Carom
SCHILTIGHEIM - The Greek three cushion, which was close to dying a year ago, is rescued by a major sponsor. Thanos Athanasiou, ship owner from Athens with a company that has its head quarter in London, has offered a financial guarantee for the organization of a number of international tournaments.
The plans are impressive: three World Cups, starting this year and then with two tournaments in 2014 and 2015, a junior world championship in 2013 and a women world championship in 2014.
The Greek billiard sport was in big troubles with problems in the board and a financial crisis, for which reason top players like Filippos Kasidokostas and Nikos Polychronopoulos missed some tournaments.
These problems are history. ,,We are saved thanks to this sponsor’’, could be heard from the Greek corner during the preliminaries of the Agipi Masters in Schiltigheim.
Thanos Athanasiou is the savior in need. He was a player himself in the years around 1995, but was away from the sport for ten to twelve years: in those years he built up a big business.
Last year he returned: he spoke with some Greeks (players and federation people) who are strongly involved with billiards in the country. Then the IBT Hellas was created: an abbreviation for International Billiard Team.
The tournaments will be played in a setting with four match tables, which will only be used to organize big events. The daughter of the ship's owner will manage the billiards center.
The initiative for the organization of three World Cups in the next three years means a huge boost for the international calendar. Not only Antwerp, also Athens has been added to the UMB calendar these days.
That means that the World Cup cycle, with the organizations in Antalya, Suwon and Hurghada, will be extended to at least five tournaments.
Filippos Kasidokostas and Nikos Polychronopoulos, the two Greek top players who play the Agipi preliminary rounds this week, are very enthusiastic about the initiative. ,,Really, this is great news for the future,'' said Polychronopoulos.
The ship owner himself is also present in the Agipi arena these days to contact people in the billiard world and talk about the plans. He spoke with Koreans about the delivery of the match tables of the brand Vivace.
The schedule of the tournament in Athens:
16 to 22 September 2013: World Cup
3 to 6 October 2013: World Juniors
23 to 29 June 2014: World Cup
2 to 5 October 2014: World Cup Women
September 2015: World Cup.