Masters in all disciplines

HOOGEVEEN - Three very strong French teams, the Dutch players Henry Tilleman and Jean Paul de Bruijn and Belgian Patrick Niessen, playing for the team of Etikon, the Spaniards of Centelles and the German DTC Bochum 1926 are starting on Friday the battle for the European championship classic games.

The tournament, which is organized by De Hoogeveense Biljartclub, will be played in Biljartcentrum L'Acquit in Hoogeveen. The six teams play on Friday 16, Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 March. The kick-off is Friday at 16.00.

Wolfgang Rittmann, president of the CEB (European federation) says: ,,The classical disciplines are the origin and basis of our sport. Free game was the first discipline. With balk-line and one cushion billiards was developping more and more. These disciplines demanded more skills of the player. In all those years the classical disciplines have become a delicacy for anyone interested in billiards.''

Three players, of whom every player in one of three disciplines, participate per team in 47/2 (300 caroms), 71/2 (250 caroms) and one cushion (150 caroms). The best six teams have qualified in the preliminary rounds and are now divided into two groups of three.

The format is:

Group A: Team Etikon (Neth), DBL Bochum 1926 (Ger) Oissel Billard Club (Fra).

Group B: SBPE Centelles (Sp), Soissons Billard Club (Fra), Andernos (Fra.

The matches start at:
Friday, March 16 at 16:30
Saturday, March 17 at 10:00
Sunday, March 18th at 9.00.
 
The final will be played on Sunday at 15:00 followed by the ceremony.

The teams and the players:
Etikon (Ned): Henry Tilleman, Patrick Niessen, Jean Paul de Bruijn. Res: Johan Claessen.

DBL Bochum (Ger): Fabian Blondeel, Ludger Havlik, Thomas Nockemann. Res: Christian Pöther, Paul Kimme Camp.

BC Oissel (Frank): Johan Petit, David Jacquet, Arnim Kahofer. Res: Fabio Vendittelli.

Centelles (Sp): Raul Cuenca, Jordi Carriga, Manel Bancells. Res: Frédéric Caudron, Esteve Mata.

Soissons Billard Club (Fr): Alain Remond, Pierre Soumagne, Patrick Dupont. Res: Jean Paul Boudoux.

Andernos (Fr): Bernard Baudoin, Nicolas Gerassimopoulos, Peter De Backer. Res: Jeremie Picart, Francis Connesson.