ANTALYA - The European double in billiards will be launched today (Tuesday) in the Turkish resort of Antalya: the ladies kick off for their European three-cushion championship, played over three days, followed by the European championship for national teams from Friday to Sunday. No less than five Turkish girls start the battle with Dutch Therese Klompenhouwer, the multiple title holder and the other competitors. Gülsen Degener is both motivated and passionated: "I am not nervous, just excited for the start in my own country."
The women's championship paves the way for the European teams with many of the global top players. The Turkish homeplayers start with two teams: the nr. 1 team with Semih Sayginer and Murat Naci Coklu, the second team with Tayfun Tasdemir and Can Capak. Furthermore, the Swedes have Torbjörn Blomdahl in the line-up, the Italians come with Marco Zanetti, the Belgians with Eddy Merckx, the Germans with Martin Horn and the Spaniards with Dani Sánchez.
The Turkish ladies field will be fired up by Gülsen Degener and enters the arena with Güzin Mujde Karakasli, Aysegul Fendi, Arzu Gök and Selma Sahin. 51-year-young Gülsen Degener is the most purified of those five with her first participation at a European Championship already in Manisa in 2005, where Therese Klompenhouwer won ahead of Gerrie Geelen.
How does Gülsen estimate her chances for this championship?
''I have a lot of confidence after I changed my game structure. Six months ago I started to practice some Korean systems. Details? Well, according to the angle between 1st and 2nd ball, I use the proper effect and thickness. And now I only use the RC (Raymond Ceulemans) system for my bank shots. The new system works, it has given me more confidence. What I need more is health and serenity. These are missing in my life recently.'' The passion for billiards, since she started playing three cushion for the first time in 1993, has always been there. ''Billiards is the real love for me, I love the game. It can hurt you, bring you up or down, still you love it.''
The start of the European Championship is at 14.00 Turkish time (12.00 Western Europe). All matches are live on kozoom.com.
The group formats:
Group A:
Therese Klompenhouwer (Nl)
Helga Mitterböck (Aus)
Ana Juares (Sp)
Group B:
Irena Hambalkova (Cz)
Selma Sahin (Tur)
Monique Wilkowski (Nl)
Group C:
Güzin Mujde Karakasli (Tr)
Monika Steinberger (Aus)
Karina Jetten (Nl)
Group D:
Steffi Daske (Ger)
Angeliki-savvina Skolarikou (Gr)
Joke Martijn (Nl)
Group E:
Marianne Mortensen (Den)
Christine Morel (Fr)
Daisy Werdekker (Nl)
Group F:
Danielle le Bruyn (Bel)
Aysegul Fendi (Tr)
Yenny Bajtner (Swe)
Group G:
Gülsen Degener (Tr)
Jaimie Buelens (Bel)
Charlotte Sörensen (Den)
Group H:
Estela Cardoso (Sp)
Ingrid Englbrecht (Aus)
Arzu Gök (Tr)
The five Turkish girls starting at the Europeans for ladies
