3 billion yuan to invest to build international billiards center

A total of three billion yuan ($479.2 million) will be invested to build an international billiards center in Yushan county, East China's Jiangxi province.

The sports brand Beijing Xingpai Group signed a contract with the local government to construct a 630-mu (420,000 square meter) cultural center for billiards during the first Chinese Billiards World Championship.

The championship began on January 24 and ended Monday, with Chinese player Bai Ge winning the women's championship and Darren Appleton, from Britain, winning the men's.

Chinese billiards is an eight-ball game that combines the precision of snooker and the flexibility of nine-ball billiards.

Snooker masters Mark Selby, John Higgins, Neil Robertson and Shaun Murphy, as well as 9-ball stars Allison Fisher, Kim Ga-young and Fu Xiaofang all took part in the tournament.

The event has gained support from the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA), the International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF) and the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA).

Original title by Ecns.cn:$479 mln to be invested in intl billiards center