HEERHUGOWAARD - The young Turkish billiard player Burak Hashas, 16 and one of the huge talents in Europe, is in the spotlights at the World Junior championship in the Netherlands these days. Together with German Amir Ibraimov, he belongs to the new generation of young players with already some experience. Burak Hashas is the European under-17 champion, already played in major events in his country and even faced Tayfun Tasdemir and Semih Sayginer in the final rounds at a Grand Prix.
Burak Hashas, from Istanbul, has been staying in the Netherlands since last week to first play two matches for Cues&Darts, the team from Tilburg where he is the guest of Monique and Huub Wilkowski. Those matches were his preparation for the World Junior three cushion championship, where he started today, Thursday 23th of September, in a group for the preliminary rounds with Camilo Galvis from Colombia and Milan Ettel from the Czech Republic.
Kozoom and KNBB asked the young European champion how he feels in the Netherlands, what his plans are there, how he wants to develop further in his country and the big events and what his first experience in the Dutch league was like with Cues&Darts.
Kozoom/Frits Bakker: How does it feel to be in Holland for the first time, playing matches for Cues&Darts in the run-up to the World championship?
Burak Hashas: Very exciting, of course, because it's very important for me to be here and play in the international leagues. Because here in Holland I can play in my first team.
Kozoom/FB: For what reason were you already here in Holland in the days before the World championship? How do you know the people from Cues&Darts?
Burak Hashas: Together with Gülsen Degener, we met Joeri Wilkowski and his mother at the European youth championship in Italy. Then, Huub, Monique, Joeri and Sven came to Istanbul and they invited me to come and play for Cues&Darts in the Dutch league.
Kozoom/FB: For sure, that was in preparation for the World championship?
Burak Hashas: I played one game in the second division last weekend in the team with Monique and one game in the first division against John Thijssens. Of course, that was a good preparation for the World Championchip for Juniors.
Kozoom/FB: How do you see your chances with the world's best juniors?
Burak Hashas: ,,Here at the World championship, I should have a chance. There are 5-6 strong players. I think the championship will go between them.
Kozoom/FB: At what age did you start playing billiards? Where? And who inspired you to play billiards and not a sport like football?
Burak Hashas: I started playing billiards when I was 9-10 years old, I had no thought of becoming a billiard player, because I was playing as a professional in football. Then, I quit in 2020 and turned to my billards career. My father also plays billiards but he is not a professional. As my hobby for now, I just like to play billiards. I live in Istanbul and I started playing there.
Kozoom/FB: What was your first title as a young player? And what were your most remarkables wins so far?
Burak Hashas: I became 3rd in Turkey in february 2020, then COVID already appeared. In April 2021 I became 3rd again in Turkey. Then, I took the title in October and November. So now I am the 2021 Turkey youth champion. I also won the first championship in 2022 in Turkey, and I am the European champion at small table under 17. In 2021, I participated in the men's Turkey championship for the first time. That tournament was held with 1500 people and I started from the 3rd round. I lost in the last 32 matches after passing exactly 10 rounds. And I finished as the number 51. Also at the end of 2021, a special tournament was played at Max Club with 250 people. I played against Tayfun Tasdemir in the semi finals. We played with handicap, Tayfun 100 and me 70. Result Tayfun 75 and i make 70 and won. In the final I played against Semih Sayginer and I lost in the final match, hé reached 100 and I remained at 63.
Kozoom/FB: Which school are you doing your studies in Turkey:
Burak Hashas: I am a 12th grade student, and I go to private school.
Kozoom/FB: How many hours do you spend at the billiard table? Who is your teacher? And what is named the club where you play?
Burak Hashas: I play billiards 6-8 hours a day. Bora Karatay taught me in 2015-2016. My clubis from Gülsen Degener and Tuncay Arslan's, where I play billiards.
Kozoom/FB: Who are your main opponents at the World Championship?
Burak Hashas: I think Nikolaus Kogelbauer, Maxime Panaia, Jun Hyuk Son and Dimitris Seleventas are my main opponents.
Kozoom/FB: Do you plan to come more often to Holland in the next year for playing matches? And maybe it's nice to play and practice with Joeri Wilkowski, the very young boy in Holland?
Burak Hashas: Sure I will come more often to Holland. On the 4th and 9th November I also play in the second league and maybe on 5 november in the first league. The plan is to play a few games more after this dates, and hopefully I can play next year in the highest league with Cues&Darts/Xtreme. And of course I like to play and practice with Joeri Wilkowski, have a nice time here and learn together to become more stronger players.
Thanks Burak, thanks Monique Wilkowski for helping to ask the questions.
