Snooker: Llandudno to host new World Grand Prix tournament

World champion Mark Selby is likely to be among the 32 players in action at the Word Grand Prix

Llandudno's Venue Cymru will host a major new snooker tournament - the World Grand Prix - in March 2015.

The event, created by World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn, will be held between 16 and 22 March in north Wales.

The tournament will bring together 32 of the world's leading players to compete for a top prize of £100,000.

The top 32 players on a one-year ranking system running from the 2014 World Championship to the 2015 Gdynia Open will qualify for the tournament.

"This will be the biggest snooker event ever staged in north Wales and we are delighted to bring the sport to an area where we know we will get massive support," said Hearn.

Venue Cymru has previously been one of the venues for snooker's Premier League and the World Grand Prix will be the second major snooker tournament to be held in Wales.

The Welsh Open has been held at the Newport Centre since 2005 but Hearn indicated earlier this year that the 2014 tournament would be the last to be held there.

Hearn said he was looking at a new venue, potentially in Cardiff, where the tournament was previously staged at the city's International Arena.