Sixteen juniors launched in 'Blomdahl ranch'

PELOPONNESE - In the ranch, where Torbjörn Blomdahl won the World Cup with a fabulous world record two weeks ago, sixteen young talents start off today (Thursday) for the juniors world championship. They battle for the title, that was won last year by the quadruple champion, the Korean prodigy Haeng Jik Kim.

His participation was prevented by the regulations of the UMB: Haeng Jik Kim is a little too old to add a fifth title to his impressive honor roll. Two other Koreans, Hae Jung Chang and Myung Woo Cho, will defend the honor of the country. Haeng Jik Kim was the winner last year in the Spanish San Javier with 1.638 average and a run of fifteen, ahead of the Turk Omer Karakurt with 1.343, Korean Jun Tae Kim and Colombian Jose Garcia.

The tournament this year, in Peloponnese, which lasts until Sunday and will be broadcast live by Kozoom, has a number of contenders, including Omer Karakurt and Jose Garcia, the two Koreans, Frenchman Adrie Tachoire, Ecuadorian Manuel Lindao and Japanese Yusuke Mori.

Omer Karakurt is launched this morning (11.00 Greek time, 10.00 CET) against the Belgian Wesley van Apers, Jose Garcia faces in the next round Mohamed Elmessery from Egypt, the talented son of Ihab Elmessery. The younger brother of Omer Karakurt, Berkay, also belongs to the sixteen participants and starts against Joao Ferreira from Portugal.

The group formats are:

Group A:
Vincenzo Di Vuolo (Italy), Adrie Tachoire (France), Hae Chang Jung (Korea), Cristian Sanchez (Colombia).

Group B:
Omer Karakurt (Turkey), Yusuke Mori (Japan), Pedro Reyes (Ecuador), Wesley van Apers (Belgium).

Group C:
Jose Garcia (Colombia), Berkay Karakurt (Turkey), Joao Ferreira (Portugal), Mohamed Elmessery (Egypt).

Group D:
Myung Woo Cho (Korea), Manuel Lindao (Ecuador), Sergio Aparicio (Spain), Dimitrios Seleventas (Greece).