WCBS Statement On Olympic Decision

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The World Confederation of Billiard Sports has been informed that Cue Sports are not included in the shortlist of eight sports to be considered for inclusion in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

While falling at this stage is disappointing for Cue Sports, inclusion in the process to date has been hugely beneficial and we are stronger and more united as a result.

We would like to wish the eight successful IFs the best of luck with their respective bids.

We would like to take the opportunity to thank all of the contributing parties to the bid including The World Pool-Billiard Association, The Union Mondiale de Billiard, the IBSF and the WPBSA – through their partnership the World Snooker Federation. We would also like to say a huge thank you to the Nippon Billiards Association of Japan for supporting our bid and making our voice heard. Finally we would also like to thank the International Olympic Committee for giving us a fair and transparent platform on which to make our bid.

Cue sports have made vast strides forward in recent years in terms of fulfilling the Olympic criteria. Snooker, pool and carom are played and watched by hundreds of millions of people worldwide. We are committed to continuing this progress in the coming years.

We will move forward more determined and more focused on achieving the status of an Olympic Sport and we look forward to starting our bid for the 2024 Olympics.