The Kulttuuritalo invitational tournament will also be played next year.
18:55•Updated 19:33
The invitational tournament for snooker professionals organized this weekend in Helsinki’s Kulttuuritalo will also take place next year.
The eight-player tournament will be played on the 17th and 18th. May 2025.
Responsible for player acquisitions for the event Jussi Tyrkkö told Urheilu that he has signed a contract with seven top professionals. One of them is from Northern Ireland Mark Allenwhich recently rose to the top of the world list.
There are also five world champions, the most meritorious of which is the sports legend who won four World Championship titles John Higgins. The 49-year-old Scot has celebrated the title at the Crucible Theater in 1998, 2007, 2009 and 2011.
A player from Higgins’ generation who has played several exhibition matches in Finland and won three world championships will arrive in Helsinki Mark Williams.
Among the players who won the World Cup title, the 2005 champion will also appear in Kulttuuritalo Shaun Murphy and the number one of 2019 Judd Trumpwho also played in this year’s tournament.
Other contracted players include a two-time World Cup finalist Ali Carter and last season’s breakout player Zhang Anda.
– I am really satisfied with this team. The eighth player will be announced later, Tyrkkö said.
On Sunday night, it was confirmed that the eighth player is the reigning world champion Kyren Wilson.
China’s money had an effect
In this year’s tournament, Kulttuuritalo’s 1,400-seat stand was full in each of the seven matches.
Wilson and Carter, who was invited to the tournament with an early warning, will meet in the final, which started at 7 p.m. on Sunday evening.
Carter replaced the 2023 world champion By Luca Brecelwho canceled his visit to Finland for the second time just over a day before the start of the event.
– There will be no brecels next year, Tyrkkö said.
Also a seven-time world champion from the original line-up Stephen Hendry and genius Jack Lisowski withdrew their participation. The duo changed their plans and stayed to perform in China.
Tyrkkö admitted that money influenced the movements of the stars.
– In China, a player can receive triple compensation.
Turkkö acquired Hendry as a replacement by Robert Milkinsand Lisowski was replaced by someone who recently played in the World Cup final Jack Jones.
Next year, money will play a bigger role in Helsinki as well, as the tournament’s player budget will rise from 150,000 to 250,000 euros.
– Changes are always possible, but we want to be able to guarantee to the best of our ability that people see the players they have paid for, Tyrkkö said.
A professional competition in Finland?
Snooker, which is very popular in Finland, is trying to expand out of the British Isles and China, where it has mostly spent the last ten years.
– I’m going to tell the umbrella organization how great I thought this event was. Finns have treated me, my brother and other players so well. When 1,400 tickets are sold for each match, a professional competition should be held here, Kyren Wilson said in an interview with Urheilu on Saturday.
According to Tyrkö, the realization of the competition is possible in the next few years, but next year will come too quickly.
– There is stuff on the drawing board, Tyrkkö was content to say.
Edit: Added information that Wilson is the eighth player.