Champion's day in Dutch team league

SLUISKIL - Dutch champion Jean Paul de Bruijn will face multiple Belgian champion Eddy Merckx in Sluiskil this Sunday. The current Belgian champion Peter Ceulemans plays on Team Eekhoorn with multiple Greek champion Nikos Polychronopoulos and Spanish champion Robinson Morales will show up in an away match with Cues&Darts. In short: the 14th playing round of the Dutch premier league is another champions gala on Sunday, in the run-up to the first World Cup of this year in Bogota in just over a week's time.

The international season is launched again with many of the Dutch players from the Kozoom league also in attendance. On Sunday, however, the next round in the premier league will first be played with top matches such as Merckx-De Bruijn, Morales-Jorissen, Polychronopoulos-Bulut and Orak-Forthomme.

The leaders SIS Schoonmaak, with 19 points one point ahead of Team Eekhoorn and Cues&Darts, play an away match against Dallinga in Sluiskil, Team Eekhoorn travels to Team Nachtwacht and Cues&Darts to Bousema/JBScues.

SIS Schoonmaak comes with a strong team with Eddy Merckx as leading player, but without Jean van Erp, who gets a day off. Eddy Merckx will first play with his Belgian Biljart Express team against De Leug on Saturday, with SIS against Dallinga on Sunday and will leave early Monday morning for Mexico, where he will give seven days of exhibitions at the invitation of Daniel Campos. ’’This is already the third time I am doing that and mostly in packed billiard clubs in the capital and beyond,'' Merckx explained.

The leading man of SIS Schoonmaak, where Carl Verhoeven stops sponsoring after this season, has a couple of Dutch offers in his pocket, but does not want to decide yet. ''We have agreed to give Carl (Verhoeven) the chance to find another sponsor. He is working hard on that.''

Team Eekhoorn will deploy its strong frontman Nikos Polychronopoulos against Team Nachtwacht on Sunday in the premier league and will play against PBA player Savas Bulut. This moves Belgian champion Peter Ceulemans to position two, Frans van Kuyk to three and Jerry Hermans to four. Kurt Ceulemans, the best man in his Belgian Mister 100 team this week, has a free weekend. Cues&Darts plays the away match against Bousema with Robinson Morales, Glenn Hofman, Ruben Legazpi and Huub Wilkowski against rival for the top spots Bousema with Jeffrey Jorissen, Johan Loncelle, Frans van Schaik and Sander Jonen.

STZ Zundert can field Roland Forthomme against Aartsbouw, which has Turgay Orak coming over from Turkey. Ronny Brants plays in front of his home crowd against Sergio Jimenez.

J&F Auto's against Dekker/APSprundel looks like an interesting match in theory. Therese Klompenhouwer, strong in the Belgian competition this week, faces Gerwin Valentijn.

The team line-ups:

Dallinga.com-SIS Schoonmaak

Jean Paul de Bruijn-Eddy Merckx

Steven van Acker-Raimond Burgman

Peter De Backer-Raymund Swertz

Berry Dallinga-Martien van der Spoel

Aartsbouw Sprundel-STZ Zundert

Turgay Orak-Roland Forthomme

Ronny Brants-Sergio Jimenez

Dirk Weeremans-Thorsten Frings

Tom Persyn-Sam van Etten

Bousema/JBAcues-Cues&Darts/Xtreme

Jeffrey Jorissen-Robinson Morales

Johan Loncelle-Glenn Hofman

Frans van Schaik-Ruben Legazpi

Sander Jonen-Huub Wilkowski

Team Nachtwacht-Team Eekhoorn

Savas Bulut-Nikos Polychronopoulos

Erwin Kivits-Peter Ceulemans

Harrie van de Ven-Frans van Kuyk

Frank Martens-Jerry Hermans

DKM Tools-Burgmans Biljarts

Dion Nelin-Arno de Kleine

Davy van Havere-Bart Ceulemans

Roland Uijtdewillegen-Marco Janssen

Jack Wijnen-Johan Roijers.