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Martin Spoormans, maestro in all disciplines

05/05/2011

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© © Frits Bakker
Martin Spoormans, prowd of the title Mister Carambola.

ARENDONK - The role that he played in the Hilton hotel in Antwerp during the traditional gala, where the world champion and the World Cup holder played for the supercup, put him in the spotlights and made him feel very comfortable. Martin Spoormans could shine there in a crowded room like a show master, as the referee in a match between two champions. ,,I think billiards needs and deserves more show and entertainment,'' says the Belgian, who travelled all over the world, not only for three-cushion but for all disciplines of billiards.

He got the nickname Mr. Carambola, which was given him in India and England. He he wears it with the pride that suits his image. Martin Spoormans (60 years young) is still a little vain, can speak hours and hours about billiards, is a very good company for everything and everyone before and after matches and is a billiards player who for many years is participating just below the top, in Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Germany.

Kozoom spoke with one of the most flamboyant and amiable billiard players in the circuit.

Martin Spoormans (from June 2, 1960) was born in Arendonk, is married to Marleen Marine, has a daughter (Christel) and a grandson of fourteen (Nathan), who is no billiard player but a rugby player, a fisherman and chess player.

Spoormans worked for 35 years in the company of Philips as a maintenance fitter, eight years ago he went retired after a restructuring, since that time he engaged in his hobbies, especially billiards, but also golf, fishing, walking in nature, such as in Canada, where he's spotting elks and deer.

Frits Bakker: Which disciplines of billiards do you still play?
Martin Spoormans: ,,Three-cushion of course and now and then one cushion. I'm a snooker-amateur and last year I was champion in my club Valkenhof in Arendonk, a club which I founded 25 years ago myself. My highest break is 81 this year.''
,,In English billiards I was the Belgian champion in 1987 and I played for the world championship in Belfast with sixteen players. I was the first European to win a match against an Englishman. Those days there were about fifty players in the professional circuit of snooker, my highest ranking was around 25. Every year, there were six tournaments, three in England, three in India. This year the world championship would be held in Christchurch, but it was canceled due to the earthquakes. Probably it is now played in Ireland in August. And I hope I will be on.''
,,I also play five pins and biathlon, in which discipline I was the world champion in 1993 in Velje, Denmark. Other world champions in this discipline are Blomdahl, Zanetti and Sjorup.''

FB: When did you start playing billiards?
MS: ,,My father bought a billiard table of 2.10 meters for 3000 Belgian francs (75 euros now) when I was twelve. It was in 1962. That table was bad, I think that's why I always play harder than other players. Since 1965 I played along in the Kempen, a league with ten clubs. In the first year I won all the matches in my class.''
,,At the end of the year asked Stan Laenen, who had a billiard academy in Mol, if I wanted to be member of his club. He teached a dozen of young players every Wednesday and Saturday. I rode by bike every Wednesday from school to Mol, from that time, with a cue, my grandfather bought for a hundred francs, at the back of my bike. Every time seventy kilometers for a few hours playing billiards. That year I played the Belgium final of young players in Pepinster and I won against Jean Claude Dupont, the current president of the World League.''
,,In 1975 I made the promotion to the highest league, together with Leon Smolders and Daniel Bruggeman. I was 25 then and that year my father died, he was only fifty years. I made the promise that I would quit with billiards when I was fifty and had played 25 years at the highest level, but I'm still playing now, because I still like it.''

FB: Which clubs did you play for through the years?
MS: ,,For MBA in Mol eighteen years, then Valkenhof, Wesenbeek Antwerp, Tienen, TBA, Lugo Antwerp and Biljart Express next season.''
,,In the Netherlands I was member of the same team for twenty years. It was called Ockenburgh in the first years, the club was founded by Joop and Raymond Nicodem. We took the title after some years and went up to the Premier League. I lost only one game that year and even won against Eddy Leppens. He had one more carom te make, went to his chair, because he was sure that he missed. I went to the table, made the last seven points and we were champion.''
,,In the Premier league I won a few good matches, against Sayginer and Merckx. With Forthomme, De Bruijn and Habraken a few years later, we grabbed the title in the highest league in the Netherlands.''
,,In Germany I played in Herne Stamm in Dortmund, where I won matches against Merckx and Leppens this years, the numbers two of the World championships in Viersen. The team doesn't want to play in the Bundesliga next year. Probably I will go to Duisburg, where I shall be substitute for Merckx.''
,,In France I play for the team of Gravelines, for the seventh year. This year I won against Caudron and Forthomme. I played 1.410 average, in Belgium 1.326, in Germany 1.369.''

FB: What was the best team you've ever played with?
MS: ,,The team of Lugo in Antwerp, in the first year with Blomdahl, Jaspers, Forthomme and me. We played a new world record average with 184 points in 84 innings. Three times on a row I was Belgian champion with Lugo, also with Caudron, Leppens and Burgman.''

FB: You're also known as one of the best referees in three-cushion.
MS: ,,I am referee for forty years now and was asked for many great matches, for example in the pentathlon at Dielis' place. There I stole with my eyes how the big players made the caroms. I was referee in a lot of finals at the World Cup tournaments in Sluiskil and many times in the match of the Super cup in Antwerp.''

FB: Which were the best matches in your career that you can remember?
MS: ,,The first time I won against Raymond Ceulemans was about 35 years ago. The score was 30-12 for me after sixteen innings, Ceulemans came back, but I just could win 60-53 in 48 innings. Against Dick Jaspers I was 41-21 behind in twenty innings. I finally won the match  50-49. Last year I won in Laxou in a match against Blomdahl, but I played my best match against Blomdahl with TBA. I was 25-4 in the lead, Blomdahl made eleven, in 21 innings the score was 47-43 for me, but Blomdahl finished with seven: 50-47 in 21 innings.’’
,,This year in France I played against Caudron, he led 25-21 in fourteen innings and finished with 25. I made eleven in the equalizer.’’
,,Sunday I played again a special match against Jaspers. He made four runs, one of fourteen, twice twelve and one time seven. Dick wins in fourteen innings 50-25.''

FB: Are there players to whom you don’t like to play?
MS: ,,I prefer to play against top players, because I know that I have to play very good to win and concentrate more than normal. I have no fear for anyone. Once I snookered against Steve Davis in Delhi in 1995, the World championship all disciplines was played there to 100 points snooker, 100 billiards, 100 free game and 100 pool. Davis won the tournament, I was fifth.''

FB: Why do people in Holland and Belgium speak about a Spoormansje when someone's making a lucky ball?
MS: ,,I make a lot of lucky balls, because I play harder than most of the players. Raymond Nicodem has named those lucky shots after me, so it has grown.''

FB: How long do you think that you will play billiards?
MS: ,,I hope at least another five years, if my health permits, so I'm fifty years an official member of the federation.''

FB: And your other hobbies?
MS: ,,I’m going to  play golf this year officially, so I start with a handicap of 36. This year I will be around thirty, next year between 20 and 25. In three-cushion I feel that I’m not even on top. Snooker players are practicing ten hours a day, I myself only practice in a week if there is no competition.''
,,I was also coach in Singapore for some years, where I prepared players for the Asian games. There I have a lot of good friends now. I hope to win the Belgian championship in English billiards this year and may play the World championship. Maybe the World Cup in Argentina cone. The ambition to play everywhere and develop is still there. The motto that I wrote in college was: ’Deo Gratias, Martin Spoormans, Mr. Carambola.’ I’m very proud to wear this title.’’

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