Lisbon To Host European Tour EventThe first ever professional snooker event in Portugal will take place in December, as the country’s capital city hosts the Lisbon Open.
Running from December 11 to 14 and televised live on Eurosport (Dec 12-14), it will be the fifth European Tour event of the season, with all professional and amateur players eligible to enter.
Each European Tour event carries prize money of 125,000 Euros, with the top 24 on the Order of Merit after six events going through to the Grand Finals in March to chase the £100,000 jackpot.
Lisbon, on Portugal’s Atlantic coast, is renowned as one of Europe’s most historic and attractive cities, famed for its architecture, beaches, gastronomy and cosmopolitan atmosphere. Tourists from around the globe consistently rank Lisbon among the world’s great cities and that’s one of the main reasons for the support for this event from Lisbon Municipality.
World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: “We have taken snooker into many brand new territories in recent years and now we are delighted to bring a professional event to Portugal, which will be the 11th different country to host a European Tour event. We know there is a lot of support in the country and we are thrilled to be working with the promoter to bring the dream to reality.
“Taking our sport into new regions is an integral part of the European Tour’s success, and the fantastic television coverage from Eurosport ensures that our partners receive excellent exposure.
“For the players, visiting Lisbon for the first time is going to be a wonderful experience. But there will be plenty at stake on the tables with prize money and crucial Order of Merit points to play for.”
All the information about the tournament is available at www.lisbon-open.com