WLBS Announces 2016/17 Calendar
World Ladies Billiards and Snooker (WLBS) has today announced its provisional calendar for the 2016/17 Women’s World Ranking Series.
For the first time since 1995 the Eden Ladies World Championship will be held outside of the UK, at the Lagoon Billiard Room in Toa Payoh, Singapore.
The season will begin with the Paul Hunter Ladies Classic, a new event in Fürth, Germany which will run alongside the long-standing World Snooker Tour professional competition. The early rounds of the event will be played at a separate venue, with the semi-finals and final to be played at the Stadthalle.
The event will be followed by the LITEtask UK Ladies Championship in Leeds and the Eden Ladies Open Championship at the Cueball in Derby, before the one-day Connie Gough Memorial Trophy returns to Dunstable.
Following the Eden Ladies World Championship in Singapore, the season will conclude with the LITEtask World Festival of Ladies Snooker in Leeds, which will include mixed pairs, ladies doubles, seniors and under-21 competitions, as well as an innovative new 10 reds format competition.
WLBS President Mandy Fisher said: “I am delighted with our first calendar of events as the newly-formed WLBS and am really looking forward to the start of the season. This is the beginning of a great future for the ladies game and I would like to thank Eden Resources, LITEtask and the Northern Snooker Centre Leeds for their continued support.”
WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson said: “Today’s announcement marks the beginning of our efforts to engage more women and girls to take up competitive snooker. Fundamental to the growth of WLBS is that players all over the world have the opportunity to compete and the events in Germany and Singapore mark a new beginning. It is our view that engagement with the regional and national governing body network will see more women stars emerge and compete for place on the open to all, World Snooker Tour.“
The WLBS has also unveiled new branding to be used from the start of the 2016/17 season, including a purple logo design based upon that previously seen at World Snooker Ladies Day.
