Dutch League: two foreign players!

WOERDEN - In the upcoming season, the Dutch 3-cushion league will once again limit the number of players from abroad to two. The 3-cushion section of the KNBB has discussed the matter at length with the team leaders and others involved, and decided to change the rules. Other news from the KNBB front: Bennie Deegens is no longer chairman of the 3-cushion section. This comes at a time when that section has a lot on its plate: there are requests pending for the organization of the World championship for junior players and for ladies, and there is talk of a World Cup on Dutch soil.

Bennie Deegens, behind the scenes, will still keep busy developing a training program for junior players. Henny Wezenbeek has retired as sports manager. Nobody has come forward to fill the empty places. Paul Brekelmans is the temporary chairman, Hans de Bruin is both treasurer and secretary. Paul Brekelmans handles referees and juniors, together they manage the individual and team matches. ,,These are busy months, with four National championships, a Grand Prix, the WC for National teams in Viersen, and the developments around the foreign player rule.''

The foreign player rule has been a hot topic for some time, in the Buffalo League, the highest division in Dutch 3-cushion. Two years ago, it was decided to allow any number of players from outside the Netherlands. As a result, teams like DPC, Bousema Lochem, De Veemarkt and Dallinga often showed up with three or even four non-Dutch players. For these teams, the reversal of the rule is bad news, and they find it unacceptable. Danny Molier, team captain in Vlaardingen (Nikos Polychronopoulos, David Martinez, Birol Uymaz, Jérôme Barbeillon, Cédric Melnytschenko, Richard Bitalis and Martin Spoormans) has consulted a lawyer, the well known sports lawyer Keje Molenaar, and will challenge the new rule. ,,I am sure this will be off the table, as soon as European law is applied.''

According to the KNBB 3-cushion section, the cap on foreign players is legally sound. The team managers were officially informed yesterday. ,,The vast majority of teams from the two highest divisions have made it clear they want to return to the old situation, with a two foreign player maximum. The board has gone along with that preference, but has tested its legal merit first. The matter is sensitive, and has been hotly debated by other sports federations as well.''

The new rule:: a team must have a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 10 players. The number of Dutch players (on paper) must be 4 or higher, the number of foreign players (at the table) can't exceed 50 %. Danny Molier has sprung into action as s oon as the news came out. ,,We are not going to stand for this. I can understand that some team managers like it, but it is contrary to European law. So we will challenge. I have a lawyer looking into it.''

Paul Brekelmans: ,,If this gets contested and we don't get the result our way, there will be consequences for all European sports competitions. We have, therefore, also said we will ask the European Confederation (CEB) to take responsibility and make their viewpoint public. This rule will never be without complication, because there is no other sport where athletes can compete in five or six different countries.''

Bennie Deegens stopped his work as the chairman of Sectie Driebanden