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Raymond Ceulemans: sensational comeback?

07/02/2013

Published by frits bakker

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© © Dirk Acx
Eddy Merckx and Davy van Havere, who played a stunning final in the Mr 100.

LIER - For the very last time in his career, a sensational comeback of Raymond Ceulemans at the World championship three cushion? Would not that be fantastic trick, now that the tournament is played in Antwerp (Belgium) this year? The master himself, who was on the Vip-table during the final of the BTS tournament in Lier, looked surprised and amazed.

But another former champion, Ludo Dielis, the organizer of the World championship, really asked, sipping from a glass of champagne: ,,Raymond, if you now say yes to me, then you will play. I have one more wildcard, it would be an incredible stunt for the world of three cushion.''

Raymond Ceulemans, who turns 76 this month (July 12), won 35 world titles, was 48 times European champion and 61-time champion of Belgium, made just one comeback earlier in his career. When Torbjörn Blomdahl (1997, Grubbenvorst), Dani Sánchez (1998, Rezé), Frédéric Caudron (1999, Bogota) and Dick Jaspers (2000, Saint Etienne) were launced as the new star players…, the emperor suddenly came to the World championship in Luxembourg in 2001.

And with a big smile to the whole world of three cushion, all followers, all his fans and all the billiard players, he won the tournament, ahead of Marco Zanetti, Luis Avila, Tonny Carlsen and Torbjörn Blomdahl.

But a comeback now of the greatest champion ever...? ,,Beware huh, I would still be able to be painful’’, he says jokingly. ,,I'm not saying that I can win against Caudron, Merckx, Jaspers, Blomdahl, Zanetti, the top players. But what comes behind them…? I don’t know, but if I have one of my good days…’’

And indeed, in the final phase of the competition, both in the Netherlands and Belgium, the master starred still regularly with averages around two.

,,Do you know, Ludo,'' said the reporter on the table. ,,You can wake me up in the middle of the night when Raymond says he's going to play.''

And so ended the chat, shortly before the final, in which Eddy Merckx and Davy van Havere boosted the tension to the limit and the current world champion eventually won with one carom (!).

They organization in the Mr 100 in Lier made it to a wonderful day: Kurt Ceulemans, his mother, Angèle, who worked all day to create a fantastic billiard room, Raymond himself, Koen, Bart and all the volunteers.

The BTS leaders could not ask for better promotion in the series of tournaments, that was closing the season in the Mr 100. It was, as it always should be, not only an afternoon to watch billiards, but with a lot of entertainment and ambiance as well. A young girl group, Amici's academy, entered between the matches. The Dutch billiards player and singer Ad Koorevaar increased the ambiance with a few songs.

For more than two hundred spectators in the stands in the back room of the Mr. 100, it was a great afternoon of billiards.

And Raymond himself? He shone in his own Mr 100 and enjoyed meeting all the people who like his sport so well.
He will be there, at the World championships in Antwerp in October, of course, as a guest of honor, as a historical figurehead of the billiard sport.

But as a player..? That would be a delicious stunt, mr Ludo Dielis...

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