3-Cushion
TERNEUZEN - The Agipi team, which is the multiple European champion, has automatically qualified for the final round of the European Cup and don't need to fear the strong Portuguese team with Dick Jaspers and Martin Horn. The Dutchman and the German will not make the trip to Matosinhos this weekend to play the preliminaries with the team of Leixões. ,,The team or the sponsor have financial problems, so we do not play,'' Jaspers says.
The sports club Leixões from Matosinhos, near by Porto, is an omni club with a rich history. Best known is the football club, who played for many at the highest level in Portugal and even played European matches. In the Leixões club there are also other sports such as volleyball, boxing, karate, swimming and billiards.
Dick Jaspers and Martin Horn are contracted by Leixões for the national league in three cushion and had an appointment too for the European Cup. They would play this weekend in Group B with Zurich (Switzerland), BC Ondokusmayis (Turkey) and Elversberg (Germany). The sponsor of the team however didn't give the guarantee for the money, that's why Jaspers and Horn will not play.
For sure that is a devaluation for the European Cup and it proves once again how sad it is that Jaspers and Horn don't play for their Dutch sponsor. The team of Van Donge en De Roo won the Dutch Cup last month with Dick Jaspers, Torbjörn Blomdahl, Martin Horn and Jean van Erp. It would, in that composition, undoubtedly be the biggest competitor to Agipi in the battle for the European Cup.
The team of Zürich, which would play in Group B, has cancelled participation and will not play. Therefore nineteen teams, divided into five groups, are playing the qualifying rounds this weekend. The winners meet in the Agipi arena in Schiltigheim from June 9 to 12.
The most known players who come in action this weekend are Eddy Merckx, Semih Sayginer, Dani Sánchez, Tayfun Tasdemir, Dion Nelin, Jef Philipoom, Murat Naci Coklu, Ruben Legazpi, Javier Palazón, Tonny Carlsen, Brian Zola Hansen, Jacob Haack Sorensen, Roland Forthomme, Michael Nilsson and Peter de Backer.
Groupe A: (Alicante)
Caseta Nova (Spain): Tayfun Tasdemir, Murat Naci Coklu, Ruben Legazpi, Javier Palazón
Snellen Recycling (Netherlands): Peter Ceulemans, Jean van Erp, Barry van Beers, Harry van de Ven.
BC De Ploeg (Belgium): Allan Jensen, Dirk Weeremans, Wesley de Jaeger, Bart Ceulemans.
BK Grøndal (Denmark): Dion Nelin, Tonny Carlsen, Brian Zola Hansen, Jacob Haack-Sorensen.
Group B: (Matosishos)
Leixões (Portugal): Carapuco Americo Rui, Pedro Pais.
xOndokusmayis (Turkey) Mustafa Ocak, Engin Tuluk, Emrullah Basegmez, Kemal Atamar.
BC Elversberg (Germany), Joseph Philipoom, Johann Schirmbrand, Klaus Bösel, Marx.
Groupe C: (Porto)
Porto (Portugal): Daniel Sánchez, Semih Sayginer, Joao Ferreira, Manuel Santos Oliveira.
Andernos (France): Roland Forthomme, Peter de Backer, Francis Connesson, Marc Boingnères.
BC Elite Wien (Austria): Andreas Horvath Andreas Kronlachner, Thomas Wagner, Manfred Müller.
Zeytinburnu (Turkey): Incekara Hakan, Mehmet Can Capak, Soner Tas, Serdar Bas.
Groupe D: (Valencia)
Gandia (Spain): Eddy Leppens, Sergio Jimenez, Alfonso Legazpi, Jesus Gallen.
Catania (Italy): Domenico Mingiardi, Alfio Basile, Biago Buzzanga, Paolo Niceforo.
Kortrijk (Belgium): Ronny Brants, Henk Blauwblomme, Francky Van Coillie, Alex Vercouillie.
Clichy-Montmartre (France): Eddy Merckx, Michael Nilsson, Richard Bitalis, Jean Reverchon.
Groupe E: (Vienna)
Leopoldstadt (Austria): Gerhard Kostistansky, Franz Gmeiner, Georg Schmied, Zoran Gajs.
Horster Eck (Germany): Haeng Jik Kim, Thorsten Frings, Markus Domer, Frank Eversmann.
Albers Lund (Denmark): Brian Knudsen, Allan Schroeder, Bo Christensen, Soeren Anderson.
Mari Sala (Italy): Aldo Visco, Notarrigo Michele, Giuseppe Criscino, Francesco Orlando.