As poolplayers across North America patiently wait to get out of the house and back on a pool table, APA is taking a proactive approach trying to ensure its 2020 Las Vegas championships ultimately take place if the pandemic subsides enough
to make pool tournaments possible later in the year. Therefore, APA has worked with its hosts at the Westgate Las Vegas to move its events to later in the year.
The APA World Pool Championships, scheduled for August 2020, are being rescheduled for Nov. 28 – Dec. 6. The event will include both the 8-Ball and 9-Ball World Championships as well as the Masters, Wheelchair and Ladies 8-Ball Championships. The event will take place at the Westgate
Las Vegas as planned. “We have concerns about whether or not an event will be possible in Las Vegas
in August, but at this point, it’s hard to know how things might look three or four months from now,” said APA President Greg Fletcher. “We’ve bought ourselves some time to make decisions in response to what happens with the pandemic in the next few months,” he added.
The move will give APA Leagues across the country more time
to resume League play and to schedule playoff and World Qualifier events
to determine which teams will qualify for thWorld Championships.
If the APA World Pool Championships ultimately cannot be held in 2020, APA would work with its League Operators on how players fund monies allocated to send teams to Vegas will be awarded.
While APA is moving the World Championships to December, it is prepared to host APA membersat the Westgate Las Vegas in August if circumstances allow.
The 8-Ball and 9-Ball Doubles Championships were scheduled to take place during the Poolplayer Championships, which have already been postponed. The Jack & Jill Doubles and Team Captains Championship were already scheduled to take place in August.
“We’re less confident about an August event at this point, but this at least gives us a chance to host these events this year if the pandemic situation improves in the next couple of months,” said APA Tournament Director Bill Tufts.
Should the August event ultimately be canceled, the 2020 8-Ball Doubles, 9-Ball Doubles, Jack & Jill Doubles and Team Captains Championships will have to be canceled and will not be rescheduled.
Players that qualified for this year’s 8-Ball Classic and 9-Ball Shootout will still get a chance to play in the event they qualified for. Those events, previously scheduled
for the 2020 APA Poolplayer Championships that were scheduled for this month (April/ May), are being moved to April 2021 and held in conjunction with next year’s event. Dates for next year’s event will be forthcoming. The combination of the 2020 and 2021 events will make for the largest Poolplayer Championships ever. Players who qualified for
the 2020 event will receive travel assistance funds and hotel
lodging at next year’s event.
APA is still evaluating its Junior Championships scheduled for June in St. Louis.
For onoging updates, please visit www. poolplayers.com