For three Belgian top billiard players, the World Cup in Seoul is the first trial of strength in the new season. Eddy Merckx is the last World Cup winner in Ho Chi Minh, Roland Forthomme and Peter Ceulemans are on the hunt for important ranking points. The Belgian trio appears at the start of the Kozoom Challenge Cup some four weeks later with Dick Jaspers, Marco Zanetti, two Turks, Murat Naci Coklu and Lütfi Cenet and the Swede Michael Nilsson.
The final of the Challenge is on Thursday 28, Friday 29 September and Saturday 1 October at the Espace Brémontier venue in Arés on the French west coast near Andernos.
Kozoom will be looking ahead to the tournament with interviews in the coming weeks. Ticket sales for the final have already started.
Today: the three Belgian finalists Eddy Merckx, Roland Forthomme and Peter Ceulemans.
Kozoom/Frits Bakker: The real international start of the season is in a good week in Seoul, Korea, how was your summer? Did you make any holiday trips?
Eddy Merckx: ''My summer was short, but this week we are on holiday in our caravan in Poppel near Tilburg, The Netherlands.''
Roland Forthomme: ''I stayed at home, it was nice again, a summer at home without having to travel.''
Peter Ceulemans: ''I enjoyed two weeks of holidays on the Costa Blanca (Javea) with my wife and children. And at the moment I'm staying at a wonderful location in Hannut for a weekend with friends. The batteries have been recharged, now I have another week to get ready for the World Cup. And next weekend I will show up in a Survival tournament organized by De Leug.''
Kozoom/FB: For Eddy there is the great memory of winning Ho Chi Minh City with the sixth place on the UMB ranking list as a reward. Roland and Peter are around 30th position. Peter was shining at the World Championship, Roland's best tournament was the World Cup in Ankara. Can you give us any expectations for the new season with the increase of the level in all ranks and the ever widening top in three cushion?
Eddy Merckx: ''It's hard to say what the future will bring. Because the opposition is indeed enormous. But so far we are not scared and given the results we still can compete with the top players.''
Roland Forthomme: ''As always I will do my best without too much pressure. It's difficult enough top stay on top.''
Peter Ceulemans: ''I made it to the last 16 at the European and World Championships. Also in the World Cups in Egypt and Turkey. In Las Vegas, I lost in the Q-round on 1 carom. Hopefully I can continue the line of good performances, starting in Seoul. But the level is high, even in the qualifications, so it is impossible to make a prediction''.
Kozoom/FB: Three Belgians in the final with eight in the Kozoom Challenge is quite special and a nice reflection of the strength of Belgian three cushion. Does it look good internationally as well? I mean: is there any prospect of more Belgian players going to the World Cups? Or is the top in Belgium very narrow, apart from the three of you and the two PBA players?
Eddy Merckx: ''I honestly have no idea if any new players have the ambition to play the tournaments.''
Roland Forthomme: ''It costs a lot of money and a lot of time to play everything. Few players can afford this. Philipoom and De Backer for instance still have the level.''
Peter Ceulemans: ''There is a lot of quality in Belgium, but unfortunately there is little support from the national federation. A lot of opportunities are lost, as well as the future of Belgian billiards.
Kozoom/FB: For Eddy that's for sure, Roland and Peter, are you going to play everything on the international calendar this year?
Eddy Merckx: ''Yes, I will play them all. Only so far there is a conflict on the calendar with the dates in January for the Belgian Championship and the Korean Grand Prix. I hope it doesn't remain that way, because then it's too choosey.''
Roland Forthomme: ''I will keep trying, because I keep believing that I can still show something nice sometimes.''
Peter Ceulemans: ''I'll play as much as possible, but in contrast with Eddy and Roland, I also have a permanent job at Telenet that I have to take into account. So probably, I will have to cancel one or two tournaments.''
Kozoom/FB: How do you look at the Kozoom Challenge final? What do you think of the system of preliminaries and finals, the games with three players in one match and the entourage?
Kozoom/FB: How do you look at the Kozoom Challenge final? What do you think of the system of preliminaries and finals, the games with three players in one match and the entourage?
Eddy Merckx: ''For sure it is very nice to do. We have to welcome variation and renewal.''
Roland Forthomme: ''For me a special tournament, my second home there. I like the qualification, sets of 40 or 50 don't matter much. They are all top players, you have to play well anyway to have a chance.''
Peter Ceulemans: ''For the second year in a row I could participate in this superb tournament. Kozoom people do everything to make it as pleasant as possible for the players, thank you for that. And I also like the set-up. Nice to try something different. I am looking forward to the final''.
Kozoom/FB: Kozoom wants to make the final attractive for billiard fans, do you expect supporters to travel to the final weekend?
Eddy Merckx: ''With me in any case some fans will come along. Milenca and her bompa Rinus.''
Roland Forthomme: ''I don't know yet, but I expect more spectators this year. We will see. In any case, I am looking forward to it.''
Peter Ceulemans: ''Possibly there will be some fans. We can certainly expect great matches with exciting sets and spectacle. I invite people to come and watch.
Kozoom wishes you good luck and a pleasant stay.
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