3-Cushion
BOCHUM - The German team league was the stage for a wonderful phenomenon this weekend. Belgian player Martin Spoormans, at the age of 69, defeated two famous world top players on Saturday and Sunday: Martin Horn and Dick Jaspers. Spoormans was the amazing giant killer for one weekend. There is no time for a long interview. Martin: "I have to play golf early this Monday morning." The spotlights were on the Belgian never-give-up man in the German double weekend in the bundesliga. The Belgian, gray curling player came to the tables for his German team Elfenbein Höntrop, the number last on the ranking. Martin Spoormans was the leading player: he faced Martin Horn on Saturday, and Dick Jaspers on Sunday.
The result was superb: Spoormans won against Martin Horn (BC International), who by the way felt so sick that he hardly could stroke, 40-23 in 27 innings and one day later against Dick Jaspers, who played a 40-in-8 game on Saturday. Spoormans beat the world's number one: 40-22 in 17 innings, 2.353 on average, run of 12. These are the days of miracles and wonder in three cushion.
Billiards was a big part of his life for Martin Spoormans, who turns 70 this year. He played all disciplines in billiards, defeated all the top players in the world, was nicknamed Mister Carambola in India and England and was, among others, the referee and show master at the Supercup gala in Antwerp. These years, already, Spoormans said, "Billiards deserves more show and entertainment." He likes to look back on his long and remarkable career and about the highlights.
Just a selection:
X "I won the Belgiank championship English billiards in 1987 and once was the first European to beat an Englishman."
X ,, In the biathlon, to 25 points three-cushion and 150 5 pins, I became world champion in 1993 in Velje, Denmark. (other world champions in that discipline were Blomdahl and Zanetti)."
x "The best team I have ever played for was in Belgium with Blomdahl, Jaspers and Forthomme."
x "I was a national coach of Singapore for a few years, where I had to prepare players for the Asian Games."
x "I am known for making a lot of lucky shots (" Spoormansjes "), that's mainly because I play much harder than most players."
Martin Spoormans has his own funny language (never uses commas and points) to explain his matches. So he did after his two matches in the German league this weekend, in a short summary:
''I start well against Horn then he makes five 'brossen', then scores four and again two brossen he does not feel the table he says and too many 'carrotte' both then I make 4-9-4 he makes four on the break and I win 40- 23 I lose 'the toss' against Jaspers he makes six and then three 'brossen' then I make twelve and so go to the break and I look at the score board 14-36 in 13 I finish with 3 and therefore 22-40 first time that I win against Horn third time against Jaspers but we still are the last in the ranking ''
Billiards has become a hobby for Spoormans, as he explains with his private situation. His wife Marleen, who called him so touchingly "my little super man' after his German matches, is waiting for a lung operation. ''That's why I stopped all my individual playing and I am missing at the Belgian Multi's as a referee for now. I only play billiards if I can leave home. But I am still a UMB referee until 2022, then I think I will stop definitely."
,,I won against all the top players in the world in my career. That is because I am not afraid of anyone and never feel tension. Those top players must, like I do, hold the cue with two hands. That's my explanation for this weekend. Jaspers number 1 in the world, Horn number 14 and me 514. And after the Belgian championship I still lose lots of points, I am around 2000 then."
In the German league, BC Munich is the leader after two wins this weekend: the team with Lütfi Cenet, Kokkoris, Schirmbrand and Christodoulidis beat Elversberg 5-3 and St Wendel 6-2. BC International lost two match points: 4-4 against Elfenbein (Spoormans) and Bottroper. BC Magdenburg beat Bottroper 8-0 and played a draw against Elfenbein (Spoormans) 4-4. The most striking match was played by Dick Jaspers against Jean van Erp: 40-13 in 8 innings. Scores Jaspers: 2-3-20-4-0-0-5-6.
Dick Jaspers, a world class 40 in 8 match