Matchroom Multi Sport CEO highlights incredible partnership with BTEA and BBSDF for a ‘better and bigger’ $1 million World Pool Championship in Bahrain next year
CUE SPORTS – Bahrain has received high praise for its dedication and vision as it gears up to host one of the biggest international events in cue sports next year.
The kingdom is set to be the new home of the $1 million World Pool Championship, the crown jewel of the World Nineball Tour (WNT), which will be held at Exhibition World Bahrain (EWB) in Sakhir from April 5 to 10.
In an exclusive interview with GDN Media, Matchroom Multi Sport CEO Emily Frazer expressed her tremendous excitement for the prestigious event.
She described the kingdom as ‘the perfect location’ and lauded the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) and the Bahrain Billiard Sports and Darts Federation (BBSDF) for being incredible partners as they prepare for the week-long celebration.
“The expectation is high to deliver a great event over here, and what’s brilliant is that we are working with partners who are passionate about these events,” Frazer told the GDN during her brief visit to the island over the weekend.
“I’m seeing that, with the BTEA, they’re really committed to the world championship doing well and we always work so brilliantly with a partner like that. They’re already thinking ahead, and that’s exactly what we do. We’re always never satisfied and we always want to do better and be bigger.
“I’m overwhelmed at the partners we are collaborating with for this event and we’re already speaking about all the different things we can do at EWB. I have been blown away by their hospitality and I know the players are excited to come here.”
It was announced just last month that the BTEA had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Matchroom Pool, one of the world’s leading organisers and promoters of professional pool, for a multi-year partnership to bring the world championship to the kingdom.
Matchroom are also connected with the Professional Darts Corporation, organisers of the Bahrain Darts Masters with the BTEA, Bahrain International Circuit, and sports promoters CBX.
The darts spectacle has been a massive success since its inaugural edition in the kingdom in 2023, and Frazer is confident that the World Pool Championship will follow suit.
“We’ve got a great partnership with the BTEA with the darts, which is always so highly spoken of, so it’s an absolute pleasure to be alongside these big sporting events here in Bahrain – it feels brilliant,” Frazer said.
“Nineball is an emerging sport, and the WNT was only started a couple of years ago, so we’re really in its infancy in terms of being worldwide.
“We have so many players from so many different nationalities on the tour, and Bahrain felt like the perfect location to bring our crown jewel. Bahrain have been very ambitious with their sporting events and to be able to host one of our best events here in the kingdom is really special for us.”
The World Pool Championship is set to bring a star-studded cast of 128 of the world’s best players to Bahrain, but there will be so much more in store for fans aside from the top-class pool action, with EWB providing the perfect setting, according to Frazer.
“There’s going to be lots of activities around this event – expect a fan zone area where you have different activations, and spectators will be able to watch all these different tables all at different times,” she explained.
“EWB is just purpose-built for this event. You’ll have that centre court – like what you call in tennis – with the main TV table, and then all the other 15 tables around it with different players. It’s going to be six days of just non-stop action.”
Frazer highlighted that one of the main objectives in hosting the world championship in Bahrain is to spark the development of the game locally and help top Bahraini pool players, particularly the kingdom’s young, up-and-coming talents, find a pathway into a professional career.
Bahrain’s very own Hussain Maroom, now 20 years old, flew the kingdom’s flag as a teenager in the past two editions of the world championship in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in 2024 and 2025, and will now have the opportunity to showcase his talent at home.
“Our plan is to develop the grassroots of nineball pool here in Bahrain as well as find new players, nurture them, and hopefully see them become a world champion themselves in the future,” Frazer said.
“It’s great going down to your local federation or local pool hall and play, but to be able to actually go up against the best players in the world is a whole other level.
“That’s what’s so incredible about bringing these events to different locations – Hussain is a great example of that. He will have the opportunity to go into the arena with the TV cameras, do interviews, have his family and friends and local fans come along to watch, and it will give him even more confidence and motivation.
“He and others can say that they’re going to get onto the WNT in the future and travel all over the world to play. It’s not something that is super easy because there are so many different talents in nineball pool from so many countries, and it can be tough for an emerging player. But that’s why we come in and go to a country like Bahrain and say, we’re here on a multi-year partnership and we’re not going anywhere!
“Our first year is 2027, but our plans are to grow and to develop the game. Every year should be bigger and better. Sell more tickets, get more players in, get more local representation.
“The plan isn’t to just every year have a wild card from Bahrain, but to have a player qualify through the ranking system.
“Let’s find new talent, and the BBSDF are really ambitious in helping their billiards and darts players come through. For us, it’s about creating the opportunities for these players, maybe get some coaching from some of our top pundits or ex-players, and get far in these tournaments.
“It’s about giving them the platform and the stage to shine.”
Other young Bahraini players will also have the chance to make a name for themselves during world championship week in 2027, with a junior tournament for players aged 16 and under to be held on its sidelines.
“The junior programme is a great stepping stone to the main tour, and imagine a junior Bahraini player coming in to play that event and then the following years, being a part of an open field event and climbing through the ranks.
“Not only are we coming here to Bahrain and just doing our one event and bringing 128 players. We’re coming here to develop the local grassroots, to develop the junior players, and to build a great and established event here.”
Amongst the sport’s biggest names who are expected to compete next year in the kingdom are defending world champion Carlo Biado from the Philippines, who claimed his second world title in 2025 with a dramatic 15-13 final victory over 2024 winner Fedor Gorst from the US, 2023 champion Francisco Sanchez Ruiz from Spain, and 2022 champion and five-time US Open winner Shane Van Boening, also from the US, among others. They will be competing for the game’s greatest individual prize next April.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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