【Ministry of Education Sports Administration Press Release】 Translated from Traditional Chinese to English.
2023 Formosa Cup ACBS Asian Artistic Carom Billiards Championship Returns after Three Years, to Take Place in Taipei on 8/30 Release Date: August 24, 2023 Issuing Unit: International and Cross-Strait Sports Division The 2023 Formosa Cup Asian Carom Billiards Society (ACBS) Asian Artistic Carom Billiards Championship will be enthusiastically held at the Taipei Garden Hotel from August 30th to September 2nd. This event will feature multiple competition categories, including men's, women's, youth boys', and youth girls' divisions. Notably, the women's division, which last took place in 2009 in South Korea, will be held again after a 13-year gap, making this year's tournament exceptionally meaningful. The Chinese Taipei Billiards Association stated that the "ACBS Asian Artistic Carom Billiards Championship," which has been held since 2014, used to only contribute to Asian rankings. However, this year (2023), it has officially been included in the World Pool-Billiard Association's (WPA) world ranking point system, attracting top players from various Asian countries to compete for points. Esteemed players such as Johann Chua from the Philippines, who recently secured the World Cup doubles championship, Chezka Centeno, the 2016 ANNI Cup champion from the Philippines, and Seo Seoa from South Korea's rising stars, among many others, have confirmed their participation. All of them bring remarkable momentum, promising an exciting competition. Taiwan's competing teams are also formidable. In the women's division, we have Zhou Jieyu, who recently claimed the world's top ranking, along with players Wei Zixi, Chen Jiahua, Wang Wanling, and Hsieh Wenwen. In the men's division, there are strong contenders like Lo Liwen, who has won the Asian Cup three times, as well as Ko Bingzhong, Ko Bingyi, Zhang Ronglin, Wu Kunlin, Zhang Yulong, and Xu Ruian. The youth boys' division features promising talents like Sun Yixuan and Wu Chengyang. In the youth girls' division, newcomers like Hong Xinyu and Wang Meipei, champions of the World Youth Championship, will compete, showcasing their best athletic abilities and vying to keep the championship in Taiwan. Additionally, the Billiards Association will hold qualifying matches at the Ximen Haokou Billiards flagship store on August 28th to 29th. Players who advance will earn a spot in the official competition on the 30th. Presently, a hundred skilled players from Asia have registered for the event. Deputy Director Fang Ruiwen of the Sports Administration expressed that this grand event taking place in Taiwan will undoubtedly see participants from various countries striving for ranking points. Enthusiastic billiards fans can tune into the exciting live broadcasts on the Boss Sports Channel ) and the Chinese Billiards Live Broadcast Network. They can also attend the competition in person as all matches are free admission. Everyone is welcome to seize the opportunity, leverage the home advantage, and cheer for our national players!