VIERSEN - What nobody expected after the 2015 edition, turned out into a real surprise. The world championship for national teams will continue in the Festhalle in Viersen. The German organization, hosting the tournament 26 times before, has found a sponsor to organize the Worlds for the next three years in Viersen.
The signals were not that optimistic when Viersen's mayor Günter Thönnessen, CEB president Wolfgang Rittmann and former UMB president Jean-Claude Dupont closed the last tournament. The first man of the city Thönnessen gave little hope for a sequel. Rittmann showed his true fighting spirit, campaigned in emotional terms, but it remained doubtful whether the responsible were able to organize again.
The end of Viersen seemed near, due to a net loss of 12.500 euros, which previously had been paid by the city budget. The organizer now, eventually found a main sponsor: Sparda Bank West, whose branch manager Frank Josten read in the newspapers about the problems to continue. RP Online, the newssite of the 'Rheinische Post', reports: ,, I saw the news and could not imagine that the world championship would no longer be played in Viersen.''
The new commitment means that the nations World championship is guaranteed in Viersen for the next three years. That is great news for billiards: world championships organized for 26 years at the same location are unique. Viersen was already known worldwide as a major international organizer.
This year was the fourth in a row that the Belgian top guns Eddy Merckx and Frédéric Caudron grabbed the title. They beat the Koreans Jung Han Heo and Jae Ho Cho in the final match. The spectacular final was decided in extra time after the victories of Merckx against Heo and Cho against Caudron. The Scotch Double, a new, spectacular form of extension in three cushion, attracted the spectators both in the final knockout and the final. It was received with great enthusiasm in the Festhalle and on Kozoom.
The show now continues in Viersen, thanks to the support of the organization of services and goods. RP Online: ,,That includes the free use of the Festhalle and the setup of the hall. And also the required 22.000 euros prize money guaranteed by the UMB.
The billiard world is invited from 18 to February 21, 2016 for the 27th edition. Michael John, president of the German Billiard union (DBU) on RP-Online: ,,It would have been very unfortunate if the 26-year relationship was ended, because Viersen has a big name in the billiards world.''