3-Cushion
VIERSEN - The reigning champion is at the billiard for the start of the World championship, the Netherlands B, which is called as a substitute too, the French team with Jérémy Bury as the frontman and the Japanese team, which left the chaos in its country and arrived a few days ago in Viersen. The championship for teams, in the Festhalle in Viersen, Germany, has begun this afternoon. It is the 22nd edition of a tournament which was dominated the last ten years by the golden Swedish duo Torbjörn Blomdahl/Michael Nilsson.
It's through the years a championship where the players participate for the honor of their country and themselves. The prize money is minimal, they can't earn points for the world ranking. Still, Dick Jaspers is there almost every year and Torbjörn Blomdal always plays in Viersen trying to increase his incredible record of eight victories (seven with Michael Nilsson, one with his father Lennart).
Frédéric Caudron, on the other hand, avoids the tournament for that reasons. Marco Zanetti doen't like playing there and even Sweden has send another couple. Michael Nilsson could hardly get some free days at his work and didn't received compensation from his federation for the days he could'n work. The new duo with Torbjörn Blomdal and Nalle Olsson plays for Sweden A, there is a B-team too with Mats Noren and David Pennör.
Which teams are the favorites for the title? The two Turkish teams in any case, they came in a strong composition to Viersen and usually show a great fighting spirit playing for their country. Lütfi Cenet and Tayfun Tasdemir showed so with their European title in 2009 for countries, Murat Naci Coklu and Adnan Yüksel, who now play as Turkey B in Viersen, surprised last year with the world title.
The Spaniards contenders are Dani Sánchez and Javier Palazón, the world champion individual and the bronze medal in the World championship in Sluiskil. Dick Jaspers is the frontman of the Netherlands, he plays with Raimond Burgman, with whom he won the world title in 1998 and 1999. The Germans have to be feared of course, in a room with their own audience and with the strong frontman Martin Horn. The Belgians with Eddy Merckx and Eddy Leppens and the Danes with Dion Neline and Tonny Carlsen. Torbjörn Blomdahl is even with his new teammate a title contender, although the form is not really impressive in recent weeks.