World Pool Association (WPA) president Ishaun Singh has revealed that the governing body are planning to impose a ban on players who compete in World Nineball Tour events.
According to Singh, a general meeting involving all members of the organisation will take place during October’s Qatar Open 9-Ball Championship and banning players will be on the agenda.
Singh revealed in conversation with Molina Mike and Michael Panozzo for the Doggin’ It podcast that players would not be welcome in WPA events should they enter non-sanctioned events, such as WNT tournaments.
Should players decide to compete in WNT tournaments, they will subsequently become banned from other lucrative events such as the World 10-Ball Championship, the World 8-Ball Championship, the Las Vegas Open and the China Open.
World Nineball Tour boss Emily Frazer of Matchroom responded with a statement to the players, stating that ‘it is indeed a sad day for our sport’ and that the WPA ‘have made it abundantly clear that players best interests are not their top priority or even a priority at all’.
She added: ‘The public threat by the WPA regarding our future events, and the ACBS in respect of the upcoming Asian Open Pool Championship, further demonstrates the extraordinary intentions and careless decisions from those parties who should promote and grow the sport but are evidently doing the exact opposite’.
In addition, Singh made clear that any national federation who works alongside non-WPA tournaments would also be sanctioned under new rules that could be imposed following that aforementioned meeting.
Should these repercussions come into force, players will be left to decide whether they compete in WNT events or not, knowing that they could potentially be banned from prestigious events away from the nineball scene.
