Atlantis, Paradise Island Welcomes All-Star Line Up of 25 Sports Icons and 25 World Famous Poker Pros for Sports Legends Challenge
PARADISE ISLANDS – Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas is preparing to welcome 25 of the greatest legends in sports history and 25 world famous Poker Pros for the first-ever Poker News Sports Legends Challenge presented by AbsolutePoker.net, a four-day sports fantasy and gaming experience that will take place Sept. 14 – 17, 2009.
For the first time ever, sports fans have a chance to go beyond a typical athlete meet and greet or autograph session to actually play with and against 25 of the world’s greatest sports superstars. The Sports Legends Challenge is the sports fan’s ultimate fantasy featuring four days of casino gaming and golf cash prize tournaments with some of the biggest names in sports, including: Troy Aikman, Sugar Ray Leonard, Richard Petty, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Emmitt Smith, Reggie Jackson, Chuck Liddell, Tony Hawk, Joe Namath, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Mark Messier, Fuzzy Zoeller, Jerry West, Herschel Walker, Jim Brown, Randy Couture, Bobby Hull, Ozzie Smith, Laffit Pincay, Brooks Robinson, Gale Sayers, Kyle Petty, Lennox Lewis and Rocco Mediate.
To up the ante, the event will also feature 25 of the world’s top Poker Pros such as Phil Hellmuth, Annie Duke, Johnny Chan, Jamie Gold and Mike Sexton, who will play with and coach event participants. The Sports Legends, Poker Pros and participants will compete in a variety of events including No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em, blackjack, slots and golf tournaments to vie for up to $10 million in prize money.
The other top Poker Pros confirmed to participate include T.J. Cloutier, Layne Flack, “Cowboy” Kenna James, Antonio Esfandiari, Men “The Master” Nguyen, Mark Seif, Cyndy Violette, Robert Williamson III, Gavin Smith, Barbara Enright, Amir Vahedi, Marsha Waggoner, Kathy Liebert, Chip Jett, David Singer, Marco Traniello, Karina Jett and Robert Daily.
“We are truly impressed with the quality of the attendees, and the enthusiasm with which this inaugural Sports Legends Challenge is being received by sponsors and attendees alike. It promises to be a one-of-a-kind experience, and we’re delighted it will take place at Atlantis this fall,” said George Markantonis, President and Managing Director of Kerzner International Bahamas Ltd.
Event participants will compete individually and with a team in a variety of events including No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em, blackjack, slots and golf tournaments during the four-day event. The week culminates with the Sports Legends All-Star Poker Challenge, matching up the Sports Legends, Poker Pros and top-finishing competitors in a winner-take-all, No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em grand finale. This event will pair the top 25 finishing poker players with a Sports Legend in two-player teams, along with a Poker Pro as their coach, for a cash prize. The Sports Legends All-Star Poker Challenge will be televised nationally by FOX Sports Network on Nov. 26, 2009, Thanksgiving Day.
“The week of festivities will offer a ‘kick off concert’ by Colbie Caillat on Saturday, September 12th, and a myriad of events and socials through Thursday, September 17th … the energy should be electric,” commented George Markantonis.
“As a world-class resort and casino, Atlantis, Paradise Island is an ideal venue to host the first-ever Sports Legends Challenge,” said Bruce Bibbero, founder and chief executive officer, Sports Legends Challenge. “We have created one of the most elite and exclusive sporting events in the world, and our host venue has significantly added to appeal and excitement that surrounds this event.”
Exciting special travel packages have been created to make the Sports Legends Challenge an amazing value in addition to the event of a lifetime. These special-value offers include two-player packages that allow participants to experience the entire event for a single price. These incredible packages include five nights luxury hotel accommodations at Atlantis. And thanks to the event’s official airline, JetBlue Airways, JetBlue has dramatically enhanced the travel packages to include free roundtrip air transportation to and from the Bahamas from a variety of major cities serviced by JetBlue.
As part of the activities, the World Series of Poker Academy will hold a special three-day academy program as part of the Sports Legends Challenge headlined by all 25 of the Poker Pros in attendance. The Poker Pros will provide strategy, tips and offer instruction to the event participants.
In addition to the casino gaming, the Sports Legends Challenge also features a series of golf tournaments at the world-renowned Ocean Club Golf Course.
Sports fans interested in participating should visit www.sportslegendschallenge.com or call 404-869-5000 for information on how to register. A limited number of spaces are still available.
Corporate partners for the Sports Legends Challenge include PokerNews, AbsolutePoker.net, Rovia, WorldVentures, Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas, FOX Sports Radio, NTN Buzztime, Inc., VegasInsider, World Championship of Fantasy Football, The World Poker Store, Legendary Auctions, Golf Now powered by The Golf Channel, JetBlue Airways, World Series of Poker Academy, Magellan Jet, Alchemy3, Bluff Media, World Poker Association, Playboy Golf, and Imperial Jets.
