3-Cushion
NIEUWEGEIN/CAIRO - The world championship three-cushion for women and juniors will be organized in the Netherlands from 2020 to 2022. That has been announced by the KNBB section of three-cushion. Paul Brekelmans and Hans de Bruin, interim chairman and treasurer of the section, concluded their successful negotiations with the UMB (world federation). Therese Klompenhouwer, a world class player in women's billiards, reacts enthusiastically. ,,This is fantastic news for our sport and great for Dutch billiards.''
Paul Brekelmans considers the organizations of the World championships as a great boost for the youth and ladies in the Netherlands. ,,With the prospect of three World championships in our own country, we hope to inspire young talents and more ladies to play billiards. The section is already fully engaged in projects and training for youth and ladies. The podium of a World class tournament will certainly bring more publicity and exposure. We are ready to invest in a beautiful future for our sport.'' The cycle of World championship organizations, as in the Netherlands now, is unique in the billiard history. Never before World championships for juniors and ladies were organized in the same country for three consecutive years.
Therese Klompenhouwer, double world champion at the ladies, assures: ,,For me and for other ladies it is important that we can perform in these world tournaments with all the best players in the world. In the past, there couldn't be found an organizer every year. That it's for three years in our own country, makes it even more beautiful. That makes me even more fanatically than I already was: it motivates me to train more for these events.''
The World championship for the two categories will be played this year, 2018, in Turkish Izmir and in 2019 in Valencia, Spain. The organizations of these championships are brought together in one week. The first World championship in the Netherlands will take place from 20 to 27 September, 2020, in the following year from 21 to 26 September (2021) and in the third year from 20 to 25 September. The locations are not yet known. Hans de Bruin: ,,We try to organize one of the three championships near to Nijkerk, where Therese lives. She deserves it, because she is a figurehead for women's billiards all over the world.''
The application for the global tournaments was committed by the KNBB, then the CEB (European federation) and eventually the UMB decided to put it on the international calendar. Paul Brekelmans, who together with Hans de Bruin, took the lead in the huge plans: ,,At the World championship for ladies last year in Belgium, during the World team championship and earlier at the World Cup in Hurghada, we have orientated with the president of the UMB, mr. Farouk Barki. He is very happy with the fact that the Netherlands will be back on the international stage after a number of years.'' The last World championship for women in the Netherlands was in Hoensbroek 2006, where Therese Klompenhouwer was second as a very young player behind Japanese Orie Hida, the current world champion. The last Junior World championship was in Sluiskil 2014 with the Frenchman Adrien Tachoire as the winner.
In the first instance, the KNBB section of three-cushion is the organizer of the World Cup tournaments. The other organization within the KNBB, KVC (Carambole Association), has pledged its cooperation. Paul Brekelmans: ,,We want to offer billiards in the Netherlands a wonderful stage with these organizations.''
The KNBB organizers Hans de Bruin and Paul Brekelmans