Kettering star Kyren set for the World Games

Wilson, who is currently ranked number 13 in the world, was announced as one of the competitors for the event by the World Professional Billiards & Snooker Association this week.

The Northamptonshire cueman will be joined by fellow top-16 player Ali Carter and defending champion Aditya Mehta in the 16-man field in the snooker discipline in Wroclaw.

Wilson and Carter will be among the favourites in a snooker competition comprising both professional and amateur players of both genders, who have won tournaments at all levels.

First held back in 1981, the World Games take place every four years in the year following the Olympic Games and are organised and governed by the International World Games Association (IWGA), under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The World Games are organised to promote sports representing affiliated federations and physical culture in general.

Since its formation, the IWGA has grown from 12 to 37 international sport federations including the World Confederation of Billiard Sports (WCBS).

The WCBS was granted IWGA membership on 1st January 1998 and at this year’s landmark tenth World Games, sees cue sports take their place on the world stage for the fifth time, having first featured at the 2001 Games in Akita, Japan.

Cue sports will be classified under the discipline of billiard sports at the 2017 Games with four competitions held in total. These include snooker, pool (male and female competitions) and three-cushion carom billiards events.

The Games start with the opening ceremony on July 20 at the Stadium Wroclaw, with the billiard sports events getting under way on Wednesday, July 26.

Wilson and Wellingborough man Rory McLeod, meanwhile, had mixed fortunes fin qualifying events last weekend.

Wilson booked himself a place in the Riga Masters, where he will play Ben Woollaston in the first round, later this month thanks to a convincing 4-0 victory over Alfie Burden at the Guild Hall in Preston.

A break of 70 gave the Kettering man an early advantage and he never looked back as he also had a visit of 61 to help him win the third frame on his way to a whitewash.

But Wilson missed out on a spot in the China Championship after he suffered a shock 5-1 defeat to Michael Georgiou.

Wellingborough-born McLeod did qualify for the China Championship, which is being held in August, as he won three frames in a row to come back from 3-2 down to beat Chen Zhe 5-3.

But McLeod was unable to secure a spot in the Riga Masters as he was beaten 4-0 by Xiao Guodong, who knocked in fine breaks of 127 and 132 on his way to victory.