3-Cushion
PELOPONNESE – Turkish player and European junior champion Omer Karakurt is one of the big favorites at the Junior World championship three cushion, from 3 to 6 October in Greek Peloponnese. His younger brother Berkay, of whom Omer says he has even more talent than himself, is one of the sixteen players.
Other contenders and well-known players are the Koreans Cho and Jung, Frenchman Adrien Tachoire, Portuguese Joao Ferreira, the South American champion Jose Garcia, Yusuke Mori from Japan and Manuel Lindao from Ecuador.
The Italian Vincenzo di Vuolo received the UMB wildcard, which made the field complete. The Greek Dimitrios Seleventas received the wildcard from the organization.
The European federation sends eight players to Greece. The American champion Jose Garcia from Colombia is the leader of a team of four: two Colombians and two players from Ecuador.
Two Koreans and one Japanese are the Asian delegation and Mohamed Elmessery, the son of Ihab Elmessery, known of the World Cup tournaments, plays for Egypt.
The Korean federation did an attempt for Haeng Jik Kim, the quadruple champion, to get a ticket for the World championship, but the reigning world champion has exceeded the age limit. The Spaniards David Zapata and David Martinez played their last junior tournament last year.
The sixteen players:
Omer Karakurt, Turkey
Berkay Karakurt, Turkey
Sergio Aparicio, Spain
Wesley van Apers, Belgium
Adrien Tachoire, France
Joao Ferreira, Portugal
Vincenzo di Vuolo, Italy
Jose Garcia, Colombia
Sanchez Christian, Colombia
Pedro Reyes, Ecuador
Manuel Lindao, Ecuador
Myung Woo Cho, Korea
Hae Chang Jung, Korea
Yusuke Mori, Japan
Mohamed Elmessery, Egypt
Dimitrios Seleventas, Greece.