ANKARA For the first time in the history of the European three cushion championships, the individual and team championships will be played directly after each other over a six-day period. The double event is from Tuesday 16 to Sunday 21 April in the Turkish city of Ankara.
In the centre of the Turkish billiards federation, the best European billiard players will compete against each other for the titles. The first two days are scheduled for the European national teams championship with 24 teams representing 15 countries. The teams are divided into eight groups of three, with only the group winners advancing to the quarter-finals. The next four days are reserved for the individual championships with 64 players, 48 of them in the qualifiers with 16 groups of 3 players. The 16 group winners join the 16 seeded players in a direct knockout.
Marco Zanetti is the defending champion in the individual competition, while the Greeks led by Nikos Polychronopoulos and Kostantinos Kokkoris are the reigning European team champions.
Key competitors include the Spaniards, who took silver at the World Championship in Viersen with Ruben Legazpi and Sergio Jimenez, Sweden's multiple winners Torbjörn Blomdahl and Michael Nilsson, the Turks with Tayfun Tasdemir and Tolgahan Kiraz the Belgians with Peter Ceulemans and Roland Forthomme and the second Belgian team with Eddy Merckx and Peter De Backer, the Dutch with Jean Paul de Bruijn and Jeffrey Jorissen (second team with Glenn Hofman and Barry van Beers) and the Germans with Martin Horn and Ronny Lindemann.
The first matches start at 9.30am on Tuesday.
The individual tournament will start two days later on Thursday 18 April.
The seeded players are: Marco Zanetti, Dick Jaspers, Torbjörn Blomdahl, Martin Horn, Tayfun Tasdemir, Eddy Merckx, Jérémy Bury, Berkay Karakurt, Jean Paul de Bruijn, Nikos Polychronopoulos, Peter Ceulemans, Roland Forthomme, Tolgahan Kiraz, Dion Nelin, Ruben Legazpi, Manuel Rui Costa.
The groups for the preliminary rounds are:
Group A: Michael Nilsson, Peter De Backer, Dionisis Tsokantas
Group B: Thomas Andersen, Tank Yavuz, Bart Ceulemans
Group C: Jeffrey Jorissen, Nalle Olsson, Karl Makik
Group D: Cetin Behzat, Tom Löwe, Kevin Vasseur
Group E: Dimitrios Seleventas, Kenan Canturk, Furkan Senel
Group F: Robinson Morales, Tonny Carlsen, Thomas Broux
Group G: Kostas Kokkoris, Valentin Andaluz, José Maria Mas
Group H: Jose Miguel Soares, Ronny Lindemann, Maxime Panaia
Group I: David Pennör, Emrullah Basegmez, Espen Hauge
Group J: Radovan Hajek, Barry van Beers, Ibrahim Hayri Altuntsalar
Group K: Gerhard Kostistansky, Francisco Rodrigues, Denzcan Akkoca
Group L: Turgay Orak, Ivo Gazdos, Meling Sebastian
Group M: Glenn Hofman, Cédric Melnytschenko, Jo Björnstad
Group N: Emilio Sciacca, Radek Novak, Adrien Tachoire
Group O: Alfonso Legazpi, Lukas Stamm, Nathan Duriez
Group P: Burak Hashas, Arnim Kahofer, Jarno Ahola.
The teams compositions are:
Greece: Nikos Polychronopoulos, Kostas Kokkoris
Turkey 1: Tayfun Tasdemir, Tolgahan Kiraz
Belgium 1: Peter Ceulemans, Roland Forthomme
Spain 1: Ruben Legazpi, Sergio Jimenez
Netherlands 1: Jean Paul de Bruijn, Jeffrey Jorissen
France 1: Jérémy Bury, Cédric Melnytschenko
Germany 1: Martin Horn, Ronny Lindemann
Sweden 1: Torbjörn Blomdahl, Michael Nilsson
Denmark 1: Thomas Andersen, Tonny Carlsen
Italy 1: Marco Zanetti, Emilio Sciacca
Austria 1: Gerhard Kostistansky, Arnim Kahofer
Czech Republic 1: Radovan Hajek, Radek Novak
Portugal 1: Manuel Rui Costa, Jose Miguel Soares
Switzerland 1: Cetin Behzat, Kenan Canturk
Norway 1: Espen Hauge, Jo Björnstad
Greece 2: Dimitrios Seleventas, Dionisis Tsokantas
Turkey 2: Turgay Orak, Burak Hashas
Belgium 2: Eddy Merckx, Peter De Backer
Spain 2: Robinson Morales, Adrian Legazpi
Netherlands 2: Glenn Hofman, Barry van Beers
France 2: Maxime Panaia, Adrien Tachoire
Germany 2: Lukas Stamm, Tom Löwe
Sweden 2: David Pennör, Nalle Ollson
Portugal 2: Francisco Rodrigues, Paulo Andrade.
Kozoom will broadcast both tournaments live.
