2nd Annual Chinese Billiard World Championship to Commence in Yushan City in March 2016

Dec 22, 2015 01:05 PM EST

(Photo : gettyimages.com) Darren Appleton of the United Kingdom is the current defending champion of the men's tournament. He defeated Mark Selby 21-19 and became the first player to capture the title of the Chinese 8-Ball Championship.

The second annual Chinese Billiard World Championship will be held in March next year in Yushan City, Jiangxi Province.

According to Chinese state media, the 2016 championship will offer a total prize money of over three million RMB ($462,900). The winner of the tournament for the men's final will take home a price money amounting to 600,000 RMB ($92,614). The winner of the women's final will receive 400,000 RMB ($61,742).

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About 300 talented and outstanding players of world-class caliber including the likes of Darren Appleton, Mark Selby, and John Higgins will join the pursuit to the champion.

Englishman Mark Selby is the current world number one. He was the 2014 World snooker champion and he is a finalist in the 2015 Chinese Billiard World Championship.

John Higgins is currently ranked as the world's number seven. He hails from Wishaw, Scotland and is a veteran of the Sport.

The Chinese World Billard Championship had its debut in 2015 in Yushan. Darren Appleton of the United Kingdom is the current defending champion of the men's tournament. He defeated Mark Selby 21-19 and became the first player to capture the title of the Chinese 8-Ball Championship.

While in the women's event Bai Ge of China became the first woman to win the world championship after edging many of the greatest international women pool players in the world including the likes of Jeanette Lee, also known as "The Black Widow" and Allison Fisher.

The 2016 Chinese Billiard World Championship will be the start of a four year-session during which Yushan will hold four consecutive World Championships.

The championship is now listed in official matches of World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA).

WPA will be promoting the championship worldwide. "The sport, which China owns proprietary intellectual property rights, is becoming increasingly popular," WPA president Ian Anderson said.

TagsBilliard Chinese Billiard World Championship, Bai Ge, The Black Widow, WPA, Mark Selby, Ian Anderson, Allison Fisher, Darren Appleton, John Higgins, Jeanette Lee