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JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia has received 13 wildcards to compete at this year’s World Pool Championship in Jeddah, which gets underway on Monday, and the Kingdom’s cohort cannot wait to pit their wits against the sport’s best.

The crown jewel of the World Nineball Tour, the World Pool Championship is making its debut in the Kingdom — its new home for the next 10 years.

In partnership with the Saudi Arabian Billiard & Snooker Federation and the Ministry of Sport, 128 elite players from around the world are competing for glory in Jeddah.

A total of 13 Saudi-born players are competing as wildcard entrants, joining 15 other wildcards in going up against the top 100 WNT players.

It is the opportunity of a lifetime for the Kingdom’s best and brightest — one they have dreamed of ever since they first picked up a cue.

“I’ve watched the World Pool Championship every year without fail and always told my family that I would play in the event myself one day,” explained Nawaf Shamardal, the Saudi star who began playing when he was 11 years old.

After many years, Shamardal is about to realize his lifelong ambition. The opportunity to compete in a major tournament against the likes of the defending world champion, Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, world No. 2 Fedor Gorst, and five-time US Open champion and 2022 world champion, Shane Van Boening, is one he attributes to Vision 2030.

“Our visionary leadership has made all of this possible,” the Saudi Arabia national team player said. “Led by Vision 2030, the investments we have seen in all sports — across all levels — have shown that opportunities for there for us to realize our sporting ambitions.

“With hard work and dedication over a long period, sportsmen and women can work towards their ultimate goal of competing in major international events right here in Saudi Arabia. I feel incredibly blessed to find myself in this position and I can’t wait to play in the sport’s most prestigious tournament in front of a home crowd.”

The Kingdom has hosted more than 100 international sports events since 2015 — welcoming over 2.6 million people throughout this time. With the World Pool Championship, the sport of pool becomes the latest to grace Saudi shores — following football, F1, boxing, tennis, esports, and more.

Crucially, the event is truly international. In addition to 128 players and over 40 nationalities competing, 15 broadcasters will showcase 2024 World Pool Championship coverage in more than 90 countries — 50 televised hours and 100 streaming hours.

For the Saudi players competing, making a name for themselves in Jeddah and progressing through the tournament could see millions of pool enthusiasts watching them in action from afar. However, the players are confident heading into the event and do not feel daunted by such a prospect.

“These are the kind of occasions why people around the world pursue sport in the first place — to play against the very best in the biggest events,” said Ahmad Al-Jabbar. The 31-year-old Saudi says he and his compatriots are looking forward to their first World Pool Championship appearance.

“We have spoken about these many times between practice; it’s important to embrace and enjoy the occasion and give it your all,” he continued.

“Sporting history is littered with sensational stories of underdog teams and players triumphing. If we play to our best levels, then who knows? Anything is possible.”

Shamardal and Al-Jabar are joined by Hussein Al-Mustafa, Othman Alzahrani, Fahad Alharbi, Ahmed Zahid, Khalid Al Ghamadi, Khalid Al Otaibi, Ahmed Al Ahmadi, Saad Aldress, Fahad Aldhayan, Abdullah Saeed Alshammari, and Waleed Albalkhi in representing the Kingdom in Jeddah.