The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) and the Pan American Billiards and Snooker Association (PABSA) are excited to announce the launch of the new Q Tour Americas Series as part of the WPBSA Q Tour Global during the 2023/24 season.
Following the launch of the Asia-Pacific region last month, the Americas region is the second to join the newly expanded WPBSA Q Tour Global, which will culminate in a 24-player playoff, with three places on the professional World Snooker Tour to be won from the start of the 2024/25 season.
As in previous seasons, the playoff will feature a minimum of 16 players from the UK/Europe rankings, who will now be joined by up to eight international qualifiers which will now include two players from the Americas region.
Americas Series
The WPBSA Q Tour Americas Series will initially include three recognised tournaments across the region.
There will be an America Q Tour ranking list where the top ranked player from North America and the top ranked player from South America and will operate its own ranking list with the top ranked player from North and South America will qualify for the Global Playoff next spring.
The events will be held in both North and South America and will finish before the end of March 2024 with dates and venues to be confirmed shortly.
Events will be open to players born in, or resident in the Pan American region for a minimum of six months.
“A key growth area”
Jason Ferguson, WPBSA Chairman said: “The Americas region represents a huge growth area for snooker.
“There are players with the dreams and aspirations all over the world, but often vast distance and expense stands in their way. Some players like Neil Robertson have overcome this hurdle, but we must learn from the huge challenges players have often faced. I am therefore delighted with today’s announcement, a clear demonstration of our intent to provide greater opportunities for all players around the world. The localisation of Q Tours is creating a life changing opportunity for talented players, and we are full of excitement as plans unfold.
“I would like to thank Ajeya Prabhakar and his team for their cooperation on this project and their support of our great sport. Through embracing these prestigious events as part of the WPBSA Q Tour Global, it can only help to further the development of snooker in the Pan American region.
Ajeya Prabhakar, PABSA President said: “On behalf of PABSA I am happy to announce this new agreement which will see some of our most prestigious tournaments recognised by the WPBSA for the first time.
“It is hugely exciting that more regions from around the globe are now taking their place within the WPBSA Q Tour Global structure and through the hard work of our team at PABSA and our member countries, we are proud to be a part of this development. We can see this week at The Pan American Snooker Championships, hosted by our friends and colleagues at the CBBS, that standards are rising, more countries want to participate, and more players want the opportunities to progress.
“I have no doubt that our players will lend their backing to this series and look forward to congratulating the overall winners who will travel to compete in the Global Playoff alongside some of the best amateur players in the world next year.”
Full tournament information and results will be available via WPBSA SnookerScores in due course, with the first tournament set to be held next January.
