11.10.2001...710 players from 31 countries and 30 vendors descended on Tokyo, Japan November 10-14^th for the $800,000 Tokyo 9-ball International Billiards Tournament.  With an enormously astounding $160,000 1^st place, it was the largest purse Billiards tournament the world has ever seen. 

The first rounds began on Sunday at various venues all over Tokyo.  The format is a race to 11, double elimination.  It just gets tougher and tougher as the tournament proceeds.  With names like Archer-1992-97 World Champion, Breedlove, Jones, Davenport, Deuel, Harriman, Kennedy, Strickland1990-91 World Champion, Williams, Chao, Babica, Horsfall, Reyes-1999 World Champion, Pagulayan, Luat, Lining, Kiamco, Bustamente, Acaba, Lely, Feijen, Paez, Galindo, Dominguez, Souquet-1996 World Champion, Immonen-2001 World Champion, Ortmann-1995 World Champion, and Sigel.  Not to mention the other 683 players from many other countries, including Japan with a very large list of participants that totaled 492. 

On Monday, play moved to the Sunshine City Convention Center, and the race increased to 13, single elimination.  Also, the cue expo began its show.  There were many vendors from the US including Sigel Cues, Espiritu, Richard Black, Tim Scruggs, Bludworth, Nova, Jacoby, Samsara, Prather, Dishaw, Joss Cues, Ltd, Whitten Custom Cases, and yours truly Ted Harris Custom Cues.  Other vendors were representing countries such as Germany, Belgium, and Japan, including the title sponsor Tokyo Pool & Cue, Ltd. owned by IBC President Mr. Hajime Tanaka. 

By Tuesday, the format had changed to a 45 second shot clock and alternate breaks.  Many big name players had begun to drop out; Mike Sigel, Nick Varner-1999 World Champion, Francisco Bustamante, Earl Strickland-!990-91 World Champion, Paul Potier and Kim Davenport, and had missed their chance at the top 64 spots. After Tuesday, only 8 players will remain.  

Going into the final day and the quarterfinals, it was Efren Reyes(PHI)-13 vs. Antonio Lining(PHI)-11, Warren Kiamco(PHI)-13 vs. Michael Schmidt(GER)-10, Fong-Pang Chao(TPE)-13 vs.Yang Ching Shun(TPE)-6, Johl Younger(AUS)-11 vs. Neils Feijen(NED)-13.  Then entering the semifinals, it was Reyes(PHI)-13 vs. Kiamco(PHI)-5, and Chao(TPE)-8 vs. Feijen(NED)-13, after Feijen was down by a score of 8-6.  Feijen was playing the best pool of his life.  

Getting ready for the finals, the tension in the room mounted.  We were all wondering who would win the biggest purse in pocket billiard history!!!?  Efren Reyes was playing up to his usual standards, and Neils Feijen was making a tremendous breakthrough, playing possibly the best pool of his life.  When the smoke cleared it was Efren Reyes by a score of 13-7, pulling out the 1^st place victory and the $180,000 1^st place prize.  In an interview with both players after the final match, they stated,

Efren:  “I usually do not break that good, but here the break was really working for me and not for him and that made all the difference.”

Neils:  “I could not get going, I was making a lot of balls on the break but then had no shot. I kept having to play safe and he kept getting out of them.”

A few minutes later, I asked Neils how he felt before and after the final match.
Neils: “I feel very relaxed!”

On Efren’s road to the finals, and $180,000!!!, he defeated;

Kaoru Tamaki(JPN)13-7, Kohei Inoue(JPN)13-4, Ming Wai Chien(TPE)13-7, Thomas Engert(GER)13-8, Antonio Lining(PHI)13-11, and Warren Kiamco(PHI)13-5

On Neil’s way to the finals, he defeated;

Takayuki Takeyama(JPN), Max Eberle(USA), Chia Hsiung Lai(TPE), Mika Immonen(FIN) 2001 World Champion; 13-7, Don Don Razalon(PHI)13-12, Johl Younger(AUS)13-11, and Fong-Pang Chao(TPE) 1993 & 2001 World Champion. 

Both of these gentlemen performed and carried themselves like true champions.  We are going to be seeing a lot more of Neils Feijen in the future.  I would like to say congratulations to Efren and Neils for their performance in Tokyo.  We should all thank the IBC, and all sponsors who supported this event.  Let’s all wish them luck in their endeavors. 

Below are more comprehensive results of the tournament;

1^st=$160,000-Efren Reyes(PHI)

2^nd=$64,000-Neils Feijen

3^rd -4^th=$32,000-Warren Kiamco(PHI) and Fong-Pang Chao(TPE)

 5^th-8^th=$16,000-Antonio Lining(PHI), Michael Schmidt(GER), Yang Ching Shun(TPE), and Johl Younger(AUS)

9^th-16^th=$8,000-Thomas Engert(GER), Corey Deuel(USA), Kun Fang Lee(TPE), Huang Wu Chen(TPE), Steve Knight(GBR), Marcus Chamat(SWE), Johnny Archer(USA), and Don Don Razalon(PHI).

17^th-32^nd=$4,000-Ming Wei Chien(TPE), Masaki Tanaka(JPN), Wen-Lo Li(TPE), Oliver Ortmann(GER), Yoshiyuki Niwa(JPN), Gou Takama(JPN), Danny Harriman(USA), Ralf Souquet(GER), Imran Majid(GBR), Tomoo Takano(JPN), Mike Massey(USA), Charlie Williams(USA), Jung Hua Chao(TPE), Kung Hung Lu(TPE), Shuji Nagata(JPN), Mika Immonen(FIN)

33^rd-64^th=$2,000-

65^th-128^th=$1,600-

129^th-256^th=$1,200-

The event, sanctioned by the WPA(World Pool-Billiard Association), was promoted by the IBC(International Billiard Council).  The IBC has a Board of Directors, consisting of Mr. Hajime Tanaka-President, Mr. Allen Hopkins-Vice President, Mr. Oliver Ortmann-Vice President, Mr. Shuji Nagata, Mr. Ko Nemoto, Mr. Kenichi Tanaka, and Mr. Mark Garrity, Secretary General. The IBC will host a World Professional Tour, which kicks off its 2002 schedule March 15-17 at the Super Billiards Expo in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, and after traveling to at least 7 other countries, concluding 9 tournaments later back in Tokyo again.

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