BERLICUM - The elite of Dutch all-round billiards gathered in Berlicum for the traditional pentathlon tonight. The young North Holland player Sam van Etten is the defending champion, eight players start early tomorrow morning (Wednesday) in the battle for the national title in five disciplines. The name has changed from Grand Dutch to Dutch championship pentathlon. The matches are all directly broadcast by kozoom.com. From Friday, also the Dutch championship artistic billiard is played next to the pentathlon.
The national pentathlon puts the best all-round players in the spotlight over the next five days. In the top field only players as Dick Jaspers and Jean Paul de Bruijn are missing. Dave Christiani, who won the tournament in 2012 and 2014, was added to the final field because Wiel van Gemert had to cancel.
The eight participants are Sam van Etten, Raymund Swertz, Michel van Silfhout, Ferry Jong, Gert-Jan Veldhuizen, Jos Bongers, Dave Christiani and René Tull. They are divided into two groups of four to reach the finals on Sunday, April 1. The NK artistic is also played with eight players in two groups of four with the finals on Sunday, April 1. The eight artistic players are René Dericks, Sander Jonen, Jop de Jong, Eric Vijverberg, Mark Janssen, Benny Smits, Patrick de Haan and Robert van Veenendaal.
The new Brabant stronghold in Berlicum is with the organization the successor of HCR Prinsen in Haarlo, where the last seven champions were honoured. René Dericks was the last champion artistic in Oosterhout. Michel van Silfhout was the most successful player in the last national championships with titles in one cushion and the 47/1.
The players and the group formats:
Pentathlon.
Group A:
Michel van Silfhout from Dieren
Ferry Jong from Zwaagdijk-West
René Tull from Alphen aan den Rijn
Dave Christiani from Huissen
Group B:
Sam van Etten from Schermerhorn
Raymund Swertz from Afferden
Gert-Jan Veldhuizen from Wageningen
Jos Bongers from Nijmegen.
The groups for the NK artistic:
Group A:
Sander Jonen from Badhoevedorp
Eric Vijverberg from Almelo
Mark Janssen from Hillensberg (Dld)
Patrick de Haan from Almere.
Group B:
René Dericks from Venray
Jop de Jong from Arnhem
Benny Smits from Geldrop
Robert van Veenendaal from Doetinchem.
The match lengths in the pentathlon are:
Free game, 300 caroms
Balk-line 47/2: 200
Balk-line 71/2: 150
One cushion: 100
3-cushion: 30.
The players in the preliminaries meet in a complete competition, where all disciplines are played in succession. The matches start every day at 9.30. The preliminaries are up to and Friday. The semi-finals are on Saturday, the final is on Sunday at 13.30.
In the artistic, the first matches start on Friday at 5.30 pm. The semi-finals and finals will be held on Sunday at 11.30 and 14.30. All matches are played to the best of 5.
The last ten winners in the pentathlon were Henri Tilleman (1992), Wim Maarsman (1993), Henri Tilleman (1994), Jean-Paul de Bruijn (2008), Henri Tilleman (2009 and 2010), Jean-Paul de Bruijn (2011 ), Dave Christiani (2012 and 2014), Sam van Etten (2016).
The last ten winners in the Masters artistic:
Rob Scholtes (2008), Martin van Rhee (2009), Erik Vijverberg (2010), Martin van Rhee (2011), Sander Jonen (2012 en 2013), Erik Vijverberg (2014), Martin van Rhee (2015), Jop de Jong (2016), René Dericks (2017).
The referees in the pentatlhon:
Henry Thijssen, Ad van den Brand, Gerard Oele, René Peters, Jac van de Ven, Sjaak Bleeker, Peter Huvenaars, Ad Broekman. Beoordelaar: Anja Groeneveld.
Referees artistic:
Ewald Holzhaus, Hans Mager, Jos Molenaar, Mario Immink.
The entry is free. The adress of the location: Den Durpsherd, Kerkwijk 61, Berlicum.
Sam van Etten, the title defender in the pentathlon