3-Cushion
LUXOR - He is the man behind two World Cups in Egypt this year, the born organizer and negotiator who went from the national to the international organizations, he's now tournament manager for World Cups and for many years vice-chairman of the UMB and CEB? We're talking - of course - about Farouk Barki.
Who does not know him in billiards, although... The organizer of all the Egyptian World Cups (since 2004) is a former snooker champion in his country. Farouk Barki (66), founder of a family business in construction and machinery, only made the transition to carom later in his life, and has gone on to become a fixture within the world federation.
The Egyptian, Cairo born and raised, is willing to take some time to talk about that period, on the second day of the Luxor World Cup, but people just will not leave him be for a minute. Barki is the face of the World Cup in his country. He has a small but skilled team to assist him, with all the knowledge and improvisational talent needed and the experience from past years.
,,We can organize the Hurghada World Cup on auto-pilot'', he says. ,,The new World Cup, here in Luxor, took a lot more preparation.'' Two days into it, he is ready to say: "We are really proud to be guests here, proud that the ministry has asked us to welcome the billiard players of the world into this historic city.''
,,We even hope'', he says, ,,that this will be a recurring event. Maybe we will look for a different location in upcoming years, but I am confident we can organize two World Cups in Egypt. We will sign an agreement for Hurghada to take place until 2017. The minister for tourism will visit us in Luxor later this week, and we hope to see him enthusiastic enough to enable us to continue this event as well.''
Farouk Barki was snooker champion in Egypt in 1976, and later a few times with his club. Ten years later he made the switch to carom, and was quickly elected into the board of the Egyptian federation. He appeared on the international stage in 1994, when he became vice-chairman of the CEB and not much later the UMB as well. Farouk Barki was soon praised for his organizational talents.
He launched the Europe Cup in 2002, played on the island of Magawish in the Red Sea, won by Marco Zanetti. It resulted in the first Egyptian World Cup event in 2004. Hurghada is now an annual host in the cycle.
Many established carom countries, such as Belgium, Spain, France and Germany have not organized a World Cup in years, and Egypt now has two on the calendar.
,,We are helped by the ministry and the leading newspaper in the Middle-East: Al Akhbar, the essential organizer of these tournaments. We try to establish good contacts with hotels, we make an effort to accommodate the players, which means we don't have to pay to rent the billiard tournament room.''
,,But the main thing is, we organize economically'', Barki emphasizes. ,,We don't splurge on bells and whistles. I am disappointed that other countries don't succeed in doing that.''
,,I hope'', he says in closing, ,,that everyone is again happy to be in Egypt, that it will be a beautiful tournament and players as well as fans are satisfied. For me, it is important to meet all my billiard friends, and see that they have enjoyed the historic surroundings and an unforgettable event.''