DEURNE/ZELE/LEUVEN - On the day following the World Cup final in Korea, the Belgian team three cushion league is launched on Monday 5th of September. BC Deurne is the defending champion, Quality Zele and BC Kortrijk are the newcomers in the top division with a total of twelve teams. The main transfer after last season was Eddy Merckx, who left De Goeie Queue for a new start in the Quality Zele team, making the debutant one of the favorites for the title. The competition lasts until April 18, 2017. Torbjörn Blomdahl, who was leaving the champion team BC Deurne at the end of the year for a new Korean adventure, has changed his mind for the time being. The Swedish world champion: ,,I will play fourteen matches at least for BC Deurne, regarding Korea I can not say anything for now.'' Jef Philipoom, Jean van Erp and Davy van Havere are the other three basic players.
Eddy Merckx decided to leave De Goeie Queue and starts the new season as the leading player of BC Quality. Because of that transfer, De Goeie Queue is no longer seen as one of the main contenders. Wesley de Jaeger is the replacement for Merckx.
Eddy Merckx: ,,We expect to be one of the top teams with Quality Zele, we are a tough opponent for all the teams, but I don't think we are a favorite for the title.'' Merckx himself will play all matches, like Peter De Backer and Mathieu Vlerick. Jeffrey Jorissen is scheduled for 14 matches, Dirk Vlerick for 8.
Frédéric Caudron (De Goeie Queue): ,,We hope to finish between third and sixth position. I think BC Deurne will be the champion by far, the teams playing for the other top positions are Biljart Express, Zanzibar, Zele and Op de Meir.''
Eddy Leppens (Op de Meir): ,,The main goal is to do better than last year. There were some personal setbacks, therefor we were not on our best. We can do better this year. The main favorites are BC Deurne, BC Herentals, Zele, Zanzibar and De Goeie Queue.''
The team line-ups are almost the same on the highest level as last season. Frédéric Caudron, Roland Forthomme, Eddy Leppens, Martin Horn, Peter Ceulemans, Frans van Kuyk, Glenn Hoffman and Raimond Burgman are the leaders of teams (De Goeie Queue, KBC Zanzibar, Op de Meir, Biljart Express, BC Herentals, Mr. 100 Lier, De Witte Molen, Biljartvrienden) which are supposed to battle for the top spots. Therese Klompenhouwer is the leading lady in the BC De Ploeg team.
The most important matches in the first round, if all World Cup players are back from Korea in time:
Torbjörn Blomdahl-Frans van Kuyk
Roland Forthomme-Therese Klompenhouwer
Peter Ceulemans-Ronny Brants
Eddy Merckx-Eddy Leppens
Raimond Burgman-Martin Horn
Frédéric Caudron-Glenn Hoffman
The team line-ups:
BC Deurne: Torbjörn Blomdahl, Jef Philipoom, Jean van Erp, Davy van Havere, Ludo Dielis
BC Op de Meir: Eddy Leppens, Barry van Beers, Roland Uytdewillegen, Ivan Stitschinsky
Quality Zele: Eddy Merckx, Peter De Backer, Jeffrey Jorissen, Mathieu Vlerick, Dirk Vlerick
Biljart Express: Frans van Kuyk, Gerwin Valentijn, Martin Spoormans, Guy Litsenborg
BC Zanzibar: Roland Forthomme, Dave Christiani, Kenny Miatton, Jimmy Mues
De Witte Molen: Glenn Hoffman, Francis Forton, Ad Broeders, Dirk Weeremans
BC De Goeie Queue: Frédéric Caudron, Jean Paul de Bruijn, Wesley de Jaeger, Jerry Hermans
Mr. 100 Lier: Peter Ceulemans, Kurt Ceulemans Raymond Ceulemans, Bart Ceulemans, Ad Koorevaar, Marco Janssen
BC Herentals: Martin Horn, Christian Rudolph, Leon Smolders, Geert Meylemans
BC Kortrijk: Ronny Brants, Martin Ravestyn, Richard Bitalis, Frédéric Beghin, Frédéric Roelants
BC Biljartvrienden: Raimond Burgman, John Tijssens, Mathy Monnissen, Hans van der Wurf
BC De Ploeg: Therese Klompenhouwer, Jack Wijnen, Dustin Jäschke, Eddy Willems, Huub Wilkowski
The first playing round:
Monday, September 5
BC Deurne-Biljart Express
BC De Ploeg-BC Zanzibar
Mr 100 Lier-BC Kortrijk
Tuesday, September 6:
BC Quality Zele-Op de Meir
Biljartvrienden-BC Herentals
De Goeie Queue-De Witte Molen
2nd round, September 19
22nd round, April 18 1917
Torbjörn Blomdahl will again be the leading player in the champion team BC Deurne