Dutch three cushion league, the teams, the chances

08/21/2016

Published by frits bakker

The championteam Buffalo.nl from The Hague

NIEUWEGEIN - The new rules for the Dutch team league three cushion are supposed to give the overall level a significant boost. The new foreign players rule, which implies that each team may show up with a maximum number of foreigners, will affect the line-up. Many new players make their entrance in the competition that once was the strongest in Europe. The twelve teams start the long and exciting title race on Saturday 27 and Sunday, 28 of August, the last weekend is the 18th and 19th of March. The winter break is between December 11th and January 7th. The Hague team Buffalo.nl is the defending champion and with its four Dutch players again one of the contenders. There is no outspoken title favourite in advance. Buffalo.nl, TOVV/Royal Pro, STZ Zundert, A1 Biljarts and De Windhoek are most mentioned for top three positions.

Many of the foreign aces are announced for a limited number of matches. Semih Saygıner, for example, will play two matches for TOVV/Royal Pro. Danny Molier, the team leader: ,,We can expand that number, but we will decide later about that.'' Certainly, the Turk will make his debute on Sunday, October 23 on day after his exhibition in the Oogh of Vlaerdingh.

Dick Jaspers (as many matches as possible for HCR Prinsen), Frédéric Caudron (14 matches for Dallinga.com), Eddy Merckx (basically all games for A1 Biljarts), Tayfun Tasdemir (four times in the first half of the competition for 't Hartje ), Nikos Polychronopoulos (at least six times for TOVV/Royal Pro), Martin Horn (five times for De Windhoek), Murat Naci Coklu (depending on the availability of the German players in the Bousema Lochem team), Javier Palazón (reserve in team Buffalo.nl), Christian Rudolph (up to five games for Burgmans Billiards), Roland Forthomme and Peter Ceulemans (basically all matches for STZ Zundert), Dion Nelin (four times for TOVV 2), Birol Uymaz (12 times for TOVV 2) and Kostas Kokkoris (2 times for TOVV 2) and Semih Saygıner are the best known public faces in the league.

The important change for the competition is that all games will be played to forty caroms instead of fifty in the coming season.

The summary of the teams:

Buffalo.nl

Glenn Hoffman remains the leader in last season's champions team. The other three in the Dutch team are Jean van Erp, Jeffrey Jorissen and Herman van Daalen. Javier Palazón was added as a reserve, but will only play in case one of the regular players is incapacitated. The same goes for Dustin Jäschke.

STZ Zundert

The solid line-up with Roland Forthomme, Peter Ceulemans, Barry van Beers and Raymon Groot will perform in almost all the games. Thorsten Frings and Roland Uijtdewillegen are the best known names on the reserve list.

A1 Biljarts

Eddy Merckx is again the strong leader of the team, which also plays in its best composition with Gerwin Valentijn, Martien van der Spoel, Henk Blauwblomme and Addie Wienk.

Dallinga.com

Frédéric Caudron will show up as the number one fourteen times, Jean Paul de Bruijn eighteen times. The Belgian Steven Van Acker, who had a strong last year, plays all the matches, Patrick Vasseur is the fourth man who is occasionally interspersed by Bart Ceulemans, Dan Breur or Berry Dallinga.

TOVV/Royal Pro

Danny Molier has an opt-out regarding the composition of the team. ,,We want to increase the number of matches for Nikos Polychronopoulos (six games) and Semih Saygıner (two). The regular team consists of Martin Spoormans, Emilio Sciacca, Frans van Schaik and Richard Bitalis. ,,We aim for a top five position'', says Molier.

De Windhoek

The newcomer in the league will show up five times with Martin Horn, the core team consists of Raimond Burgman, Dave Christiani, John Tijssens and/or Henk Habraken, Adrie Demming, Hans van der Wurf.

HCR Prinsen

The leading player, Dick Jaspers comes into action when he is ablo to play (at least thirteen times, two are still uncertain), Peter De Backer is his substitute in the weekends that the Dutch top player is absent. The further line-up: Jelle Pijl ( moves to position two), Anno de Kleine, Dave van Geel, Raymund Swertz and Johan Claessen.

Team De Eekhoorn

Frans van Kuyk is playing in one in the camping teams of Jerry Hermans, Kurt Ceulemans, Kenny Miatton, Jack Wijnen and Jerry Hermans are the other solid players in the team that is among the sub-elite. Junior player Joey de Kok has been added to the selection.

't Hartje/Van Wanrooy

The Turkish players Tayfun Tasdemir and Savas Bulut play alternately four times in the first half. The four other players are Davy van Havere, Ad Koorevaar, Frank Martens and Ad Broeders.

Bousema Lochem

Ronny Hazewinkel, the team leader, will have to improvise, because the Germans (Stefan and Markus Galla) often operate in the bundesliga. Murat Naci Coklu, Gökhan Salman and Lars Dunch are the other foreigners, the Dutch are Therese Klompenhouwer and Stefan Spilleman, the Belgian player is Wesley de Jager.

Burgmans Biljarts

The rookie has captured two Germans who play up to five times: Christian Rudolph and Ronny Lindemann. The Dutch and Belgians in the base team, are Marco Jansen, Rik van Beers, Bert van Manen and Johan Royers.

TOVV 2

Sander Jonen, the team leader, wants to avoid relegation from the eredivisie. The regular team consists of Kay de Zwart, Sander Jonen, Ger Windt and Marcel Scheffer. Birol Uymaz is scheduled for twelve matches, Dion Nelin for four, Kostas Kokkoris for four and Ronnie Daniels for five. Jonen: ,,If we can find more sponsors, the foreigners will be able to play more matches.''