The Dutch premier three-cushion league, the Kozoom league, gets underway on Sunday and is set to feature a number of top players in new surroundings. Dick Jaspers debuts for Paperclip, Eddy Merckx for Aartsbouw, Frédéric Caudron for Babbelz and Roland Forthomme makes his debut in the premier league for Biljartacademie in Sittard. The Eekhoorn team looks to be one of the top favorites for the title with Nikos Polychronopoulos on top of the players list. SIS Billiards is still a bit uncomfortable going into its first competition without Dick Jaspers and Eddy Merckx. The reinforcements from abroad are notable again in most line-ups. Bousema Lochem and Dallinga from Sluiskil start with relatively the same players.
De Biljart Academie is putting Limburg billiards back on the premier league map. It has been over 20 years since a Limburg team competed in the premier league. The other new stronghold, Babbelz from Oosterhout, has quite a few big names in its selection. The question before, of course, as with Cues&Darts, is how many of those players will appear regularly in the team. Monique Wilkowski's Tilburg team also have an impressive line-up to draw from. Glenn Hofman and Ruben Legazpi are usually the front men for the cup winner, who is certainly aiming for new successes again.
With Raymond Ceulemans and Joris van ‘t Zelfden, Dallinga has the oldest and the almost youngest player in the squad. Only Burak Hashas of Cues&Darts, who transferred to the PBA, is even younger. As for those PBA players who are deployable when not playing in the PBA, Eddy Leppens (Eekhoorn), Robinson Morales and Burak Hashas (Cues), Javier Palazon (J&F Cars) and Savas Bulut (Babbelz) are available for the premier league.
Dick Jaspers has announced that he will be admired more in his home land after years of scarcity. Sam van Etten is making a new move at Zundert, where he will be frontman if Segei Jimenez does not play.
The first round starts Sunday (8 September, all live on Kozoom) with SIS Billiards' away match against De Biljartacademie, so with Roland Forthomme against Jean van Erp on centercourt. Paperclip opens at home against Team Eekhoorn (Jaspers-Polychronopoulos), Babbelz gets a top billings right away against Cues&Darts (Caudron-Hofman). Dallinga travels to Nieuwegein without Jean Paul de Bruijn, who is in China for the UMB. J&F Auto's gets Jeffrey Jorissen, the home child, among others at the tables with opponent Bousema visiting Den Haag.
The matches for Sunday in the first round (from 1pm):
De Biljartacademie-SIS/Vervoort Installatie
Roland Forthomme-Jean van Erp
Ron Zielemans-Raimond Burgman
Paul Wallerand-Raimond Swertz
Mathy Monnissen-Wilco van Wijk
Roland Forthomme starting the competition vs Jean van Erp
Paperclip-Team Eekhoorn
Dick Jaspers-Nikos Polychronopoulos
Anno de Kleine-Peter Ceulemans
Dan Breur-Frans van Kuyk
Peter van Lieshout-Kurt Ceulemans
Nikos Polychronopoulos, ready for the match with Dick Jaspers?
STZ Zundert-Aartsbouw
Sergei Jimenez-Eddy Merckx
Sam van Etten-Turgay Orak
Thorsten Frings-Ronny Brants
Rik van Beers-Tom Persyn
Eddy Merckx starting for his new team in Holland
J&F Auto's/Jorissen-Bousema/JBSCues
Murat Gökmen-Martin Horn
Kay de Zwart-Jeffrey Jorissen
Paul Bruystens-Stefan Galla
Herman van Daalen-Frans van Schaik
Berkay Karakurt playing for Babbelz where Frédéric Caudron is the number 1 player
Team Babbelz-Cues&Darts/Xtreme
Frédéric Caudron-Glenn Hofman
Berkay Karakurt-Jef Philipoom
Dion Nelin-Huub Wilkowski
Jack Wijnen-Joey de Kok
Dave Christiani in the home match with Nieuwegein
RCN Nieuwegein-Dallinga.com
Dave Christiani-Steven van Acker
Barry van Beers-Peter De Backer
Gerwin Valentijn-Bart Ceulemans
Henk Blauwblomme-Berry Dallinga.
All matches to be seen live on Kozoom.