They take their swimming very seriously in Jakarta. Most evenings in many bars across the city, you will find small groups huddled round tables of varying quality, whether playing or watching, keeping an eye on potential opponents, chalking indices or potting roses. In fact if not busy pool tables get it seems the waitresses racking the balls are busier than those who take beer to other bettors.
The Pool League Jakarta has been operational for the better part of a decade, with 18 teams from nine different bars currently boasts compete over 700 active participants.
I met some of the organizers of an evening to discuss the event. Geoff Culshaw is a jovial Canadian. After living and working in 37 countries, it has happened in Indonesia in 2007 and the first thing he did after unpacking his toothbrush was gravitate to the nearest bar with a pool table.
There was a natural thing to do. He played semi-professional in Canada and participated in the World Championships in Las Vegas in the mid 1990s
As we sat and talked and drank in the new bar downstairs Fez in Kemang, obligatory games of pool passes behind us, he explained the idea behind the IE8DC.
"It is the first of its kind in Indonesia," he said if they have similar competitions in Bangkok, Singapore and Shanghai. "We want this to be a national championship"
As the name suggests, players play as part of a team. A big difference to the JPL, where team members in rack off against opponents individually. "this is what makes it interesting," says Geoff. "Individually the players are very good, excellent in fact, but in doubles, they must take account of what their partner wants or what particular strength of their partner."
The first competition is limited 32 teams, 64 players and organizers promise the best of the best in the Indonesian expatriate community pool
I asked if I could come in and he laughed, in fact most people at the table began. laughing. I wanted to complain they had not even seen me play, but to be honest instinct should tell them most of my shots had spectators running for cover.
" All competitors are projected, "said Paul Cross, another of the organizing committee," in fact, we know that we wanted to go and they are the best players in the JPL. " Given their involvement in the community pool this past decade, it was very unlikely that a good player has not been noticed by them.
"It is obvious that if a player there, we did not know wanted to go then we have a look at them." It was a challenge that I am!
The draw and an auction will take place on July 6 in the new bar downstairs in Fez in Kemang with the first round with 16 match ups. The competition itself will rack off at 11 am the next day, Saturday, July 7 and will continue until about 21 hours.
The first 16 games will produce eight winners who will go to the next round and so on until we reach the doubles final that will go head to head in the final for the prices offered. The winning team receives 10 million rupees and a trophy to be displayed in the bar, an upper end torque Meucci cues and chalk bag.
The finalists will receive 5 million rupees while the 3rd and 4th placed teams will get one million rupiah each. And each of the four finalists will receive their own trophy they can place in their trophy cabinet at home.
Nobody go home empty handed as the organizers set up a pieces of gift bag provided by different sponsors.
But it is not quite take. The proceeds of the auction will be donated to local charities will be the amount remaining after operating expenses have been deducted from the registration fee.
Indeed, with happy hour prices all day and live music in the evening raffle and following the final itself the whole event promises to be a lively and fun filled day with, as Geoff says, "some excellent pool played some excellent players," and the audience is "more than welcome".