POOL fans are gearing up for the return of the UK Open Championship – and footballing icon Troy Deeney will be making an appearance in this year’s Telford tournament.
Eklent Kaci is the reigning nine-ball champion after humiliating Joshua Filler 13-4 in last year’s final.
Steve BellTroy Deeney has made the switch from football boots to cue sticks[/caption]
And the Albanian star will be desperate to retain his title once again at the first Matchroom Major event of the year.
However, ex-footballer Deeney could be a real dark horse following his wildcard entry for the competition.
But the Watford hero has admitted he doesn’t expect instant success – his main goal is to raise the profile of the sport.
Find out all the information on the UK Pool Championship below.
When is the UK Open Pool Championship 2024?
The UK Open Pool Championship 2024 will get underway on Tuesday, May 7.
It is scheduled to run for six days – concluding on Sunday, May 12.
Telford International Centre is the allocated arena for this iconic tournament and it can host approximately 4,000 fans.
Eklent Kaci beat Joshua Filler in last year’s dominant final.
How can I watch the UK Open Pool Championship 2024?
Fans can watch the UK Open Pool Championship on TV via Sky Sports.
NOW TV will also be streaming the entire tournament through any selected tablet or mobile device.
Alternatively, SunSport will have frame-by-frame action through our rolling live blog.
What is the schedule?
The full schedule will be announced once the qualifying matches have concluded on Sunday, April 28.
What is the UK Open Pool Championship prize money 2024?
There will be a total prize pot of £160,000 with the winner taking home £24,000.
Here is the full breakdown:
Winner: £24,000
Runner-up: £12,000
Semi-finalists: £7,600
Quarter-finalists: £4,800
Last-16: £3,200
Last 32: £1,600
Last 64: £800
Last 128: £400
What has been said?
Troy Deeney hopes that his participation in this year’s tournament will push the sport forward.
Deeney told Sky Sports: “It’s something different, isn’t it? Something completely new, I just like pushing the boundaries a little bit, and seeing how it goes.
“I’ve always got fond respect for any athlete in any profession. To do what they do takes hours and years of practice and dedication, so why not try my hand at it when the opportunity has come around?”
“The aim is to go there and not embarrass myself to be honest, but also be humble enough and vulnerable enough to know these guys have been doing it for years,” he said.
“You can’t just put a few months’ worth of genuine training into it and a lot of years of odd playing – sometimes with a beer in hand as well – and expect to beat these guys.
“But I know as soon as I’m involved in anything, my competitive edge will come flowing through anyways. I’ll give it a good go.
“My end goal for this is to push the sport forward as much as I possibly can.”