Alex Borg and Simon Zammit have been drawn against two former world champions in the group stage of the 2008 IBSF World Snooker Championships, to be held in Wels, Austria between October 27 and November 8.
A total of 183 players from 51 countries have entered these championships, 104 in the men's competition, 49 in masters (over-40) and 30 in the ladies' category. Tony Mifsud will represent Malta in the masters while Emeric Ellul is in the pool of referees.
Zammit is in Group A together with James Wattana, of Thailand.
Wattana, who changed his name to Ratchapol Pu-Ob-Orm a few years ago, last season lost his place in World Snooker's Main Tour but earned the right to represent Thailand in this year's ISBF World Championships after winning the national title.
The other players in Group A are Roger Dumortier ( France), George Louca (Cyprus), Ali Galilali (Iraq), Shuji Hase (Japan), Anthony McGill (Scotland) and Kirk Stevens (Canada).
Borg is in Group H together with India's Pankaj Advani who won the World Championships in 2003 in China and is also the current world billiards champion. Borg's other group opponents are Sebastian Hainzi (Austria), Ihab Alsalih (Iraq), Jordan Brown (Northern Ireland), Henry Killian (New Zealand), Thomas McSorley (Scotland) and Jean Marc Beauchamp (France).
The top four players in each group will progress to the knock-out stages which get underway on November 4.
Matches in the group phase will be best of seven frames.
In the masters, Mifsud is in Group E together with Karnchai Wongjan (Thailand), Pierric Lahilla (France), Stevie Baillie (Scotland), Alexanderr Trinkl (Austria), Joe Delaney (Ireland) and Rocky Cribb (New Zealand).
Meanwhile, Borg is currently playing in the Austrian Open which is being held at the same venue of the World Championships. The tournament started yesterday and the final is scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
Welshman Ryan Day, who lost to John Higgins in the final of the Grand Prix in Glasgow last Sunday, is among the 128 players in the Austrian Open.