RONCHIN - The European billiard federation CEB is the organizer of a mega-championship for youth in the game types three cushion and free game in French Ronchin next weekend. The tournament is held in this format for the first time and is part of the plans announced by the new CEB board under the leadership of Diane Wild. At the same time as the European title tournaments, the Ladies Cup will be played in free game.
The billiard club Canon d'Or is the organizer of the multi-championship, where a total of six European titles is at stake. The start is on Friday, March 30, the tournament lasts until Easter Monday, April 2 and is played under the name Euro Youth. It is the biggest tournament for youth players ever, organized with over sixty players from 13 different countries: Greece, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Luxembourg, France, Portugal, Turkey, Italy, Denmark, Austria and the Czech Republic.
The tournament is played in Ronchin, an attractive city for Dutch, German and Belgian billiard fans. The billiards bastion Ronchin is located about five kilometres from Lille, the city that lies just over the Belgian border.
The European Ladies Cup in free game, with sixteen players, will be played in Ronchin in the same weekend. The strong French player Magali Declunder returns to the podium in this tournament. Further contenders are the Belgian Karolien Matthys and the Dutch Monique van Exter.
The BCCO Ronchin is a very active organizing club. The French club immediately agreed to take up the challenge proposed by the CEB. Two members of Ronchin belong to the CEB committee: Pierre Reynaert, secretary general and Jean Pierre Guiraud, sports director. Both are also involved in the candidacy of the billiard sport at the Olympic Games of 2024 in Paris.
The best known players in three cushion include the Spaniard Carlos Anguita, who is both world champion and European champion, the French players Gwendal Mareshal and Maxime Panaia, German Tom Löwe, Belgian Stef van Hees and the Dutchman Joey de Kok.
The disciplines and the players:
Three cushion under 21: opening ceremony Saturday 11.00, quarters Sunday 15.00, semi finals Monday 9.00.
Participants: Carlos Anguita (Spa), Tom Löwe (Ger), Gwendal Marechal (Fra), Maxime Panaia (Fra), Alessio d'Agata (Ita), Joey de Kok (Neth), Dimitrios Seleventas (Gr), Nikolaus Kogelbauer (Aus), Stef van Hees (Bel), Marcel Back (Dui), Michael Vink (Ned), Mario Mercader (Spa), Saud Muhovic (Lux), Luis Almeida (Por), Emin Cebeoglu (Tur), Emanuele Criscino (Ita), Mikkel Jensen (Den).
Free game under 21 (opening ceremony Saturday 11.00, semi finals and final Sunday 17.00 en 19.00).
Participants: Simon Blondeel (Dui), Jordy Jong (Neth), Pierre Martory (Fra), Leon Dudink (Neth), Anders Henriksen (Den), Stef van Hees (Bel), Sébastien Verel (Bel), Guillaume Julliat (Fra).
Three cushion under 17 (opening ceremony Saturday 11.00, quarters on Sunday 19.00, final Monday 11.30).
Participants: Maxime Panaia (reigning champion), Nikolaus Kogelbauer, Nathan Duriez, Dogukan Corbaci, Jan Gaspari, Lukas Mortensen, Dimitrios Seleventas, Nick Rosier, Ivan Mayor, Sergio Martinez, Luis Mira, Nick Dudink, Tangui Duriez, Tom Gorazda.
Free game under 17 (opening ceremony Saturday 11.00, semi finals Sunday 19.00, final Monday 9.00).
Participants: Nick Dudink, Jelle Billiet, Nathan Legendre, Jan Sellhast, Djason Ponthieu, Gauthier Miasik, Jeppe Kjolby, Alexandre Portier, Lenny Pallucca.
5-pins under 21 (opening ceremony Saturday 11.00, semi finals Sunday 19.00, final Monday 9.00).
Participants: Riccardo Matino, Max Gabel, Florian Guingand, Lukas Mortensen, Dylan Parent, Lenny Pallucca, Sebastian Heimrath, Erian Herrebrecht.
Free game under 19 teams (opening ceremony Saturday 11.00, finals Monday 11.30).
Participants:
BC De Coeck (Bryan Eelen, Kevin van Hees, Nino Coeckelberghs)
Davezieux (Abdelghani Refassi, Guillaume Julliat, Eymeric Fallot)
Denmark (Jeppe Kjolby, Casper Olsen, Jonas Søndergaard)
Flab (Tom Rissé, Lenny Pallucca, Chris Todorov)
Rouen Billard Club (Nathan Legendre, Joshua Ty, Adrien Fagot)
Courrieres Sport Billard (Baudouin Rault, Lucas Lefebvre, Arthur Bailly).
European ladies cup (opening ceremony Saturday 11.00, final Monday 9.00)
Participants: Magali Declunder, Monique van Exter, Karolien Matthys, Christel Willemse, Heike Hingerl, Francine van Yperen, Aurore Bellens, Sonia Liebardon, Céline Jacques, Brigitte Gaultier, Véronique Ales, Christine Morel, Lucie Petit, Monika Steinberger, Mélanie Hallier, Francine Mouriks.
All matches, 170 in total at 12 billiards, broadcast live on kozoom.
The European and world champion under 21: Spaniard Carlos Anguita