The world title of 28-year-old Vietnamese Phuong Vinh Bao may be considered one of the sporting miracles in professional billiards in a 2023 retrospective. The sudden departure of Belgian Frédéric Caudron from the PBA pro league is certainly one of the mysteries this year. Highlights of the year include Dick Jaspers' spectacular finish with two World Cup victories at the end of the season. That made the Dutchman the winner of the standings in the 2023 World Cup cycle. Marco Zanetti was dethroned as leader of the world rankings in the last period by young Korean Myung Woo Cho. The PBA, Korean pro league, was happy with some sensational reinforcements in 2023 like Dani Sánchez, a world multi winner at UMB, and Turks Semih Sayginer, Murat Naci Coklu and Lütfi Cenet. Spaniard Javier Palazón leads the money ranking.
UMB also lost the women's world champion (Shin-young Lee) to the PBA. The mystery around Frédéric Caudron, the figurehead and frontman in the PBA, continues to linger. For his many billiard fans, the Belgian is the great absentee at the billiard stages. The main question in this huge silence is now: will the world star reappear somewhere in 2024?
The absolute drama in 2023: the earthquakes with many thousands of deaths and casualties in the region where the World Cup kicked off in Ankara. The first day of the tournament was cruelly overshadowed by the tragedy. On the second day, under pressure from the government and players, the UMB decided to cancel the World Cup immediately.
The year 2023 was marked by the supremacy of Europeans in the World Cups (five wins out of six), but also new momentum for the Asians: Korean Myung Woo Cho is the new leader of the world rankings and Phuong Vinh Bao the new world three-cushion champion.
The victories in six World Cups were for five Europeans and one Asian. Tayfun Tasdemir (Las Vegas), Torbjörn Blomdahl (Ho Chi Minh), Quyet Chien Tran (Porto), Dick Jaspers (Veghel), Eddy Merckx (Seoul) and Dick Jaspers (Sharm El Sheikh) were the World Cup winners. On the podium of those 6 World Cups (24 places) was 14 times a European, 9 times an Asian and 1 time an African. Jun Tae Kim was the only one to make the podium three times. Dick Jaspers twice, but both times as winner.
Kozoom's overview of notable reports, events and interviews in the months of 2023:
January:
2: World top travels to South Korea: 20 players invited for trio of tournaments in Wonju: World 3-cushion Grand Prix. Total prize money 450,000 euros, highest prize money in UMB tournament.
4: Frédéric Caudron plays a super match in the PBA against Filippos Kasidokostas: the Belgian wins 3-0, 45 in 7 innings (2, 2 and 5, 15-4, 15-3, 15-6, 6.429 average).
6: Frédéric Caudron also wins final in PBA: 4-1 in Belgian clash against Eddy Leppens.
16: Eddy Merckx to Belgian title three-cushion at the Multi's, Patrick Niesen takes 5 titles in the classic disciplines.
25: Min-gu Kang (39) after four lost finals is finally winner in PBA after win against Dinh Nai Ngo.
February:
1: Dick Jaspers again shows himself the cannibal of billiards. Dutchman wins the World 3-cushion Grand Prix in Wonju for the second time in two years and touches 100,000 euros. The runner-up is Haeng Jik Kim with 44,000 euros.
6: Semih Sayginer considers to boycott the World Cup in Ankara. The top Turkish player thinks the World Cup should be cancelled after the severe earthquakes in the area with thousands of victims.
7: World Cup organizers can do nothing but stop and cancel the World Cup in Ankara after false start on opening day.
7: Dutch billiards player Volkan Cetin, visiting the era, speaks about chaos and suffering in the Turkish disaster area.
20: Former UMB president Jean Claude Dupont (72) passed away.
20: Michael Nilsson beats Torbjörn Blomdahl for Swedish title.
Dick Jaspers takes the Jackpot at the World 3-cushion Grand Prix in Korea
March:
5 Tayfun Tasdemir wins first World Cup in Las Vegas and doesn’t cheer after winning final. The Turk therefore shows his deep sympathy for the victims of the earthquake disaster in Turkey.
12: Joy and tears for Turkish winners at Nations World championship in Viersen. The winning team beat Swedish tandem Blomdahl/Nilsson in the final. Quyet Chien Tran shines in run-up with runs of 17 and 15.
13: Jackpots for Jae-ho Cho and Sruong Pheavy in PBA final tour. Jae-ho Cho wins 140,000 euros, Sruong Pheavy is awarded 50,000. The finals conclude the PBA and LPBA's 4th season.
24: Myung Woo Cho crowns himself Asian champion and rises further up in the world rankings. In the final, he beats Vietnamese Luc Thanh Tran. Two new Vietnamese stars take the stage: Vinh Phuong Bao and Chiem Hong Thai.
25: Mister 100 wins the title of Belgian champion for teams.
27: Fourth European classical title in a row for Douarnenez team.
Tayfun Tasdemir went to first World Cup win in 2023: Las Vegas
Myung Woo Cho crowns himself with Asian title
Cambodian glamour girl Sruong Pheavy: PBA champion
April:
2: Burak Hashas is the winner of the CEB Grand Prix in Garlasco. In the final, he beats his compatriot Seymen Özbas.
4: European gala coming up in Antalya: the championship in all disciplines with 400 billiard players, 15 titles over 9 days.
12: Therese Klompenhouwer increases her record list: tenth European title, supremacy even more impressive.
15: Marco Zanetti (61) beats coming man Berkay Karakurt (28) for European three-cushion title in Antalya. The Italian shines with a run of 21.
16: Wonderful emotion at European Championship: Greeks Nikos Polychronopoulos and Kostas Kokkoris take gold in Scotch Double with Sweden.
18: Dani Sánchez, sensational transfer to PBA: UMB loses another of its champions. Semih Sayginer signs three-year contract with PBA not much later and Murat Naci Coklu also leaves.
25: AfreecaTV is the new owner of Five&Six and starts broadcasting UMB matches.
Therese Klompenhouwer's record: 10th European title
Two happy Greek winners: Kostas Kokkoris and Nikos Polychronopoulos
Dani Sánchez, sensational transfer to PBA
May:
9: Sruong Pheavy winner three cushion at the East Asian Games under the IOC banner.
21: New Belgian success for Eddy Merckx, also winning the cup in Hooglede after the championship. Belgian cup win ahead of Davy van Havere and Peter Ceulemans.
22: Raymond Ceulemans (85) presents a dream team in the Mister 100 in Belgium with Ludo Dielis, Richard Bitalis and Koen Ceulemans. They will play in the second division: together good for 210 European and world titles.
26 Torbjörn Blomdahl makes a phenomenal start in World Cup Ho Chi Minh: Swedish star, just recovered from surgery for groin rupture, attacks world record run and makes 26 against Dion Nelin in first round.
Torbjörn Blomdahl, brilliant start in Vietnam
June:
18: SIS team awarded with the team cup in Netherlands in key year for top team: title beckons, but sponsor doubts survival. Title in premier league follows not long after.
19: Semih Sayginer adds luster to his transition to the PBA. The Turkish prince (59) wins his first- tournament in Gyeongju in final against Sang dae Lee 4-0. Sayginer in his speech after the victory: ''I hope to play here at top level for five years.''
23: Tayfun Tasdemir wins Grand Prix in Turkey with top runs 17 and 19, beating Turgay Orak 40-23 in 12 in the final.
23: Therese Klompenhouwer in interview after honeymoon, shortly before Women Grand Prix: ''I now live in a family with four ladies.''
Semi final players in World Cup Porto
July:
2: Final day World Cup in Porto with new Vietnamese stars and Sameh Sidhom and Jérémy Bury. Quyet Chien Tran is the winner after final win against Sameh Sidhom: 40-30 in 27 innings. Hong Chiem Thai and Jérémy Bury complete the podium.
9: Frédéric Caudron takes final in PBA in a European clash. The Belgian beats Birol Uymaz 4-1 in the final and takes over the lead in the cycle from Semih Sayginer.
9: Sruong Pheavy crowns herself queen of LPBA: the Cambodian wins a tournament of the PBA for the sixth time.
16: Completely unexpectedly, Frédéric Caudron leaves the PBA. The departure is with immediate effect. Caudron was one of the first major players to leave UMB for a professional adventure with the PBA five years ago. The PBA announced a press conference to explain Caudron's decision.
20: Nothing is made clear in the press conference. The departure, as said, has to do with the team competition. Caudron, who would demand that he should be allowed to play in the individual tour, doesn’t speak at all. The farewell seems irrevocable.
29: Dutch premier league announces start of competition with many major national and international players. Kozoom becomes the new sponsor and namesake, all matches are broadcast live.
29: Javier Palazón to historic triple in PBA. The Spaniard wins another major event in the PBA at the new Kintex-PBA stadium by beating Lütfi Cenet in the final. Palazón, who lost 17 kilos of weight, also gets the award for highest run and best game. He becomes the PBA leader ahead of Sayginer and Caudron.
Frédéric Caudron left PBA after 5 years of successes
August:
7: Top stage for Sameh Sidhom at the Carom Cafe in New York. The Egyptian beats Luis Aveiga in the final, the South American signed for the elimination of Tayfun Tasdemir in the semi-finals.
16: World Survival with the UMB top players in Korea kicks off with 24 men's round robin and 10 ladies. $50,000 awaits the winner.
20: Nikos Polychronopoulos (45) sensational winner in World 3-cushion Survival. In the final round, the Greek defeats current world champion Tayfun Tasdemir, Vietnamese Van Ly Dao and Korean Jun Tae Kim. Shin Young Lee beat Therese Klompenhouwer to win the women's tournament.
21: Multi-media company Kozoom signs a three-year contract as sponsor of the Dutch premier league, one of the best leagues in the world. Kozoom will broadcast all matches live.
25: Preview of the World Cup cycle in Ankara where four championships will be contested: men's, women's, junior and artistic.
29: World Cup in Veghel makes stunning record: 149 players register for the tournament, 175 players are on the reserve list in the weeks before the deadline. That is an absolute record and proves the huge interest for this World Cup.
31: Roland Forthomme is brilliant in a preliminary round at the Belgian Super Cup: he beats routinier Martin Spoormans 40-5 in 7 innings. Forthomme ends the match with 8, 6 and 11.
Nikos Polychronopoulos to sensational victory in World Survival
September:
2: Steven van Acker, an 38-year-old amateur player, is the winner of the Supercup in Belgium. He beats Eddy Merckx in the final with runs of 18 and 7: 50-30.
5: Looking ahead to World Three-cushion Championship in Ankara: Jaspers, Tasdemir or 20 other favorites for the title?
5: Japan's Ayako Sakai to first major triumph in PBA: winner LPBA tournament in final against Min-a-Kim.
9: Tayfun Tasdemir with three Asians to semi-finals at World Cup in Ankara: Quyet Chien Tran, Phuong Vinh Bao and Korean Myung Woo Cho.
10: 28-year-old Vietnamese Phyuong Vinh Bao, an unknown player until this World championship, becomes the sensational world three-cushion champion. He is the successor to Tayfun Tasdemir and very briefly follows in the footsteps of great champions like Raymond Ceulemans, Torbjörn Blomdahl, Dick Jaspers and Dani Sánchez. Bao, who unlike his former predecessors is rewarded with 20,000 euros, beat Quyet Chien Tran in the final in a Vietnamese fratricidal battle: 50-34 in 33. Within billiard circles, the title is seen as a small miracle in the world of three cushion.
11: CEB (European billiards federation) extends contract with Longoni and has huge plans to further develop youth and women's billiards by organizing Grand Prix tournaments and training camps.
11: Marco Zanetti (61) rewarded for a mighty career with number one position in the world rankings. The Italian climbs over Dick Jaspers to that top spot.
12: David Martinez winner PBA tournament in final against Japanese Yusuke Mori. It is the Spaniard's fourth win in a PBA tournament.
14: Korean Shin Young Lee (40) in her best form to women's world title. She takes the title from five-time world champion Therese Klompenhouwer.
16: Talents gallery of players under 20 at World Three-cushion Junior Championship with Burak Hashas (17) and two 15-year-olds: Amir Ibraimov and Ubaldo Sanchez.
17: World junior title is back in Korea: 19-year-old Myeong Gyu Oh, who beat Amir Ibraimov in final 35-33 in 37.
23: David Gonzalez (38), a world title for Mexico in artistic billiards.
27: Torbjörn Blomdahl's team, BC Weywiesen, also wins the German Cup after the Bundesliga title.
Vietnamese Phuong Vinh Bao, the sensational world champion
David Martinez, another PBA success
October:
7: Dick Jaspers shows supremacy at home with Grand Prix win: in last three rounds 40 caroms in 10, 14 and 17 innings, an average just under 3.
10: Mashhour Abu Tayeh (43), interview with a Jordanian billiard player in turbulent times. He is one of the participants in the World Cup in Veghel.
24: World ladies champion Lee leaves the PBA almost immediately after her title to play for LPBA.
26: Nikos Polychronopoulos is the star of the run-up to the finals in the World Cup in Veghel with a top run of 25. Sam van Etten realizes a sensation that day: the young Dutchman beats Marco Zanetti, who is dethroned as number 1 in the world rankings.
26: Korean Ga-young Kim wins her 6th women's tournament in 9 finals in the PBA.
28: Dick Jaspers sets up the end of his year with a brilliant victory in the World Cup in Veghel, which he wins for the first time. The 58-year-old Dutchman beats Martin Horn in a one-sided final 50-22 in 12, 4.166 average. Also on the European stage are Jean Paul de Bruijn and Eddy Merckx.
31: Sung-Won Choi is back on top with win in PBA tour: beats Javier Palazón in final.
Dick Jaspers crowned winner at World Cup in Veghel
Former UMB champion Sung won Choi is back with victory in PBA
Mashhour Abu Tayeh, Jordanian World Cup player in turbulent times in his era
November:
19: Only Therese Klompenhouwer makes promotion for women's billiards in Lausanne with generous win.
26: Juan David Zapata is a winner by penalties against Dani Sánchez in PBA tour.
27: Burak Hashas (17) unapproachable in CEB Grand Prix.
29: Robinson Morales (45), billiards pro in two worlds, interview with Spanish Colombian.
Eddy Merckx, another wonderful year ending with World Cup win in Seoul
Robinson Morales, billiard professional in two worlds
December:
6: Young talents in World Cup Sharm El Sheikh in shadow of big champions. Glenn Hofman shines on his come-back.
9: Dick Jaspers colours his season with second World Cup win in 42 days: winner in Sharm El Sheikh in final against Tolgahan Kiraz. The Dutchman finishes with 2.130 on average, best match average of 4.000 and run of 15. Also on this final World Cup stage: Jun Tae Kim and Glenn Hofman.
10: Myung Woo Cho is the world ranking leader at the end of this season with 417 points. Dick Jaspers (374), Marco Zanetti (339), Torbjörn Blomdahl (320) and Eddy Merckx (319) make up the top five.
12: Dick Jaspers in interview after win in World Cup cycle: billiard players live twice as long in top sport.
24: Carl Verhoeven announces farewell as sponsor of SIS Schoonmaak, the multiple champion and cup winner in the Netherlands.
Dick Jaspers ends his fantastic season with World Cup win in Sharm El Sheikh and final win in World Cup cycle
Myung Woo Cho, the Asian champion, finished 2023 as the number one in the world.