren's private jet, and massive mansion so we can see how the best pool player of all time lives? The dollar should go a long way in the Philippines so it must be unbelieveable.

Post after post in this forum of the elusive riches of pool that are in far off places, but yet to be mined
 

arps

tirador (ng pansit)
Silver Member
^here's a funny thing, if you google "china open jeffrey ignacio" you'll only see 4 or 5 Philippine sites that report about it. yesterday, the NBA finals has at least 2 news reports on the primetime news on all stations, but not any news station from june 1-8 even mentioned that a certain China Open tournament is in progress and Filipino players are representing their country.
(i know i shouldn't be "ranting" here, but it's just an update of how pool is currently in our country)
 

PINKLADY

ICNBB
Silver Member
....In MANY MANY MANY Countries : like Austria, Germany, Holland, China, Viet Nam etc
Pool = a sport, it has a national federation get funding from the Ministry of Sport, so pro players get at least monthly salary, some full packages paid for international tourneys and reward for good acheivements .

this is the same for the furniture industry, including all European countries, Canada, and South America. (i don't know about the UK.) the respective governments allocate approx $100K/yr, for 2 yrs stint - invested in building "sales" in the USA, which will increase business back home. to be spent as seen fit, as long as they are seeing some numbers in return.

i don't doubt that it's the same for pool.
 

KoolKat9Lives

Taught 'em all I know
Silver Member
Sounds to me that many of the best players in the world are getting some gov't assistance.

One thing I find interesting is that the UK doesn't subsidize, yet they have some of the best players. Daz chooses to live in the US. Mika chooses to live in NY. Not sure how many other Euro's do as well. All the while, the US big tournies have diminished and media exposure for sponsors is negligible.
 

SplicedPoints

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
In Taiwan
Pro gets monthly salary, Pro-only tour and tourneys with huge prize money. Pool is like a national sport over there, so pro pool players over there are very well-treated.
I would say that's an overstatement.

I don't know who qualifies for the salary or how much exactly they get from the 'huge' prize money. (i doubt it's truly huge)

But most Taiwanese pros I've seen/met don't seem to be very well to-do.
Most would definitely not be in the upper echelon of earnigns.
It's tough to make a comfortable living as a pro in Taiwan.
 

spartan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
In Taiwan
Pro gets monthly salary, Pro-only tour and tourneys with huge prize money. Pool is like a national sport over there, so pro pool players over there are very well-treated.

In MANY MANY MANY Countries : like Austria, Germany, Holland, China, Viet Nam etc
Pool = a sport, it has a national federation get funding from the Ministry of Sport, so pro players get at least monthly salary, some full packages paid for international tourneys and reward for good acheivements .

LOL that is misconception. Pool is not national sport in Taiwan. National sport is baseball and pool is behind many sports in popularity
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_in_Taiwan

In fact in Philippines the most popular sports are basketball and boxing which are more popular than pool
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_in_the_Philippines

I doubt any country has pool as national sport or most popular sport :)
 
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