Carom
The top players in the world of three cushion have their own thoughts and opinions about the plans of the UMB (World Association) and CEB (European union) for the future of the World Cups and the championships. Torbjörn Blomdahl had some talks in the lobby of the World Cup in Vienna with other players and with Jean Claude Dupont and Farouk Barki, the board members of the UMB.
The Swede isn’t a proponent at all considering the intended new system of registration and seeding for the World Cups with more qualified players instead of wildcards. Mr. Jean Claude Dupont, president of the UMB and his boarder have been spoken about that system, but nothing has been decided until now.
The main tournament of a World Cup has been played so far with 32, the twelve highest of the ranking, eight wildcards and twelve players from the qualifying rounds.
The UMB has the plan to bring back the eight wild cards to four (three less for the confederations, one less for the organizing federation) and to reserve four more places for players from the preliminaries.
Torbjörn Blomdahl says: ,,That’s basically an impoverishment of the tournament, because more qualifying players mean less quality. It means that in a field of 32 players going we have 16 qualifying players. That is contrary to what we want: the strongest possible occupation of the tournament. I would say: look at Wimbledon, where 128 ranked players are participating, supplemented with 20 qualifiers. That's one player on sixth of the total field. We’re gonna play the main tournament with 16 qualifiers on a field of 32.''
The Swede should want to keep the system of the wild cards what it is now. ,,We are obliged to the other confederations, because if we don’t give them their wild cards, will they ever organize tournaments in the future?’’
Blomdahl has also rejected the new CEB rules, to organize a European championship once every two years. ,,It's absurd that there can’t be found organizers for a European championship organizers to be found’’, he knows for sure. ,,A European championship is very cheap, because the federations pay the expenses of the players, the prize money is low, there is publicity, they can find sponsors for such a tournament. I am sure that if they search for one day, they will find an organizer, but they did’nt. This is the most easy way, don’t organize every year, but every two years. That’s very bad for the international calendar.''