Topbilliards is near to the end in Waalwijk

WAALWIJK - The billiard arena of Café-Restaurant The City in Waalwijk for the last time is the stage for the two top teams on Sunday in the league. The team of Crystal Kelly, with Frédéric Caudron, Frans van Kuik, Raimond Burgman and Raymond Ceulemans, makes a last attempt to catch up the backlog of three points on the front-runner in the top division: Van Donge and De Roo with Dick Jaspers, Torbjörn Blomdahl, Martin Horn and Jean van Erp.

Wim van Cromvoirt and his wife Ina will close the billiard room of their café-restaurant after the season. That means for all billiard fans that the teams of Crystal Kelly and Melody Amber, which plays in a lower class, will disappear.

Joop van Oosterom, a legend already in the world of billiard sponsors, long time ago announced that he would stop his sponsorship, also for the international Crystal Kelly tournament, which was played for many years in Monaco with a large prize money.

The team and the tournament have a reputation in the international top of billiard. Frédéric Caudron, Raymond Ceulemans, Frans van Kuik and Raimond Burgman achieved great successes at home and abroad. The home games matches were very famous, with over years some historical records. Raymond Ceulemans equealized the run of 28, the world record of Junichi Komori. Frédéric Caudron played a match of fifty points in nine innings, the world record he shares with Blomdahl and Zanetti.

The City room closes its doors for the billiard, the café and restaurant will still be opened. Wim remains playing competiton, also in the league in Belgium and will occasionally participate in World Cups. ,,Glenn Hofman has become a friend of mine since he only was eleven, when I saw him play for the first time'', Wim says in Biljart Total. ,,I believe in him as a great talent and I like to accompany him when he goes somewhere in the world.''

Crystal Kelly plays his last home match on Sunday, May 8 against Verbrugge Hyundai. It's still not quite sure where the four players of the team will play next year. Frédéric Caudron is a candidate for a place in the team in Sluiskil, Raymond Ceulemans probably will only play in Belgium in the team of Mister 100, Frans van Kuik and Raimond Burgman are still negotiating with other teams.

The topmatch in the Dutch league will be played on full strength. Caudron, Van Kuik, Burgman and Ceulemans play for Crystal Kelly, Jaspers, Blomdahl, Horn and Van Erp for Van Donge en De Roo.