2006 DOHA ASIAN GAMES

CUE THE ACTION - 3 December 2006

Cue Sports players from the 27 participating Asian countries are keen for the start of their competitions. Play commences at 10.00am local time on 4 December with Snooker Doubles and English Billiards taking centre stage.

Since their arrival at the Athletes Village, players have honed their skills in training at the Qatar Billiards & Snooker Federation, and have taken time out to participate in the spectacular Opening Ceremony at Khalifa Stadium.

All the cue sports competitors marched in under their countries flags, alongside the stars from the forty-seven sports featured in the Games.

One of the favourites for the English Billiards title, Peter Gilchrist representing Singapore, was easily spotted as the Singapore squads marched round the Stadium, resplendent in their red uniforms, as Peter is a foot taller than most of the athletes in the Games, excepting the basketball players!

Peter is on the left in the back row, alongside team mate Keith E Boon, who compiled a 147 break during the recent IBSF World Championship.

Favourite to retain his snooker title, Ding Junhui, from China, marched amongst the massed ranks of Chinese competitors, who field easily the largest number of athletes, and are likely to top the overall Medals table.

Marco Fu and his Hong Kong team mates took time out today to visit the venue and check out the set-up and facilities ahead of competition on Monday.

Thailand followed suit, for whom Praput Chaithanasakun is one of the likely contenders for Billiards Gold. His first match will be against Mohammed Omar Ashiq from Bahrain.

Praput played down his chances commenting "It will not be easy because there are quite a few good players. But I have been playing well and my target is to reach the final.

Ding estimated that he had about an 80% chance of winning Gold in the Snooker Singles, citing Marco Fu as his toughest opponent. "There are many good players in the draw. There are a lot of good players from Asia, especially from Thailand and India, and of course, China. The standard is pretty high."

GSC EXCLUSIVE - AL SADD STADIUM - CUE SPORTS VENUE - 24 November 2006

Global Snooker Centre has undertaken an exclusive tour of the brand new Al Sadd All Purpose Sports Stadium, which will play host to all the Cue Sports event, and Water Polo, on either side of the central foyer.

Cue Sports events commence on 4 December, with finals of various disciplines taking place daily from 5-11 December. Water Polo splashes into action on 6 December and culminates in the final on 14 December.

The Al Sadd General Sports venue lies right opposite the Al Sadd Football Stadium. Al Sadd is the leading team in Qatar. The stadium will host Football and Sepatakrow.

Several football teams from across Asia are already using the surrounding training pitches to finalise their preparations ahead of the vital matches. Competition began on 18 November with preliminary rounds and continues right up to the final on 15 December.

Centrepiece of the venue is a magnificent chandelier, looking slightly out of place in the modern steel and glass building. Spectators will filter either to the left or right on entry, into the arena seating, which for both Cue Sports and Water Polo offers excellent viewing of the field of play.

The needs of broadcasting and media are well catered for and the Cue Sports Arena is dominated by the broadcast area right in the centre with all round views. The arena is effectively split into two separate areas; one side a multi-table, multi-discipline set up, while the other houses just one table on the set for the final.

Snooker is the first final, and there will follow overnight re-rigs to move pool and carom tables to centre stage as their events reach a finale.

For the first time there will be major coverage of all the Asian Games sports on Eurosport, enabling European viewers to watch the biggest sporting spectacle outside the Olympic Games. Cue Sports finals will be shown on Eurosport, with commentary from familiar names such as Mike Smith and David Hendon. There will also be blanket coverage of all events right across Asia, which promises the largest live television audiences ever for Cue Sports.

LIVE CUE SPORTS DRAW AT QNOC - 23 November 2006

The Draw for all the Cue Sports events in the 2006 DOHA Asian Games was undertaken in the sumptuous surroundings of the QNOC (Qatar National Olympic Committee) Building in Doha today.

Organised by the DAGOC Cue Sports & Precision Sports Operations Officials - Simon Smith from England and Geraldine MacGillivary from Ireland, the draw was overseen by the Asian Olympic Committee Technical Director for Cue Sports - Professor W. Y. Chin from Malaysia and witnessed by independent scrutineers from Qatar, England, Ireland and Wales.

In all ten draws were made: Snooker Singles, Snooker Doubles, Snooker Team, English Billiards Singles, English Billiards Doubles, 3 Cushion Carom Singles, 8 Ball Pool Singles Men, 8 Ball Pool Singles Women, 9 Ball Pool Singles Men, 9 Ball Pool Singles Women.

The DOHA Asian Games will start with an eagerly anticipated Opening Ceremony at Khalifa Stadium on 1 December 2006, and the Cue Sports events running from 4-11 December, at the newly built All Sadd Sports Arena.

Such is the prestige and importance to the NOC's of various countries of winning a medal, particularly GOLD; that China's Ding Jun Hui, one of the favourites for the Snooker Singles, has pulled out of the Betfred Premier League in the United Kingdom, in order to compete; and China Hong Kong's Marco Fu, has relinquished his place in the United Kingdom Championship, as the dates of the events overlap.

It is unfortunate that, in view of the fact that the dates for Asian Games are known four years in advance of the event, that tournament organisers in the UK do not take note of events around the world. While many people still harbour the view that Snooker begins and ends in the UK, that is quite patently not the case.