Atorontopoolplayer
Active member
Vietnamese and a Indonesian player.
Koyongian has a well over 800+ Fargo but only few hundred racks
WNT and WPA. Frazer says…
- Thread starter jbart65
- Start date
Koyongian has a well over 800+ Fargo but only few hundred racks
Koyongian got to the final 16 of the 2024 Hanoi open. He lost a close one to Jason Shaw. Good looking young player. Matchroom is clearly trying to break into a new market.
Nhiet is considered the best young player in Vietnam. Strokes the ball softly and smoothly and moves it well. Only saw him once. He lost a challenge match last year to AJ Manis. The score was 21-15. Prolly not ready for PLP, but MR is obviously making a big play in Vietnam.
Nhiet is considered the best young player in Vietnam. Strokes the ball softly and smoothly and moves it well. Only saw him once. He lost a challenge match last year to AJ Manis. The score was 21-15. Prolly not ready for PLP, but MR is obviously making a big play in Vietnam.
thanks. yea now that you say it i've seen him in fields just going by the name edward. i think he's the marboys' indonesian
828, but as you note, not enough racks to be in the FargoRate of the world's top 100 FargoRated players.
MR in 2024 used its points system for 9 ball to populate the PLP, giving auto bids to the top 12-14 players. Then there were a few wild cards.
In 2024, MR chose Bernie Regalario and Michael Feliciano, both Pinoys, as wild cards. Nguyen Anh Tuan was another wild card given his lower points ranking.
The other 13 appear to have made it on points. FSR, SVB, Sky, Alcaide, Gorst, Shaw, Ko Pin Yi, Ko Ping Chung, Filler, Ouschan, He, Dang Jin Hu, Zielinski.
Given the WPA-WNT split, MR decided not to use the point system this year.
Frazer talked about this a few months ago on Doggin It. She indicated MR would eventually go back to a point system, but she also seemed to relish the idea of more wild cards and more opportunity to expand the reach of the game, especially by introducing more young players.
Hence the choice of Nhiet and Koyongian.
Supposedly AJ Manas was invited, but he was denied a passport (How does that happen in this day and age to so many pool players?)
Manas, imo, is the best under-20 player in the world that I have seen over the past year. Much as I enjoyed the recent American Juniors showdown in Vegas, none of the young Americans are at his level.
The inclusion of Pehlivanovic is obvious enough. The event is taking place in his home country. He is also among the top 40 worldwide and top 20 is not out of the question.
Pehlivanovic also played in the PLP in 2023. He did great in the round robin, finishing third overall.
Surprised that Aleksa Pecelj has not been picked since he is from Serbia. But maybe that's why.
The event is still pretty top heavy even with people like Gorst and Filler missing. But not as top heavy as as it was in 2024.
SVB, Kaci, Chua and FSR are top 10 players globally. Yapp is top 20. I'd expect at least one of the final two players to be in the top 20 as well.
Let's say six of the 16 PLP players are in the top 20.
Styler, Labutis, Neuhausen, Capito and Huang are probably outside the top 20 if the WPA players are included, though Moritz and Pijus are knocking on the door.
Compare that to 2024. The top 13 players were all in the top 20 globally.
On the other hand, only five of the 16 players in the PLP in 2023 were in the top 20 globally!
Invitees included Earl Strickland, Chris Melling (the event was in the UK), Naoyuki Oi, Wu Kun Lin, Luong Duc Thien, Pagulayan, Konrad Juszczyszyn and two women, Seo Seoa and Chou Chieh Yu.
Hard to see why Seoa and Chieh were invited given MR's absence in the women's game.
In any case, it was a weak field overall.
In 2024, MR chose Bernie Regalario and Michael Feliciano, both Pinoys, as wild cards. Nguyen Anh Tuan was another wild card given his lower points ranking.
The other 13 appear to have made it on points. FSR, SVB, Sky, Alcaide, Gorst, Shaw, Ko Pin Yi, Ko Ping Chung, Filler, Ouschan, He, Dang Jin Hu, Zielinski.
Given the WPA-WNT split, MR decided not to use the point system this year.
Frazer talked about this a few months ago on Doggin It. She indicated MR would eventually go back to a point system, but she also seemed to relish the idea of more wild cards and more opportunity to expand the reach of the game, especially by introducing more young players.
Hence the choice of Nhiet and Koyongian.
Supposedly AJ Manas was invited, but he was denied a passport (How does that happen in this day and age to so many pool players?)
Manas, imo, is the best under-20 player in the world that I have seen over the past year. Much as I enjoyed the recent American Juniors showdown in Vegas, none of the young Americans are at his level.
The inclusion of Pehlivanovic is obvious enough. The event is taking place in his home country. He is also among the top 40 worldwide and top 20 is not out of the question.
Pehlivanovic also played in the PLP in 2023. He did great in the round robin, finishing third overall.
Surprised that Aleksa Pecelj has not been picked since he is from Serbia. But maybe that's why.
The event is still pretty top heavy even with people like Gorst and Filler missing. But not as top heavy as as it was in 2024.
SVB, Kaci, Chua and FSR are top 10 players globally. Yapp is top 20. I'd expect at least one of the final two players to be in the top 20 as well.
Let's say six of the 16 PLP players are in the top 20.
Styler, Labutis, Neuhausen, Capito and Huang are probably outside the top 20 if the WPA players are included, though Moritz and Pijus are knocking on the door.
Compare that to 2024. The top 13 players were all in the top 20 globally.
On the other hand, only five of the 16 players in the PLP in 2023 were in the top 20 globally!
Invitees included Earl Strickland, Chris Melling (the event was in the UK), Naoyuki Oi, Wu Kun Lin, Luong Duc Thien, Pagulayan, Konrad Juszczyszyn and two women, Seo Seoa and Chou Chieh Yu.
Hard to see why Seoa and Chieh were invited given MR's absence in the women's game.
In any case, it was a weak field overall.
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denied a passport by the filipino govt? i doubt he was denied a visa to bosnia.. they're not even in the EU and they're not exactly known for being strict with these things. for road trip between the balkan countries all you used to need was pocket change for bribes.
Two years ago (or was it 3, I lost track), when all this was starting, Ishaun said the players would be banned, penalized, etc, for playing in events that could be sanctioned, but were not. Players/fans/promoters were all upset at that. However, he had not choice. His duty as the president was to execute the bylaws of the WPA constitution, that had been voted in by the members over the years. He even stated that during one of his interviews.
It seems to me, that MR and WPA have (or are in process of) amending the WPA constitution, to make a provision for promoters such as MR (or others I assume), to work outside of the WPA system, but still play nice with each other.
I think that's what was perhaps missing in the beginning? Instead of getting mad at Ishaun for doing his duties, perhaps fans/MR/WPA/players should have worked together to amend the WPA constitution?
I know it's almost a matter of semantics. I think it could have gotten us a faster resolution, however.
It seems to me, that MR and WPA have (or are in process of) amending the WPA constitution, to make a provision for promoters such as MR (or others I assume), to work outside of the WPA system, but still play nice with each other.
I think that's what was perhaps missing in the beginning? Instead of getting mad at Ishaun for doing his duties, perhaps fans/MR/WPA/players should have worked together to amend the WPA constitution?
I know it's almost a matter of semantics. I think it could have gotten us a faster resolution, however.
sudocrushms
Well-known member
Manis has been holding his own against world class players when I've seen the matchups. I think he beat Biado last fall, or at least came close.
The kid is really really good.
Perhaps so, but the dispute over Hanoi suggests the issues ran deeper.
This dispute is still a big mystery to me, though. Someday somebody will write a tell all - though by then no one will need to care. Hopefully.
deciphering the WPA word salad didn't answer one question: are the 250 banned players still banned?
Nice field, even with the best two players in the world missing.
Kudos to Matchroom for the Labutis and Neuhausen picks. These picks show that Matchroom has an eye on future greatness, and these two are moving up fast in pool's hierarchy, although it's hard to imagine either contending.
This looks like one hell of an event.
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why should it be different? The steps are known well beforehand: a) serve 6 months off b) pay $500 to local national federation c) welcome back, start from scratch.
I think the ACBS suspension of the BSCP is likely a sign that behind whatever terms Matchroom and WPA align on, behind it will likely still be a draconian ACBS holding firm on controlling what happens in Asia. Any ground made to compromise could easily be lost if MR or ACBS get inflexible in the future over a single issue.
What would that mean, Matt? More skirmishes over Hanoi? MR being kind of cut out from China?
if so, they should take that deal
The ACBS suspended BSCP for not holding elections, conflicts of interest, organizing events without proper approval, and failure to look after the players welfare. That all smells like "supporting WNT-affiliated events like the Sharks Intl 9-ball Open, Marboys Open, and Reyes Cup”. And I couldn't say if the issue is the BSCP officially supported the events, maybe some of the organizers are in administrative roles of the BSCP, or the ACBS expected the BSCP to actively obstruct those events and it wouldn't. It's a 3-month suspension (doesn't affect the players) and certainly resuming good standing comes with an expectation they kiss the ring and swear fealty to the ACBS.
I could only speculate on the impact. What are the terms of the new WPA concept of "ratification"? Can the WPA ratify an event on a continent even if the continental body opposes it? What will make ACBS allow Hanoi? Do they want involvement or control? Will they expect date protection against things like the Qatar Open? And this is all driven off what markets MR wants to penetrate. Vietnam is certainly one. Philippines seems another. Chinese-Taipei another. But China itself is certainly a wish but might not be at the top of their list just given how tough of a nut that is to crack. You're competing with established local organizers, governmental influence, and growing popularity of Heyball.
Badpenguin
Well-known member
Didn't a German court just tell the WPA they can't ban players from playing in German Federation tournaments?
Wow! At 27, Josh has won the World 9ball, the US Open 9ball, three China Opens, a World 8ball, a UK Open, a Qatar Open. He has won the WPA World Team Championship, too, as well as the American 14.1 Championship.
Fedor and Josh have faced off against each other four times since November: 1) at the Challenge of Champions, Josh beat Filler in the final, 2) at the Derby City bank pool, Fedor beat Josh, 3) at the Derby City one pocket, Fedor beat Josh, and 4) at the Derby City 9ball semifinal, Josh beat Fedor. Looks to me like the rivalry is still going strong,
Are you saying that unless he beats Fedor in the final of one of these majors, his majors don't count? If so, you may have a point. I'm not sure they have ever met in the final of a major. Please clarify.