LIER - Belgian billiards will return to the world calendar next year with the organization of a World Cup three-cushion and a World championship. The organizer is Kurt Ceulemans, who is back on track after a few years without billiards in terms of organizing, and he’s making a spectacular come-back. The Belgian billiard player, former owner of the Mister 100 and son of the legend Raymond Ceulemans, has opted with the UMB for the 2025 World Cup three cushion and a World championship in that period in October. Two more World Cups are planned for the following years in 2026 and 2027.
Kurt Ceulemans has the permission of UMB and Farouk Barki, the president of the world federation, but is waiting for green light from KBBB, the Belgian billiards federation. The venue where the tournaments will be played is not yet known. Kurt Ceulemans assures: ’’We will choose between Antwerp and Blankenberge, because for us Antwerp is ideal as a billiard stronghold, but of course Blankenberge is a candidate because of the good cooperation during previous events.''
The news about the organizations in Belgium is surprising because the Netherlands (Harry Mathijssen, Cees Priem) was also a candidate for the cycle of three World Cups and a World championship from 2025. Kurt Ceulemans: ’’We also had applied and were informed by Mr Farouk Barki that we are now preferred. Only we have to get the cooperation of the KBBB, the Belgian federation. It may be known that there have been quite a few frictions in the past. I am chairman of the BTS, which organizes tournaments, and we were not always on the same course. We have to put that aside now. It's about putting Belgium back on the map as an organizer of big world events.''
Kurt Ceulemans disappeared from the scene as organizer for a few years due to his attempts to cooperate with the PBA, the Korean professional organization. ''Initially the Koreans wanted to come to Europe, or to Belgium with a tournament. I travelled to Korea a few times for that, but it is almost impossible to make deals with the Koreans. I would have loved to make a masterpiece. That means: having the UMB's top players meet with the PBA's top players. Something like: the best 16 from each organization against each other. I am sure the venue where we would play that would attract thousands of spectators. But unfortunately, I had to stop my efforts for that.''
As a result, Kurt Ceulemans, an organizer at heart, returns to the old nest. Under the leadership of Kurt Ceulemans and his team, two World Cups were played in Blankenberge in 2018 and 2019. The winners were Dick Jaspers and Javier Palazón. During and after that period, there were also contacts with the PBA, which therefore ultimately came to nothing.
The Belgian variety organizer is now waiting for a meeting and a quick decision within the Belgian federation to make a contract with guarantees. Ceulemans: ’’It is conscious that I want to start organizing very quickly. I have always continued to lobby, but as of now I have to get the sponsors within six months. Then we are off and have another year to prepare this wonderful series. It is now up to the Belgian federation to step up and reach consensus. At the UMB, I have the guarantees and permission to organize. After that, we can definitely have our place on the UMB calendar.''
The first World Cup is scheduled from 6-12 October 2025, the World championship from 14-18 October.
Kurt Ceulemans when organizing the World Cups in Blankenberge