The 32nd Annual VNEA World Junior Pool Championships has made its way back to Erie to host 250 competitive pool players from around the world, including the United States, Canada and New Zealand, to compete at the Bayfront Convention Center July 21-24.
The tournament was hosted in Erie in 2021 with adjustments due to ongoing travel restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, Erie will once again welcome players from other countries who were unable to attend in 2021.
“It’s always a rewarding experience to see these young athletes compete in a tournament worthy of the hard work and dedication they give to their sport,” said Ed Borgia, president of VNEA and partner of locally owned Warner Coin Machine. “The city of Erie is simply a beautiful location and the Bayfront Convention Center continues to exceed our competitors’ and their families’ expectations. Once travel restrictions were lifted, we had international teams who couldn’t wait to come visit Erie again.”
In addition to the world’s champions being crowned, this year’s tournament will also feature two special awards: the “2022 VNEA All-Stars” and the “Sportsmanship” award, to honor outstanding players in skill and sportsmanship. Players will also have the opportunity to meet highly-skilled professionals, including Tom Rossman, Dave Pearson and Jerry Briesath.
“It’s not every day that a world championship is held right here in Erie,” said Erie Sports Commission Executive Director Mark Jeanneret. “This is a great opportunity for young athletes to travel, compete and spend time with their families to experience Erie for themselves. It’s also a chance to showcase Erie to visitors from around the globe.”
Players will compete in three divisions – youth (ages 7-11), minor (12-15), and major (16-20). Regular competition will be held in male and female division singles, teams, and scotch doubles formats, with three skill levels including a sports division, redemption division, and a regular division to maintain a fair playing surface for all on 80 different tables.
The practice session will begin at noon on Thursday, with the regular singles sessions following from 2-11 p.m. The action will continue with Friday-Sunday kicking off at 9 a.m. and continuing throughout each day.
For more information, visit https://www.eriesportscommission.com/events/event/07/21/2022/2022-vnea-junior-championships.
There are no comments
Please login to post comments