UDEN/HUISSEN - On the first matchday of the World Cup in Sharm El Sheikh, eight teams of the DKM Tools league will come into action this Sunday for the tenth round in the premier three cushion league. Before this day, a number of regular players of the teams leave for Egypt. The Dutch programme has been put together with some adjustments, which after the COVID press conference on Friday evening, will probably be moved from the first start Sunday afternoon at 13.00 to 12.00 o'clock. J&F Auto's, whose entire team left for Egypt on Friday and this Saturday, will not play. The away game of the Hague team to Team Eekhoorn was already played last week and won by Eekhoorn 5-3. The match SIS Schoonmaak vs Dekker Keuken was cancelled last Friday night, because Dekker misses some players. Six other teams come into action.
SIS Schoonmaak, with 18 points from 9 games leader, was already preparing for the title of winter champion. The leaders planned to show up with Eddy Merckx, Jean van Erp, Raimond Burgman and Raymund Swertz in a home match against Dekker Keukens, but the opponent cancelled Friday night, because Gerwin Valentijn is ill and requested a Corona test. Other players are not available.
Carl Verhoeven of SIS said after the press conference: ''We have to live with the evening lockdown for some weeks, but we were facing a nice match on Sunday. Unfortunately we were informed by Dekker Keukens on Friday evening that Sunday's race cannot take place. Anyway, we had prepared the champagne for Sunday to celebrate the winter championship. That we cannot play now is a pity, but we will improvise with some friendly games and maybe a Survival among ourselves.''
The number two ranked team, Cues&Darts comes in action in an away game against A1 DPC/De Kuul, a clash between the numbers two and four. Cues&Darts chooses Pierre Soumagne, Jack van Peer, Wesley de Jaeger and Huub Wilkowski. Jack van Peer was match winner for the team last week with a magnificent run of five in the equalizer against Peter De Backer. Dave Christiani will not play with A1, as he has to play in Germany. The probable line-up is: Jelle Pijl, Richard Bitalis, Kay de Zwart and Addy Wienk. Dave Christiani plays a double weekend in Germany. ''There are 4 teams to go down this year instead of 2 and we are not doing so well. They asked if I wanted to play twice.''
Bousema, which is two and three games behind the other teams in the top five, plays an important match at home against STZ Zundert, which has one point more out of two more matches. ''It will be a so-called four-point game'', says Bousema team leader Ronny Hazewinkel. ''If we win, we will make a big step forward and we will be in the race for the play-off places.''
Bousema plays without Murat Naci Coklu and Martin Horn, who is in his top form, and now has Johan Loncelle, Stefan Galla, Anno de Kleine and Frans van Schaik in the line-up. That foursome is facing Thorsten Frings, Rik van Beers and Sam van Etten. Francis Forton is still uncertain due to illness.
Dallinga enters the Sluiskil arena with two Ceulemans players in the team for the home match against 't Hartje van Oosterhout. Jean Paul de Bruijn and Bart Ceulemans play at 14.00 hrs. against Davy van Havere and Harrie van der Ven, at 12.00, Raymond Ceulemans already appears at the billiard for his match against Frank Martens. At the same time Ludo Dielis, another great players from the old days, plays against Berry Dallinga.
Aartsbouw Sprundel plays the home match against DKM Tools.