Collegiate billiards and table tennis championships at IU this weekend

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Last modified: Thursday, June 28, 2012

Collegiate billiards and table tennis championships at IU this weekend

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 28, 2012

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Dozens of collegiate billiards and table tennis players from across the country will be at Indiana University this weekend, when the Bloomington campus hosts the Association of College Unions International's first combined Collegiate 9-Ball and Table Tennis Championships.

The Indiana Memorial Union will host the 9-Ball championship games in the Back Alley, while the table tennis competition will take place at University Gym. Competition begins at 4 p.m. Friday, June 29, and wraps up with an awards banquet at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 1.

Both events are sponsored by the Association of College Unions International, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to enhancing campus life.

"It's an honor to be able to host the national championships for collegiate billiards and table tennis, and we welcome these athletes to the university," IU assistant coordinator of games John Bower said. "These events can be a great way to learn more about the sport, or to watch a talented player performing at the top of their game."

To prepare to host the championships, the IMU purchased new billiard balls and re-covered its 10 pool tables with a high-grade Simonis 860 fabric -- in tournament blue, as opposed to its usual green felt. Table tennis players will compete with equipment on loan from the New Albany-based Southern Indiana Table Tennis Association and IU's Student Recreational Sports Center.

More than 80 of the best college players who represent more than 50 colleges and universities -- ranging from University of Hawaii to the New Jersey Institute of Technology -- will battle for the national title in a three-day competition. The players qualified at one of a dozen regional competitions to attend the event.

"These tournaments are a great display of student learning and community building," said Marsha Herman-Betzen, executive director of the Bloomington-based ACUI. "Both of these are at our core as an organization, and we are proud to continue this tradition as the sport grows and thrilled to host here in our home town."

Two IU students will participate in the billiards championship: Hee Suk "Brian" Myung, president of IU's Billiards Club and the Region 9 9-Ball Champion, and Chad Roahrig; while two others will participate in the table tennis championship: Aron Frank, a member of IU's Table Tennis Club and the Region 9 Table Tennis Champion, and Chun Kit Wong.

Competition games are open to the public and free of charge. However, there is limited public space at the IMU for the billiards games. For additional information, visit the ACUI website.

Several entities worked with the university to host the championships, including the Bloomington Convention and Visitors Bureau, IU Athletics, the IU Billiards Club and the IU Table Tennis Club.