VIERSEN - The year of 2019 had a turbulent start for Mr. Farouk Barki, the president of the UMB world billiards association, but the sky is slowly clearing. The rumors about a spectacular separation of top players, after the announcement of the Korean organization PBA (Professional Billiards Association, to be launched by Kimchi, Bravo and New), are less worrying than expected. The UMB, with players throughout the world, will not depart from its rules, strategy and planning whatever may happen in the next two months. Two players (Belgians Frédéric Caudron and Eddy Leppens) from the world's top 20 have officially announced they will leave the UMB. Mr. Barki is not afraid at all that more will follow. "I am very pleased that almost all players from the top of the world have expressed their confidence in the UMB."
The president joins for an interview with Kozoom during the World championship for national teams played in Viersen these days. The main news about this tournament: the Scotch Double system will disappear next year, players will face one-to-one again in matches for the pre-rounds and the knock-outs. Barki: ''Only when matches end in a draw during the knock-outs, there will be no shoot-out, but Scotch Double to 15 caroms to determine the winner."
The 71-year-old Egyptian, who leads the UMB, admits that he had a tough start of this year. And due to the full calendar with tournaments around the world, many negotiations and meetings, Barki is away from home for at least five to six months in a year. ''I hope that traveling will be a bit less now that Herbert Thür from Austria is our new sports director. He will take over many activities from me. But, personally I feel healthy, I feel a lot of confidence inside the UMB board and we don't worry about the current situation. The UMB is getting stronger and stronger.''
Kozoom/Frits Bakker: The UMB board had meetings two times these days in Viersen, individually and with the CEB (European federation) about calendars, about the financial future for the players and other matters. What are the expectations for this year?
Mr. Farouk Barki: The calendars have been discussed, among other things with the upcoming three World championship in three cushion, this year in Randers (Denmark), next year in Turkey, for which the location is not yet known and in two years in La Baule, in a location other than where the World Cups were played. The contract with Eurosport has been discussed and is very important for our sport. We are strong in Korea after our agreement with the KBF, the Korean federation. We are convinced that we want to further increase the prize money for players. Two years ago we had 2 to 300.000 euros per year, this year more than 1.5 million. It will be better for players every year, but just like in all major sports, the top players will be on top of the money-lists. Those who win a lot, will earn a lot with their sport. The top of the world players can live very well in billiards now, much more than a few years ago.
Kozoom/FB: The meetings were mainly meant to speak to the current situation. With the threat of the new PBA organization?
Mr. Barki: Yes, of course we discussed that extensively. We wait and see what happens the next two months. The PBA announced its first tournament should be played in June. I don't know who will play there and which players will be suspended afterwards. The rumours about a lifelong suspension are nonsense. According to our rules, a player who starts in one tournament for the other organization, will be suspended for one year. Two tournaments means two years suspension, three tournaments for three years, but that is the maximum. I really don't know who spread the rumours, but more than three years of punishment is not in the UMB regulations.
Kozoom/FB: Mr. President, what do you expect in the next months and with the transfers of players in the world?
Mr. Barki: We will only know when the new circuit will be launched. We just wait and see, but I am not afraid that we will lose the world top, on the contrary..., except for Frédéric Caudron, we will keep them all. My main question, after having seen all messages is: why do all the Korean top players, who live in Korea, want to continue playing worldwide in the big UMB tournaments. And why do five, or at most ten Europeans, who are except of Caudron and Leppens most of all players around the ranking of fifty, want to join the PBA for personal reasons and only play in Korea? I don't know and nobody can answer me. I cannot understand this after the efforts made by the UMB for the players. And that they are now leaving us.
Kozoom/FB: Is there still a door opened, a meeting between the parties to discuss? Can we hope for a compromise to bring the organizations together around the table?
Mr. Barki: I would like to, because of course I am not happy that a player like Caudron, one of our top players for many years, will leave us. There is no doubt for our sport, it would be best that the players stay under the umbrella of the UMB. When we don't manage, the sport itself is the big loser. I am open to new negotiations, but the first requirement for us is that they respect our calendars. We have obligations to our confederations and federations. The calendar could only have space for four or five other tournaments. If that willingness could be there, there would certainly be a solution for us to talk about.
Kozoom/FB: Does it surprise you that these days, more Europeans announce to certainly, or probably want to switch, such as Javier Palazón, and the Dutch Glenn Hofman and Jean Paul de Bruijn?
Mr. Barki: They mainly are the players that were expected, such as a few European Kimchi players and some who see an opportunity to earn more money. I am happier with the players who have returned to the World Cups after years, such as Martin Horn and Dion Nelin. They have seen the developments at the UMB and the opportunity to improve financially. The players who leave for Korea, who are far from the top 20, now want to earn some money without improving their level. The near future will tell who was right.