ANTALYA - The countdown to the European championships all disciplines in billiards has started. The wonderful and professional Turkish arena in Antalya is building up and prepared over the next few days for the massive event, which starts on Saturday 8 April and lasts until Sunday 16 April. The so-called 'All-in one' event, which is held every two years, brings more than 400 billiard players to the start coming from 18 countries. They will compete over nine days for a total of 15 titles. The organizers announced before that the honoring of the champions will be sober out of respect for the earthquake victims in Turkey.The Turkish organization takes over the mega-tournament from Brandenburg, Germany, where the tournament was held from 2013 to 2019. For the European federation, the CEB, the championship is the highlight on the 2023 calendar.
The tournament management announced three new competitions: women's individual 5-pins, women's national team three cushion and artistic billiards for national teams. The integration of the European championship for players under 25 is also important for the organisation. ’’They are the future for our sport, we are delighted that they can be close to their idols’’,
CEB president Diane Wild makes clear the intention of the initiative.
The Turkish Federation (TBF) is offering the billiard players a total of 28 Zeki billiard tables. The 71 CEB arbitrators come from nine different countries. Simonis and Aramith guarantee high quality with the supply of cloths and ball sets. The matches are broadcast live by tv.kozoom.com. You have the choice of an annual Premium pass at a rate of 99.99 euros or an event pass for this championship, 24.99 euros.
Some events are free for all Kozoom members, for example most national tournaments and competitions such as the Dutch premier league.
Program and results are available on the CEB website, on Kozoom you can see almost daily reports, interviews and photo reports.
The under 17 and under 21 youth (Euroyouth) will later be played at the European Championships in Verderio, Italy from 27 to 30 April. The following tournaments will be played there:
Three cushion under 21, 5-pins under 21, free game under 21, biathlon national teams under 21, three-cushion under 17 and free game under 17.
European Championships programme in Antalya:
5-pins individual (48 players) from 8 to 10 April.
Title holder Michelangelo Aniello (Italy), contenders Andrea Quarta, Achille Mignolo, Kasper Kristofersen.
Winner: 3,600 euros
One cushion (24 players) from 8 to 9 April
Title holder Bernard Baudoin (France), contenders Jean Paul de Bruijn, Willy Gérimont, Bernard Villiers, Raymund Swertz, Patrick Niessen, Raul Cuenca, Johann Petit
Winner 2000 euro
Three-cushion under 25 (24 players) from 8 to 10 April
Title holder, none, contenders Burak Hashas, Maxime Panaia, Dimitros Seleventas, Seymen Özbas, Alessio D'Agata, Christos Falangas, Nikolaus Kogelbauer
Winner 1600 euro
Individual artistic (24 players) from 9 to 11 April:
Title holder Hector Cuadrado (Spain), contenders Eric Daelman, Jop de Jong, Michael Hammen, Kevin Tran, René Dericks, Sardar Gumus, Jean Reverchon, Walter Bax, Baris Cin, Erik Vervliet
Winner 2000 euro
Balk-line 47/2 (23 players) from 10 to 11 April
Title holder, Raymund Swertz (Netherlands), contenders Patrick Niessen, Jean Francois Florent, Sven Daske, Raul Cuenca, Willy Gérimont, Marek Faus, Esteve Mata
Winner 2,000 euro
Women's three cushion (24 players) from 10 to 12 April
Defending champion, Therese Klompenhouwer (Netherlands), contenders Charlotte Sörensen, Jaimie Buelens, Güzin Mujde Karakasli, Gülsen Degener, Nanna Petersen
Winner 1600 euro
Three-cushion individual small tables (26 players) from 10 to 13 April
Title holder, Ömer Karakurt (Turkey), contenders Grégory Le Deventec, Bernard Baudoin, Jacky Justice
5-pins billiards for national teams (15 teams) from 10 to 12 April
Defending champion Italy (A. Quarta, M. Aniello, A. Mignolo, P. Marcolin, P. Sagnola)
Balk-line 71/2 (22 players) from 12 to 13 April
Title holder, Willy Gerimont (France), contenders Raymund Swertz, Patrick Niessen, Marek Faus, Jean-Francois Florent, Raul Cuenca, Esteve Mata, Benoit Legros
Winner 2000 euro
Artistic national teams (12 teams) from 12 to 13 April
Title holders, none
Three-cushion individual (64 players) from 13 to 15 April
Defending champion Dani Sánchez (Spain), contenders Dick Jaspers, Tayfun Tasdemir, Marco Zanetti, Torbjörn Blomdahl, Martin Horn, Semih Sayginer, Eddy Merckx, Jérémy Bury
Winner 8,000 euros
Three-cushion table small table club teams (17 teams) from 13 to 16 April
Titleholders: BC De Goeie Queue (Belgium)
5-pins ladies (8 players) from 14 to 15 April
Title defenders: none
Three-cushion women's national teams from April 14 to 16:
Defending champion: none
Three-cushion national teams (24 teams) from April 15 to 16
Defending champion, Sweden (Torbjörn Blomdahl, Michael Nilsson)
Winner €4,000.
Dani Sánchez and Dick Jaspers, the title holder and the challenger
The multiple world and European champion Therese Klompenhouwer