SCHILTIGHEIM - ,,I will jump on the billiard to show my happiness'', said Dani Sánchez, when he qualified for the first time for the Agipi Masters this year. The joy didn't took more than one yesterday: in the first round of the quarters, the Spaniard lost against Kyung-Roul Kim (50-25 in 25 innings), so that he must continue playing for the minor prizes.
The triple world champion has the form to shine at any level in the world, but for some mysterious reason, he never shows up on his best in the Agipi arena.
He's playing in the session with the losers, today, a match against Eddy Merckx, which can only bring him a fifth place at the end.
What remained, last night, was an interview about his previous year, in which he, amongst other things, won the World Cup in Matosinhos, about his recent form, such as his performance in the World championship for teams in Viersen, where he won all his matches and the World Cup in Antalya, where he lost eventually against the later winner Sung-Won Choi, but where he excelled with a maximum of run of fifteen against Jérémy Bury.
And Dany Sánchez, who runs a shop in billiard products in Barcelona with a partner, likes to philosophize about the development of young talent in his country. The Spanish school for for young players is the best in the world, as it seems. The Netherlands once had a good development as well, but the federation does not have a coach anymore, the Koreans also send their coach home and other leading countries in three cushion are far behind in teaching young players.
The current generation on top, with Filipos Kasidokostas and Jérémy as the best examples, are mainly self-formed or trained by private coaches. The new generation with the Korean HaengJik Kim, Lütfi Cenet, Sameh Sidhom, Glenn Hoffman, Peter Ceulemans and the young South Americans can be jealouos of the Spanish school.
Javier Palazón, Ruben Legazpi, Antonio Ortiz and especially Juan David Zapata and David Martinez of the new generation, prove that the trainings sessions, led by Jose Maria Quetglas, are succesful on the international level.
Dani Sánchez won his first world title when he was 24 in the French Reze, where he won in the final against Torbjörn Blomdahl. The title he won seven years later, was even more impressive: in a theater in the Spanish Lugo, where he was incredibly strong in the finals against Jean-Paul de Bruijn.
Sánchez won his third world title in Sluiskil in 2010 in the final against Eddy Leppens. His comments there: ,,I'm not a player like Frédéric Caudron, Torbjörn Blomdahl and Dick Jaspers, who can play at the highest level for a whole year, but I can peak for one tournament, for instance to win a world title.''
The little Spaniard is 38 now (since 3 March), he can be on top for many years (,,because I enjoy the game again''), but his successors are ready. Juan David Zapata won the European junior title in Italy recently with amazing averages.
,,We must not think that he will be world top in one year'', Sánchez tempers the optimism after the title of his young countryman. ,,But Zapata and David Martinez are big talents, they have shown already in other tournaments.''
,,To come to the world top and stay there, takes a little time'', Sánchez realizes. ,,We may not say that Javier Palazón (two times third in a World championship) and Ruben Legazpi don't continue their development at the moment. We've seen it before. Filipos Kasidokostas and Jérémy Bury also needed a few years to make the last step to the top. I am convinced that it will happen as well with our young players.''