3-Cushion
VIERSEN - Two days before the start of the World championship for national teams in Viersen the field is waiting for the great battle. The Greek team with Filippos Kasidokostas and Nikos Polychronopoulos was the last absentee, according to the reports from Greece for personal reasons. Nikos Polychronopoulos will give more explanation later today.
The preparations for the 28th World championship is in full swing. The Festhalle is transformed almost routinely into a splendid tournament hall, in which the world top will compete for the medals and honors.
The cancellation of the Greeks, less than one week before the start, doesn't make the group more easy. The Netherlands with Dick Jaspers and Barry van Beers is now facing Korea B with two world class players, Kyung-Roul Kim and Choong Bok Lee: certainly as strong as the Greeks. The third team is Vietnam with Ngo and Duong.
Germany B, the substitute for Mexico, shows up with Ronny Lindemann and Torsten Frings. Lindemann debuted last year in the Festhalle, this is his second performance. Torsten Frings was previously in the tournament in 2006, 2007 and 2010.
In the current season, Frings, who plays for Krefeld, proves that he is one of the best German players. Also in the Netherlands and Belgium, he constantly shines with high averages.
Most interesting groups in the preliminary rounds are including Group F with the Netherlands, Vietnam and Korea B, Group H, where two teams will have a hard fight for the group win. The multiple world champion Sweden with Torbjörn Blomdahl and Michael Nilsson faces Belgium B with the reigning world champions Frédéric Caudron and Eddy Merckx. Third country in this group is Austria.
The opening ceremony at the Festhalle in Viersen in Thursday (March 13) at 11.00 am, followed by the first matches at 12.00: Austria-Belgium B, France-Finland. Sweden shows up in the last game at 20.00 against the loser in its group.
On Friday the games start at 11.00 am with Turkey and the Netherlands on the tables, both against a loser from their groups.
On Saturday the last group matches are played at 11.00 and 13.30. Then the schedule continues at 16.30 with the quarterfinals. The semifinals are Sunday at 11.00 am, the final at 14.00.
The group formats for the preliminaries:
Group A: Belgium A, Italy, Luxembourg
Group B: Germany A, Egypt, Czech Republic.
Group C: Korea A, Switzerland, Venezuela
Group D: Spain, Portugal, Germany B
Group E: Japan, Turkey, United States
Group F: Netherlands, Vietnam, Korea B
Group G: Denmark, France, Finland
Group H: Belgium B, Sweden, Austria.