Announcing the 7th Annual $10,000 Bart O'Hearn Memorial Foosball Tournament - Austin Area Tournament Draws Top Table Soccer Players from Around the World

Enthusiasts and top athletes from around the world are already preparing to compete in an unusual, unique sports competition: the 7th Annual $10,000 Bart O’Hearn Memorial Foosball Tournament. To be held October 6-8 at Buffalo Billiards along the world famous 6th Street entertainment district in Austin, TX, this event is expected to draw over 150 table soccer (a.k.a. "foosball") enthusiasts, including international players and several members of the U.S. National Team.

Austin, TX (PRWEB) September 21, 2006 -- Enthusiasts and top athletes from around the world are already preparing to compete in an unusual, unique sports competition: the 7th Annual $10,000 Bart O’Hearn Memorial Foosball Tournament. The event will be held October 6-8 at Buffalo Billiards along the world famous 6th Street entertainment district in Austin, TX, this event is expected to draw over 150 table soccer (a.k.a. "foosball") enthusiasts, including international players and several members of the U.S. National Team.

Now recognized as an International Table Soccer Federation (ITSF) Pro Tour Series event, the annual Austin tournament has even been elevated to international tour status. This means the competition is likely to draw match ups between American players such as USA #1-ranked Billy Pappas of Lowell, MA and defending champion and former World Champion Tommy Adkisson of Oklahoma City, OK, against top ranked players from countries such as Canada, Costa Rica, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Women’s competition may also include some of the best in the world, including multi-time World Champions Cindy Head, of Sterrett, AL and Moya Tielens of Vancouver, British Columbia.

Players at the Master levels will play not only for $10,000 in cash and prizes at the event, but also for qualifying points to compete at the ITSF World Series Masters Championships in St. Vincent, Italy this coming November. As the last international tour event of the 2006 ITSF World Tour season, the Bart O’Hearn Memorial is the final chance for foosball Masters worldwide to qualify. With many of these top Masters playing exceptionally strong after the recent ITSF World Cup of Table Soccer in Hamburg, Germany, matches are expected to be extremely intense.

The tournament is organized by the family and friends of the late foosball enthusiast Bart O’Hearn, in his remembrance. The competition is sanctioned by both the United States Table Soccer Federation and the ITSF, and the tournament area is open to all spectators. Opening events begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, October 6th, with most finals occurring on Sunday the 8th. Competition will include categories for men and women from beginner to Master. Players can register for events on site, and all competition will be on Brunswick’s Tornado Table Soccer™ tables. Sponsors of the event include Austin Foam Plastics, Buffalo Billiards, Hull Supply Company, Custom Car Crafters, Access Controls of Austin, and Aquarius Pools.

Other ITSF 2006 World Tour events have taken place in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, South Africa, United States, the UK and more, with competitors from over 40 countries participating. In fact, this year’s tour was the largest worldwide table soccer pro tour ever, with even more to come for 2007.

For additional details about the event and the sport of table soccer, please see the following websites:

http://home.swbell.net/dradack/BartO.pdf - Tournament Flier & Information

www.foosworld.com - Player Profiles & Regional Tournament Information

www.table-soccer.org - ITSF Website/International Rankings

www.ustsf.org - Official U.S. Table Soccer Federation Website

www.foosball.com - General Information about the Sport of Table Soccer

For more information, photos, or for an electronic version of this release, please contact:

Joe Koonce, Tournament Director, Tel: 1-512-784-5134

Larry Davis, Executive Director, USTSF, Tel: 1-563-580-9485

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