BOGOTÁ - The 2024 World Cup cycle kicks off next Monday, February 26, at the Coliseo Cubierto El Salitre in Bogotá, Colombia (February 26 to March 3) under the new rules of qualifications. For the first time since many years, the big field of world-class players will travel to Colombia once again. The South American contingent has been a rarity on the international calendar in recent years. The last World Cup in Colombia was played in Medellin 2013, the last World championship in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Frédéric Caudron won both events. This year, in the World Cup cycle, Bogotá, Ho Chi Minh City, Ankara, Porto, Veghel, Seoul and Egypt (location not yet known) follow each other in a circuit of seven World Cups. Vietnam hosts the World championship in Binh Thuan at the end of September.
The ranking used as a reference for qualifying for the World Cup circuit is called the 'UMB Events Ranking' and takes into account the last world championship and the last 10 World Cups. Continental and national championships are not taken into account for this ranking.
The 'World Player Ranking' is another ranking, used as a reference for qualification for the World Championships. It is the ranking previously used as the only world ranking, taking into account the last eight World Cups, the last world, international and national championships.
So the question is now: who is the world number one? Dick Jaspers, leader of the UMB events ranking, or Myung-woo Cho, leader of the World player ranking?
The World Cup in Bogotá has been a success in terms of entries, with a long reserve list of 69 players. Three-cushion is popular in South America. The time difference with Western Europe is 6 hours and matches are generally played between 11am and 8pm local time, from 5pm to 3am in Western Europe.
The matches are broadcast for all to see on Afreeca TV or via Cuesco.
The prize money for the World Cup is the same as last year, €16,000 for the winner. But the winner of the World Cup circuit at the end of the year will receive €30,000, the runner-up €15,000 and the third-placed player €10,000. In the next World championship, the winner will receive €40,000 (previously €20,000).
The top 14 have signed up for the World Cup with the exception of Martin Horn who is still recovering from his foot fracture. The seeded players are Dick Jaspers, Eddy Merckx, Torbjörn Blomdahl, Myung-woo Cho, Marco Zanetti, Quyet Chien Tran, Jun-tae Kim, Tayfun Taşdemir, Phuong Vinh Bao, Sameh Sidhom, Jérémy Bury, Jung-han Heo and Myeong-jong Cha. Wildcards were handed out to Pedro Piedrabuena (UMB), Pedro Gonzalez and Daniel Morales (organisation).
The first Dutch, Belgians and Germans come into action in the first days. Monday 26 February is the day Amir Ibraimov, who won the last junior tournament at Longoni/CEB and turned 16 this week, will already be seen in a group with Colombian Julian Torres and Greek Litsa Mavridoglou. For the Netherlands, Ronald van Geyt, Jetty Beersma and Pauline Gerritsen open the tournament. Luis Aveiga from Ecuador, Carlos Crespo from Spain, Gregory Le Deventec from France and Ramazan Durdu and Ali Ibraimov from Germany are well-known players on that Monday.
On Tuesday, Therese Klompenhouwer makes her entrance into this World Cup. The Dutch women's top player hardly plays World Cups any more, but is happy to make an exception for a trip to Colombia. Also shining in the first round is Peru's Ramon Rodriguez, an old friend from the circuit. Sergio Jimenez, Tom Löwe, Tobias Bouerdick, Raymon Groot and Jordy de Kruijf are well-known World Cup players, the same as Dutchman Reggy Brouwers.
On the third day, the first Belgian enters the arena: Alain Saeijs. He will do so, among others, with well-known names like Glenn Hofman (on the podium in last Sharm El Sheikh), Pierre Soumagne, Turgay Orak, Gökhan Salman, Colombians Luis Martinez, Huberney Cataño and Jose Juan Garcia, German Ronny Lindemann, Dutchmen Volkan Cetin, Huub Wilkowski, Joey de Kok and further Takao Miyashita, Hugo Patino, Ja In Kang, Kostas Kokkoris, Jose Miguel Soares, Javier Vera, Turgay Orak and Omer Karakurt.
Thursday is traditionally the final qualifier, in which the 12 group winners and three best Numbers 2 from those 12 groups promote to the main tournament.
he groups on that day:
Poule A: Nikos Polychronopoulos and 2 qualifiers
Poule B: Chang Hoon Seo +2
Poule C: Hong Chiem Thai +2
Poule D: Peter Ceulemans +2
Poule E: Tolgahan Kiraz, Sam van Etten +2
Poule F: Berkay Karakurt, Mashhour Abu Tayeh +1
Poule G: Ruben Legazpi, Rui Manuel Costa +1
Poule H: Gwendal Maréchal, Robinson Morales +1
Poule I: Roland Forthomme, Thanh Luc Tran +1
Poule J: Bong Joo Hwang, Gerhard Kostistansky +1
Poule K: Burak Hashas, Jean Paul de Bruijn +1
Poule L: Jeffrey Jorissen, Ye Sung Jeong +1
Friday: start of the main draw with 8 groups of 4 players:
Poule A: Dick Jaspers, Pedro Piedrabuena +2
Poule B: Eddy Merckx, Pedro Gonzalez +2
Poule C: Torbjörn Blomdahl, Myeong Jong Cha, Daniel Morales +1
Poule D: Myung Woo Cho, Jung Han Heo +2
Poule E: Marco Zanetti, Jérémy Bury +2
Poule F: Quyet Chien Tran, Sameh Sidhom +2
Poule G: Jun Tae Kim, Phuong Vinh Bao +2
Poule H: Haeng Jik Kim, Tayfun Tasdemir +2
Saturday 2nd of March: Round with best 16, knock-outs, at 11.00, 13.30 Colombian time
Quarter finals at 16.00 and 18.30
Sunday 3rd of March: Semi finales at 11.00 and 13.30, final match at 18.00
Dick Jaspers in top positions for the new World Cup
Young Korean Myung Woo Cho