Wuxi to stage relaunched snooker World Cup

World Snooker's prestigious World Cup 2015 will be held in the city of Wuxi in China. 24 teams will be chasing glory for their nation and the US$200,000 winner's prize.

The snooker World Cup has a long history dating back to 1979.  Previous winners include Wales, England, Canada, Ireland, Scotland and the current holders China.

The 2015 World Cup will run from June 15 to 21 in Wuxi in China’s Jiangsu Province.

Each of the 24 teams will consist of two players, and there will be 23 nations represented, with host nation China allowed to enter two teams.

Nations in line to compete include Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, England, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Ireland, Malaysia, Malta, Norway, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Thailand and Wales. The full contingent of nations competing will be published following the completion of World Snooker's Q-School in May. 

Selection of the players will be based on their world ranking at the end of the 2015 World Championship.

The 24 teams will be divided into four groups of six teams, with each team to play five matches in the group stages. The top two teams in each group qualify for the knock-out stages.

The format will be a combination of singles and doubles play.  

WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson said: "We are delighted to bring the World Cup back on to the calendar for the first time since 2011, and especially to stage it in the wonderful city of Wuxi.

"World Cups are always fantastic events in any sport because the players feel as if they are representing a nation, and the fans in each country can get right behind their team. Snooker is usually an individual game, so to play in a team brings a new kind of pressure. The players will be striving to climb the ranking list between now and the end of the season to earn a World Cup place.

"Snooker has grown massively as an international sport in recent years so it is fitting that we are now bringing back the World Cup. There is some incredible talent out there among nations which have not traditionally been snooker hot-beds, and now those players have the opportunity to show their skill on a major stage.

“I would like to pay tribute to the CBSA and the promoter in Wuxi for their hard work in bringing this event to fruition. We plan for it to become a biennial event, with the next one to take place in 2017. With so much support for snooker in China, I have no doubt the World Cup will be a great success."

Original title by Sportinglife: Wuxi to stage World Cup