3-Cushion
LUXOR - The billiard room is still very quiet, the doors of the sports center are in lockdown, in the streets in front of the hotel, the small horse carriages are ready for the city rides, men in long galabeyas set the scene, trying to lure customers.
The incessant honking of cars speeding by, now and then interrupted by a siren of a police car, tells us that a new day is coming in Luxor.
The Sonesta St George Hotel, as it is called 'down town' in Luxor, with its magnificent views on the Nile, the cruise ships are lying ashore, looking a little desolate because of the tourism slump. All bathing themselves in the radiant morning sun.
The billiard players, on this third day already with some reputation, slowly drop in to the breakfast hall. The serious work announces itself, with the first Koreans and Vietnamese players, one famous player from Ecuador, Javier Teran, the Turk Tolgahan Kiraz, who played the World championship in Viersen and Therese Klompenhouwer, the European ladies champion.
The talk of the down, in the early days of the World Cup, was the spectacular transfers in billiards. The launching of a new dream team with world class players (Fréderic Caudron, Dick Jaspers, Eddy Merckx and Jean Paul de Bruijn ) was the main talk in the corridors.
The tone of the overall approach: it's spectacular and promising that a new major sponsor has announced himself, especially after the worrying reports from Greece. But does it remove the tension out of the competitions in the Netherlands and Belgium?
Is it not for the big clashes between Caudron and Merckx, Jaspers and Blomdahl that the people come to the billiard halls? Will it be fascinating to see that the new dream team rolls over the competition with 8-0 scores every week?
That will be nice to talk about, when the top players arrive in Luxor. Who is, actually, that new sponsor, Marco Janssen? Many people wonder. Was it a long-cherished wish, this team of world class players? Or just a fluke: Caudron who had no team in the Netherlands, Jaspers and Merckx uncertain for a sponsor next year.
The businessman who is interested... and all those things came together.
They will arrive late tonight and tomorrow in Luxor, those protagonists for the main tournament. They will be bombarded with questions, but Caudron already anticipated the comments. The press release has been sent, the news is known and everyone knows what is going to happen.
The World Cup here in Luxor will not be disturbed by all this news. Peter De Backer, for the first time after two years back in Egypt, where he once played the World Cup final, is entering the third day of the qualifications today, showing up in matches against Egyptian born German, Mohsen Hamed and Antoine Gholam from Lebanon.
Karina Jetten, who defeated Gülsen Degener late last night in a nice battle, will meet two Turks again, Gokhan Salman and Selim Özden. Therese Klompenhouwer finds a well-known, not extremely strong Korean on her way with Kyung Hui Oh and the owner of the BC Deurne room, Vincent Eugene.
Luis Aveiga, of whom it's always the question, 'will he arrive or will he stay away' plays has to play against Sylvia Eckel, who rarely misses a World Cup and Hesham Gomaa. And for now, Mr Luis had not been seen in the hotel yet.
Ali Hares, the ranking leader of yesterday, faces Murat Tüzül and Bo Gustavsson, Murat Celik meets Herbert Szivacz, Vinh Ly The plays with two dangerous Turks and Javier Teran against Koray Kirman and Korean Myung Woo Cho.
The start today (Tuesday) as in all rounds is 11.00 Egyptian time. Kozoom is live from the first matches.