Filler's Junior Open POOL’S POWER COUPLE TO HOST JUNIOR OPEN EVENT THIS AUGUST

from Billiards Buzz - August 2023

2023 INTERNATIONAL OPEN ANNOUNCES FULL FIELD

Joshua and Pia Filler will host the inaugural Filler’s Junior Open alongside the European Open Pool Championship in Fulda, Germany from August 11-12.

• $10,000 prize fund on offer

• Tournament to take place on August 11-12

• Opportunity open to all juniors aged 17 and under

As part of Matchroom Pool’s commitment to growing the grassroots of the game for everyone, the Filler’s Junior Open becomes the fourth Junior tournament on the World Nineball Tour.

Both Joshua and Pia inspire up-and-coming pool players worldwide with their professionalism and achievements in Nineball with the tournament set to be open to Juniors aged 17 and under. The Filler’s Junior Open will offer a prize fund of $10,000, with 64 spots available following the same format as the SVB Junior Open, JS Junior Open, and FSR Junior Open.

Matchroom Pool is committed to the World Nineball Tour affording opportunities to everyone with entry free to all juniors taking part, and publishing the final of the event live on YouTube as well as highlights within the Sky Sports programme on August 12. Onboard Sportswear will provide a free custom Filler’s Junior Open jersey so all can feel and look the part as they do battle in the same main event arena of the second-ever European Open Pool Championship taking place at Hotel Esperanto Fulda from 8-13 August 2023. Aramith will donate the winner the set of Aramith Black balls from their final match so they can take home every memory of their prestigious Junior final.

The Fillers said: “We are super excited to host the Junior Open in Fulda! We are always following the younger generation as they are the future of our sport and it’s brilliant to see the passion, love, and fire for pool in the eyes of those young guns!”

“When we’ve been kids, we didn’t have such Junior Events on a big stage, so it’s just an incredible opportunity for every junior player, male or female, to improve and gain experience and we are more than happy to support that!”

Matchroom Multi Sport Managing Director Emily Frazer said: The professional game of Nineball is growing, and whilst the top pro’s now have a career path and future to look forward to it’s important to inspire and build the next generation of Joshua’s and Pia’s.

The Junior Open events are a great opportunity to give younger players aspiring to become a pool player, giving them experience in a Matchroom arena in front of crowds and television cameras. Khalid Alghamdi won the SVB Junior Open last September and now competes in the likes of Premier League Pool and World Cup of Pool – these events are a major stepping stone for the next generation of Nineball Superstars! Thanks to the City of Fulda, Sky Sports, and our partners Cuetec, Kamui, Diamond, Aramith, and Iwan Simonis for getting behind our Junior Open campaign.

The final will also be live-streamed on the Matchroom Pool social media pages with coverage also set to feature during the live broadcast on Sky Sports in the UK, Sport1 in Germany, and networks worldwide.

Going forward from The Filler’s Junior Open in August, players who are eligible will be permitted to enter both the Junior and the main Open events at all World Nineball Tour Open competitions.

However, if a Junior player qualifies for the Last 64 stage of the main event, they will automatically be removed from the Junior event. This is due to both competitions running alongside each other at this stage of the tournament.