World Games, Chengdu China, Aug. 7-17, 2025

Looks like the billiards category starts August 10. I love the mascots, Shu Bao the Giant Panda and Jin Zai the Golden Monkey, holding pool cues.

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Shared by Kristina about an hour ago. Efren is there supporting the Filipino competitors. Anyone who gets a smilin' Efren photo has a great piece of pool memorabilia.

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What a joke.
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Some players are from countries where there is a lucrative reward for medaling. But this is what I think of when people say pool should be in the Olympics. They picture a $1MM prize 256 player field of the world’s best like we see with current world championships. Would it really be any better than what we get for the World Games… 12 players on 1 table?!?
 
MattPoland said:
... Some players are from countries where there is a lucrative reward for medaling. But this is what I think of when people say pool should be in the Olympics. They picture a $1MM prize 256 player field of the world’s best like we see with current world championships. Would it really be any better than what we get for the World Games… 12 players on 1 table?!?
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The IOC has said they want to cap the total number of athletes. There is no way cue sports could ever see 256 players at the Summer Games including all the disciplines, let alone at pool. Many sports have some kind of regional qualification or playoff system to get to the Summer Games. Such a system for pool could have a lot of participants in total with only a few in the finals. A major requirement is guaranteed wide international represenation at the Summer Games, which is generally achieved in cue sports by having continental quotas.
 
Bob Jewett said:
The IOC has said they want to cap the total number of athletes. There is no way cue sports could ever see 256 players at the Summer Games including all the disciplines, let alone at pool. Many sports have some kind of regional qualification or playoff system to get to the Summer Games. Such a system for pool could have a lot of participants in total with only a few in the finals. A major requirement is guaranteed wide international represenation at the Summer Games, which is generally achieved in cue sports by having continental quotas.
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I’m following the process. It’s the end result that bugs me. 12 players. TWELVE PLAYERS. It’s a meaningful prize for a meaningless field. One argument heard in Snooker is that if The Olympics is not the pinnacle of achievement in your sport, it shouldn’t be in The Olympics. I’m confident The World Games answers that question.
 
might as well shelve the idea of cue sports in olympics. all this effort for something that pops up every four years.. better to focus on making pro pool financially viable every year (preferably without dependence on government money) and a junior / feeding tour that's clear and well structured
 
How were the players chosen?
In other sports there is an olympic criteria or qualification stages.
And how can Kristina Tkach play without a country.
This whole thing is weird...
 
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