BLANKENBERGE – The title felt just like the very first one, back in the year 2000, when Eddy Merckx ready took his first Belgian championship. The best Belgian billiard player in the rankings beat an unexpected, but very deserved finalist this Sunday afternoon: Ronny Brants, 40-28 in 25 innings, in Blankenberge Casino. The match in the semi-final against Peter Ceulemans, after a great come-back, made the championship even more special. ’’It feels just the opposite as at the World championship in Vietnam,‘’ Merckx said with a philosophical undertone. ’’There I played superior averages but lost to Myung Woo Cho, here I played less spectacular, but look, I became Belgian champion.‘’
That is still special for Eddy Merckx, in a country with so many famous billiard players. He cherishes his Belgian titles, 12 in total now, an average of one every two years since 2000. ’’I was yearning for that title because I had a very good year internationally last year, but just couldn't win a couple of times. Therefore this tastes all the better to win here.‘’
Even more because it was a special final against Ronny Brants, a teammate of Merckx in the Dutch premier league. ‘’We have a team with a very good atmosphere, so it was special to play that final against Ronny Brants, a player who is not always among the top, but he can play great finals. It's great to play the final with him and probably may go to the World championship for nation teams in Viersen.‘’ There, the Belgians will be represented this year by Peter Ceulemans and Roland Forthomme, last year's finalists at the Multi's. And in 2026 it will be Merckx/Brants.
Afterwards, Eddy Merckx looked back for a moment at the semi-final he played against Peter Ceulemans. ‘’I put it in the top ten most wonderful ‘remontes’ in my career,‘’ Merckx said, referring to a spectacular come-back in a match. Ceulemans led 23-14 in 10 innings after a smooth start, when Merckx launched his attack with 11 (23-25) and a few innings later went out from 35-25 with a run of five.
Peter Ceulemans made two more points in those few innings, Merckx scored 26 (40-25 in 16). ’’It's often not just winning, but the way you can turn a game around. I have rarely seen and done it like I did it now against Peter Ceulemans.‘’ Also the game against Jef Philipoom in the quarter-finals was already a master piece. Philipoom played the highest averages in the preliminary round, also started strongly against Merckx, but was then overwhelmed by the later champion by 40-32 in 26.
In those quarter-finals, Ceulemans won against Forthomme 40-20 in 19, Ronny Brants vs Peter De Backer and Wesley de Jaeger vs Kurt Ceulemans 40-21 in 34.
Ronny Brants, already several times at the podium of a Belgian championship and the Belgian Cup, won in the semi-final against Wesley de Jaeger 40-31 in 32 innings. Peter Ceulemans won the battle for third place against Wesley de Jaeger 40-13 in 18 innings.
Toon Bollansee won the junior championship. Nick Rosier from Kieldrecht, the champion of two years ago, had had to cancel for the final day after a car accident on Saturday.
The Multi championship were further dominated, among others, by Patrick Niessen with three titles, including his 50th Belgian title, by Peter De Backer with the title in one cushion and Jaimie Buelens in ladies. Peter Debaes became champion in 5-pins, Erik Vervliet champion in artistic.
The multi-championships were superbly organized by the organizing committee of the Belgian Billiards Federation in the Casino of Blankenberge.
Eddy Merckx on his way to his 12th Belgian title
Eddy Merckx made a historical come-back in his match with Peter Ceulemans