Carom
NIEUWEGEIN - Two top players, who didn't show up for one year in the Dutch league, make there come-back this year. Martin Horn and Jean van Erp will play for Dekker Keukens in Utrecht and Martens Cleaning in Kapelle.
Dick Jaspers and Torbjörn Blomdahl, who were playing in the past for the champions team of Van Donge en De Roo together with Horn and Van Erp, haven't managed to find a new sponsor.
The Dutch league will be played with twelve teams. FDV Jacoby/Schuler Cues and 's Lands Welvaren/Iets Anders are new. Postkanalen dropped out of first league last year under the name of De Hazelaar, but returns to the highest level, because Hatrans/Twente has redrawn the team.
Van Wanrooij Transport is the new sponsor of former DKM Tools. Berendhaus Groep/horeca couldn't maintain in the highest league and will not return.
The top teams from the ranking last year didn't change that much. The main player who disappears is Haeng Jik Kim, the triple world juniors champion, who has to fulfill his military service in his country for the upcoming two years. He will not play for Van de Broek biljarts/Hanbat for that reason.
The champion team of A1 Biljarts will perform with their strongest players in Dion Nelin, Michael Nilsson and Raimond Burgman, together with Henk Blauwblomme, Martien van der Spoel, Addy Wienk and Ronny Brants.
Mineraal Holland starts in his strongest line-up with the Turks Tayfun Tasdemir and Murat Naci Coklu and will be completed by Steffan Galla, Jelle Pijl and Anno de Kleine.
Frans Bevers is again one of the title favourites with Frédéric Caudron, Eddy Leppens, Jean Paul de Bruijn, Glenn Hoffman and Peter De Backer. The fourth team in the playoffs last season, TOVV.nl/MCR, kept its top players Eddy Merckx and Frans van Kuyk, third man is Dave Christiani, the revelation of the year and Richard Bitalis plays at four. Emilio Sciacca is first reserve.
Davy van Havere, who surprised winning the Belgian cup in a final against Eddy Merckx, is leader in the team of FDV Jacoby Schuler Cues. He plays with his Belgian friend Steven van Acker, the young Dutchman Jeffrey Nijnatten and Belgian veteran Leslie Menheere. Therese Klompenhouwer, who left Van den Broek, is the reserve player, but will perform as well in Sluiskil in second division with Ludo Dielis, Bart Ceulemans, Berry Dallinga and Patrick Vasseur.
Also new is 'sLands Welvaren/Iets Anders with Francis Forton and Ronny Daniels. Henk Habraken made the transfer from Martens Cleaning.
The twelve teams with the composition:
A1 Billiards (Apeldoorn): Dion Nelin, Michael Nilsson, Raimond Burgman, Martien van der Spoel, Ronny Brants.
Dekker Keukens (Utrecht): Martin Horn, Gerwin Valentijn, John Tijssens, Jacob Haack-Sorensen, Jef Philipoom, Hans van der Wurf.
FDV Jacoby/Schuler Cues (Hoeven): Davy van Havere, Steven van Acker, Jeffrey Nijnatten, Lesley Menheere, Therese Klompenhouwer, Ben Deriks, Koen van Camp.
Frans Bevers (Sluiskil): Frédéric Caudron, Eddy Leppens, Jean Paul de Bruijn, Glenn Hoffman, Peter De Backer, Berry Dallinga, Patrick Vasseur, Meerten Dallinga.
Holland Mineraal (Lochem): Tayfun Tasdemir, Murat Naci Coklu, Steffan Galla, Anno Kleine, Jelle Pijl, Fabian Blondeel, Stefan Spilleman.
Postkanalen (Rosmalen): Wesley de Jaeger, Ronny Lindemann, Huub Wilkowsky, Arno Peterson, Marc Celen, Wilco van Wijk, Peter Stuiver, Marcel van Berkel.
Snellen Recycling: Roland Forthomme, Peter Ceulemans, Barry van Beers, Harry van der Ven, Frederic Mottet, Dave van Geel.
TOVV.nl/MCR: Eddy Merckx, Frans van Kuyk, Dave Christiani, Richard Bitalis, Emilio Sciacca, Jeffrey Jorissen, Hans de Groot.
'sLands Welvaren/Iets Anders (Kwadendamme): Francis Forton, Henk Habraken, Jack Wijnen, Ronny Daniels, Cees Wittens, Richard de Bruin.
Martens Cleaning (Kapelle): Martin Spoormans, Jean van Erp, Raymond Ceulemans, Guy van Litsemborg, Bart Ceulemans, Raymond Swertz, Jens van Dam, Kay de Zwart.
Van de Broek biljarts/Hanbat (Osdorp): Jérémy Bury, In Won Kang, Carsten Hjollund, Frans van Schaik, Rob Lamboo, Dick van Uum, Sander Jonen.
Van Wanrooij Transport (Oosterhout): Clemie van Wanrooij, Kurt Ceulemans, Jan Arnouts, Frank Martens, Ivan Stitschinsky, Ad Broeders, Wim van Cromvoirt, Eddy Willems.