# World Pool Association

The World Pool Association (WPA) is the international governing body for pool (pocket billiards). It was formed in 1987, and was initially headed by a provisional board of directors consisting of representatives from Australia, Americas, Africa, and Europe. As of 2023, the WPA president is Ishaun Singh of South Africa. It is an associate of the World Confederation of Billiards Sports (WCBS), the international umbrella organization that encompasses the major cue sports. WPA is headquartered in Gauteng, South Africa.

## History

In the late 1970s, Kazuo Fujima of Japan invited various European players to compete in the All Japan Championship. This led to cooperation with Europe, being the first time contacts between Europe and Asian associations had been made. However, most of the efforts were initiated by individuals, and progressed slowly. By the mid-80s, many European players, who had the European Pool Championship as their highest level of competition, have been aware of pool events in the United States and were dissatisfied with the development of the sport in the continent, and wanted to compete at a higher level.
In November 1987, at a European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) board meeting in Germany, the idea of a worldwide competition resurfaced. The EPBF board members used their own money to fund a group to create a logo, letterheads and communications with various pool organizations. Kazuo Fujima of Japan replied that Asia was interested in participating.
In May 1988, the group's general assembly was held in conjunction alongside the European Pool Championship in Stockholm, Sweden. The group formed a provisional board that consisted of Kazuo Fujima (Japan), Paul Gerni (USA), Jorgen Sandman (Sweden), and Horst Vondenhoff (Germany).
In March 1990, the inaugural WPA World Nine-ball Championship was held in Bergheim, Germany. The playing field included 32 men and 16 women in separate divisions, and has since become an annual event.
On March 3, 1990, the World Pool-Billiard Association was sanctioned by the general assembly as the international governing body for pool. The acronym WPA was selected so it would not conflict with the existing Women's Professional Billiard Association (WPBA).
Membership in the WPA has grown since its inception. In 1991, Australia and New Zealand, under the umbrella of the Australasian Pool Association, became members. In 1999, the organizations associated with Latin America and the Caribbean became members, and in 2000, a substantial portion of the organizations from Africa joined.

## Currently sanctioned tournaments

* WPA World Nine-ball Championship
* WPA World Ten-ball Championship
* WPA World Eight-ball Championship
* WPA World Blackball Championship
* WPA World Artistic Pool Championship
* WPA World Pyramid Championship
* WPA World Heyball Championship

## Partnerships

* International Heyball Pool Association (IHPA) - (Since 2023)
* International Pyramid Confederation (IPC) - (Since 1998)

## Member confederations and countries

The WPA members are grouped by six continental/regional confederations, who in turn, consist of members from a country's national federation. The chart and table shows the WPA's members as of September 2022:
In 2022 the Asian Confederation of Billiard Sports (ACBS) replaced the Asian Pocket Billiard Union (APBU) as the WPA continental affiliate for Asia.
| Organization (and map key color) | Member Countries | Member Countries | Member Countries |
| All Africa Pool Association (AAPA) | Algeria Cameroon DR Congo Egypt Eritrea Eswatini Ethiopia Ghana | Kenya Lesotho Libya Malawi Mauritius Morocco Nigeria Zambia | South Africa Tanzania Tunisia Uganda |
| Asian Confederation of Billiard Sports (ACBS) | Bangladesh Brunei China Chinese Taipei  Doha-Qatar Hong Kong India Pakistan | Indonesia  Iran  Japan Kuwait Lebanon Macau Malaysia Maldives | Philippines  Saudi Arabia  Singapore  South Korea Sri Lanka United Arab Emirates Vietnam |
| Billiard Congress of America (BCA) | Canada | United States | |
| Pan-American Billiard Confederation (CPB) | Argentina Aruba  Bolivia Bonaire Brazil Chile | Colombia Costa Rica Curaçao Ecuador Guatemala  Honduras | Mexico  Nicaragua Panama Peru Uruguay Venezuela |
| European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) | Albania Austria Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic  Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia | Germany Great Britain Greece Hungary Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Netherlands North Cyprus Norway Ukraine | Poland  Portugal Romania Russia Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey |
| Oceania Pocket Billiard Association (OPBA) | Australia | New Zealand | Tahiti |

## Board members

As of 2023, the WPA board consist of:
* Ishaun Singh (South Africa), President
* Shane Tyree (North America), Vice President
* Jorgen Sandman (Sweden), General Secretary
* Barry Jenner (Australia), Executive Director
* Melvin Chia (Malaysia), Technical Director
* Stuart Rogers (Australia), Media Director
* Viktoriia Nagorna, Parasport Division Director
* Kelly Fisher (Great Britain), Women's Players Affairs Director