3-Cushion
SLUISKIL - He travelled by car more than 1250 kilometres up and down for one match in the Dutch team competition this Sunday. Torbjörn Blomdahl (57), living in Backnang, Germany, is back in the world's top three after he won his sixth world championship in Denmark last year. The title has not really changed the life of the Swedish star player. The passion and high class that made him into a famous sportsman and globetrotter are deep in his heart. "I love my sport and I like to travel," he says in an interview in the Dutch billiards stronghold Sluiskil, where he keeps wonderful memories to thef five World Cups and one World championship he played there between 2006 and 2010.
Torbjörn Blomdahl loses his match this afternoon, facing Belgian Peter De Backer, 40-39, both slightly over 2 average. His team HCR Prinsen wins the match against Dallinga 6-2. The famous final Blomdahl sprint, which led Blomdahl to the world title 2020 (with an unlikely 8-7 in the shoot-out against Eddy Merckx), misses on one carom, because his cue ball is locked in a corner of the match table after a perfectly played bankshot. The seventh point from the break, a tough and long picqué, fails.
The year in which he can cherish his world title will be launched internationally with the World Cup in Antalya (17-23 February) and performances with the Swedish team at the European Championships in Antalya and the World Championships in Viersen, in which he plays with Michael Nilsson. ''We were not allowed to participate in Viersen for a few years, because we were too low on the ranking with Sweden. Now, we're back, I'm looking forward to play for my country."
The view on a crowded match calendar can only fire up Blomdahl's ambitions. ''The world title, didn't mean that I suddenly get more invitations. It has always been like this: I often travel to South Korea to give exhibitions and make some tours around. Usually, I can combine that with tournaments that we play there. I love doing it, because Korea is such a fantastic billiard country."
As long as he can continue to perform at his top level, the Swede will continue to play his role. "I will definitely not go on playing billiards as long as Raymond Ceulemans," he says resolutely. ''If I can't play on top level anymore, I will stop immediately. I had some operations recently and I have discovered that there is more in life than only billiards. But I still fully enjoy the game. I am 100 percent motivated and inspired. Due to my lower position on the ranking, I could not participate in the Continental Cup with Europe against Asia. It was hard to come back, but the world title yields so many points that I am top three again now. This year I want to play everywhere again."
A brief view at Blomdahl's 'suspected' international calendar (with the exception of the competitions in Germany, the Netherlands, France and Portugal):
February 13-16: European Championship national teams, Antalya
17-23 February: World Cup, Antalya
March 5-8: World Championship national teams, Viersen
April 15-19: Survival Masters, Korea
May 6-10: Survival Masters, Korea
25-31 May: World Cup, Ho Chi Minh
June 15-21: World Cup, Porto
July 1-4: European Championship individual, Berlicum/the Netherlands
July 6-12: World Cup, Guri
August 18-22: Survival Masters, Turkey
September 8-11: LGU Cup, Korea
Sept. 30/Oct. 4: World Cup, Turkey
October 11-17: McCreery, New York
Oct. 26/November 1: World Cup Veghel/Netherlands
November 4-8: Survival Masters, Korea
November 9-15: World Cup, Korea
November 20-22: Lausanne Masters
December 6-12: Sharm El Sheikh World Cup
18-20 December: Continental Cup.
Torbjörn Blomdahl, inspired to face a long marathon of events and matches in 2020