It’s sad but apt, the 2011 World 8 Ball Pool champion feels it necessary to introduce himself to potential sponsors and even other pool players, such was the poor quality in coverage and exposure during the 2011 WEPF World Pool Championships.

Adam Davis, who is without doubt one of the most brilliant and determined professional 8 Ball Pool players to have graced the baize in the modern era, sits alongside other great champions, but without the same level of pride or prestige.

This is one of the reasons why Adam will not be attending or defending his world title at the 2012 WEPF event. Instead the Stoke hotshot will be supporting the On Q Promotions Professional 8 Ball Pool World Championships, which will be staged in Gloucester at the purpose built cue sport arena of the South West Snooker Academy.

The sport of 8 Ball Pool has recently undergone a transformation from a tired and almost dwindling pastime, to a rejuvenated dynamic career offering spectacle. Due mainly to the hard work and somewhat visionary ambitions of a select number of promoters and individuals, the sport now has a totally fresh and exciting future ahead of it.

The sport’s professional players governing body (IPA) has come through a turbulent transition of power, one which divided not only the sport’s many associations, but also caused countless broken friendships amongst players.

The question is was it all worth it? Well the sport’s elite players think it was as they are now enjoying an amazing new series of events, with the sport’s finest equipment and facilities, a totally new and synonymous identity and to top it off, one of cue sports most respected and professionally managed promoters has now joined forces to ensure the sport continued development.

Q; We asked Adam why he was supporting the On Q Promotions World Pool Festival events.

“It’s simple really, I am the current World Pool Champion and I feel like I’ve been let down by the management of the event in providing such a substandard championship. I’m generally not the kind of person who likes to cause a fuss, but I’m almost embarrassed when someone asks me what I’ve won in my career, because I know the questions following will be; was it televised?, how much did you win?, are you famous from it?.

“It was embarrassing playing in a room which basically consisted of a few pool tables being pushed to the walls and a couple guys with a camcorder trying to make it look grand. Even the crowd were disappointed; there was no atmosphere and no buzz about the place.

“Already this season I’ve competed in an event which was staged at the South West Snooker Academy and not only was it professionally managed it was a massive step forward in raising the profile of the sport. This was an IPA event but now that On Q Promotions are officially supporting the IPA I know I’ve made the right decision to play in their World Festival of Pool.

“All I want to do is compete under the best conditions and against the world’s best players, seeing as all the professional players have declared they will be attending the On Q Promotions World Championship and not the WEPF World Championships then this is good enough for me.”

Q: Why did you stay with the IPA?

“I’m not a politician, and I certainly wouldn’t want the jobs of those who organise these events, but the way the IPA was heading really didn’t feel right and there was nothing new being introduced to inspire.

“When the word started to get out a that few of the associations players had new ideas which could reinvigorate the professional game I just wanted to hear more about the alternatives on offer. Sadly though because a few of the, then committee, found it hard to even listen to the options they decided to go about undermining the individuals and their ideas. A few decisions were made by the former committee, which in my opinion were not done so in the best interests of the sport or its professional players and I couldn’t support these actions.

“Since the start of the season our new committee has really impressed me with the introduction of many new ideas, but while keeping the integrity of the Tour. I’m really enjoying it, it’s also nice getting to travel and stay in new areas and great hotels”.

Q: What are your feelings about associations banning players, simply for making a choice?

“It’s so wrong, Pool players just want to play pool. No association or individual should have the right to dictate to others, especially when it comes to professional players. The WEPF decided to make the World Masters into an amateur only event this year then asked the professional players to attend their World Championships which runs alongside. This was done in pure retaliation against the professionals who stood up against the same man who runs the WEPF, who left as mentioned before from the IPA committee.

“Then to put the icing on the cake the EPA announce that any player entering other events not staged by them, will be banned. It’s madness, the simple truth is they are scared of losing power over the players, they obviously believe that if players are allowed to compete in other events then they will drop their support for EPA events. That only tells me these other events could be a whole lot better than what we’ve been used too, and the EPA know it.”

Q: Does it worry you that the On Q Promotions Festival finals will be Blackball Rules?

“If I said whole heartedly no I’d be lying, but if this is the way forward and can provide a positive and viable future for the sport then I’m happy to play them. They are not all that different from World Rules any way so I’m not overly concerned.”

Q: If you could change one thing about the sport what would it be?

“That’s the easiest question ever, one association with one set of rules played by all!”