Carom
BLANKENBERGE - The Multi championships in Blankenberge are in their third day. The stands are more crowded than ever, the audience takes it all in with gusto, and the (new) organization is happy with the way things are going. Patrik Mintjens, sports director, looks back on the first few days, and says: ,,It's going well, but of course their are points of possible improvement.'' Two balkline players who need three hours to complete their match, the last point being made well after midnight, 3-cushion players who have to wait a long time for the balkline to be finished. Those are the minor negatives the director is talking about. ,,But the stands were full in the afternoon, and in the late evening we still counted about 150 people.''
The organization of the Multi's has been rejuvenated. It is now spearheaded by the new chairman, Arthur Standaert, with Patrik Mintjens in charge of the floor. Kris Bostoen, the projected new general secretary of the federation, is the new change maker. Karel Kuhn is also new, Dirk Acx finally gets the recognition for all his input. ,,We have a great team of about eight people, with Leslie Meneer as our excellent MC, and we start to work really well together'', says Patrik Mintjens. Are the Multi's , as they are being played now, the right format to crown the Belgian champions in all the disciplines? We put that question to Patrik Mintjens and to two players, Peter Ceulemans and Frédéric Caudron, who watched from home the first days and now starts his tournament.
Frits Bakker/Kozoom: Why must the Multi's remain in their current format?
Patrik Mintjens: ,,It is a great week for everybody, with lots of fans who can choose what to watch. Most of the spectators are here for the 3-cushion, but many also enjoy the 1-cushion and the balkline. That is what makes this format perfect for us.''
Peter Ceulemans: ,,It has its charm, this gathering of disciplines in a single week. I would make some small adjustments, but keep the formula. For many people, it is the highlight of the billiard year.''
Frédéric Caudron: ,,The Multi's should stay, but changed. I think the 3-cushion should be seperate from the other disciplines.''
FB/Kozoom: It is a marathon of 124 matches, a giant undertaking both for the organization and the referees.
Patrik Mintjens: ,,Yes, the days are long, and they have been so far this year. But we get a lot of appreciation too, for the way things are. Everybody in our new team of organizers has his own task and we have tough days ahead. But I am confident.''
Peter Ceulemans: ,,For me, I am only playing 3-cushion, things are okay. I've played on Tuesday, do some spectating and I'll be back on Friday for the next round.''
FB/Kozoom: Admiration, praise, full stands, a feast of billiards. What are the negatives, so far?
Patrik Mintjens: ,,The duration of the matches is a point of worry. It is unacceptable that we can only close after midnight. The delays are caused by matches that take much longer than scheduled. There is not a lot we can do about that.''
Peter Ceulemans: ,,A match between Forton and Deraes that lasts three hours, that is a point of concern. Can we fix that? For example, by using a clock in all disciplines. That would be my preference. Two hours for a session should be enough. I would also advocate to shorten the match length in the classic disciplines.''
FB/Kozoom: Why not use a clock?
Patrik Mintjens: ,,I have thought about that. But how would you introduce a clock, for example the chess clock, to the classic games? Are you going to tell a player who is two points short of finishing his match: "Sorry, time is up, you've lost"? And to the other player, who has only two points on the scoreboard, that he has won? I can't see that happening. As far as the match length, I agree with Peter Ceulemans. We should consider that.''
FB/Kozoom: What are the dangers that hide in a tournament schedule such as this one?
Patrik Mintjens: ,,The schedule is thrown off by matches like the one between Deraes and Forton on Tuesday, and Deraes - Debaes. Slow players, who need a lot more time than for instance Caudron or Leppens. We ned to work with the players who have qualified. With Caudron or Leppens in 71/2, there are no such problems. But I don't blame anyone. Philippe Deraes came up to me to apologize for his long match, twice. I told him: I admire your game, your focus, we don't want to take away anybody's joy in playing.''
FB/Kozoom: So basically, the Multi's should remain the way they are?
Patrik Mintjens: ,,With a few adjustments, yes. The full stands prove us right. This event is a highlight on the calendar, every year. The length of the matches is not always a problem, it is always dependent on who plays. 150 points in 1-cushion sounds like a lot, but not if Caudron or Leppens makes them.''
Peter Ceulemans: ,,It is important to start on time, and not add delay to delay. And we must consider a clock or shorter matches.''
Frédéric Caudron: ,,My preference is, to separate. Multi's in one week, with everything but 3-cushion. You could play that a week earlier or later. I have decided that I do not want to play the classic games in the same week as 3-cushion. If the format were such that 3-cushion took place in another week, I would certainly play the technical disciplines again.''
The organizers invited young school children to come and watch the matches
The group of organizers at the Multi's in Belgium
Philippe Deraes: slow player, great focus, specialist in balk-lines