World Cup with more than hundred players

SUWON – The World Cup in Suwon from 18 to 23 september in the Youth Culture Center, will be the second tournament in a series of only three for 2012. Korean Sung-Won Choi won the first one in Antalya where he beat Tayfun Tasdemir. Torbjörn Blomdahl was last year’s winner in Suwon, he then beat Jae Ho Cho in the final.

Twelve players are seeded in Suwon: the top-12 on the ranking before the WC in Porto, lead by Frédéric Caudron, Dick Jaspers, Torbjörn Blomdahl, Dani Sánchez, Jérémy Bury, and also Filippos Kasidokostas, Sung-Won Choi, Kyung-Roul Kim, Jae Ho Cho, Martin Horn, Marco Zanetti and Eddy Merckx.

Eight other players were given a wildcard: Tayfun Tasdemir and Raimond Burgman by the CEB, Carlos Campino and Heriberto Aristazabal by the CPB, O Takeshima by the ACBC, Kouji Funaki by the UMB and Koreans Jung Han Heo and Dong Koong Kang by the local organizers.

83 playes have registered to play the qualifications. 56 of them are from Asia, with 28 Koreans and 17 Japanese. Triple world junior champion Haeng Jik Kim, who has been called for military duty and therefore misses two seasons, is amongst the qualifiers.

From Europe, the Turkish players come in numbers, with Lütfi Cenet, Murat Naci Coklu, Savas Bulut, Adnan Yüksel, Can Capak and young Omer Karakurt.

Other familiar names: Michael Nilsson, Eddy Leppens, Roland Forthomme, Sameh Sidhom, Javier Palazón, Ruben Legazpi, Jean Paul de Bruijn, Andreas Efler.

The Americans are five strong: Luis Aveiga being the best known,  Colombians Campino and Aritstazabal were given wildcards and Robinson Morales (Colombia)  is one of the most successful players in recent years. Hugo Patino from America will also make an appearance this time.

Vietnam too has some good candidates, Xuan Cuong Ma for instance made it to the semifinal in Suwon last year.

The last qualification round sees many top players in the same group:
Lütfi Cenet with Anh Vu Duong.
Murat Naci Coklu with Jean Paul de Bruijn.
Robinson Morales with Choong-Bok Lee.
Javier Palazón with Andreas Efler.
Eddy Leppens with Michael Nilsson.
Adnan Yüksel with Vinh Ly The
Roland Forthomme with Youichirou Mori
Ruben Legazpi with Haeng Jik Kim.