The campaign for the Polish Team Championship title begins this Thursday at Galeria Echo in Kielce. Over the coming days, nine top-tier teams will face off in the first three rounds of the competition.
Competition Overview
The Billiards Ekstraklasa is considered one of the most-watched team competitions in Europe. The season consists of three sessions, leading to the selection of the top four teams for the Final4. Matches are decided by doubles pairs, where each subsequent pair enters the game with a lead or deficit built by their predecessors. Every team must field three pairs, utilizing at least four players.
This Season’s Contenders
Nine teams are competing for the gold this season:
- GKS Katowice: The defending champions and heavy favorites, featuring World Champion Wojciech Szewczyk and world-ranked player Daniel Macioł.
- Fortis Bilard Kielce: The 9-time Polish Champions who nearly secured the title last year. The team has undergone a generational shift, with 17-year-old Junior World Champion Jakub Chrobot replacing veteran Michał Turkowski.
- Returning Teams: Akademia Bilardowa Rokietnica, Europool Arkadia Tczew, Fortis II, Strefa Łódź, and Bank Spółdzielczy w Sokółce – Piotrowski Żuraw Białystok.
- Newcomers: Auta.ch-147 Break Warszawa and TCF HUB-Retro Team Kraków.
Schedule and Coverage
The inaugural match starts Thursday at 9:00 AM CET, featuring a clash between TCF HUB-Retro Team Kraków and GKS Katowice. A total of 12 matches will be played over three days at Galeria Echo.
Event Details:
- Livestream: tvsports.pl
- Matches and Tables: Available via the Polish Billiard Association (PZBil)
- Organizer: Polish Billiard Association (PZBil)
- Media Patrons: AzBilliards (USA), Pro9 (UK), Alison CHANG (Taiwan), 77.billiards (Philippines), and several local Polish outlets.