LOMMEL - Sixteen Belgian billiard players, who have placed in three ranking tournaments, in the Belgian championship and the Belgian Cup, will play for the Superprestige in Lommel from Monday until Saturday. Roland Forthomme defends his title, Frédéric Caudron, Eddy Merckx and Eddy Leppens have seeded as the top three players on the ranking. Three young Belgian players have also seeded for the final days.
Three times on a row, the Superprestige, which will be more than ever a tv-spectacle, is organized by a team led by Eddy Leppens and Frédéric Caudron. ,,We have a very creative team,'' says Eddy Leppens, who speaks of an organization that consists of 25 people, including the volunteers.
Tiest Leppens, the uncle of Eddy, is one of the main people in that team, together with the former professional football player Fons Haagedorn, and his sun Filip, who is the coach of the football club in Lommel.
,,We get lots of support from Sara Schildermans, who coordinates things on behalf of the city. She has been on maternity leave for a while, but she has a baby now and is again working with us.''
Then there are the members of BC Aalderburg, a small club whose members play on small table. ,,All the members are volunteers in our team, without those people, this tournament couldn't be organized. They deserve a very big compliment.''
Roland Forthomme has acquired the name of Mister Superprestige in recent years and is again one of the contenders. Eddy Leppens: ,,Roland always says, I have to feel goed in a tournament, I prefer to play in a tournament where everything is perfect for the players. He feels good in our billiard room, nothing disturbs him when he's playing, so he is on his best here.''
The organization expects about fifteen hundred spectators over the whole week, the tournament will be covered by three TV stations, which Sporza and Exqi and the most important. Furthermore, all matches will be broadcasted live on Kozoom, exclusively for members with a premium pass.
The groups of four rounds start Monday, the quarte finals are on Friday, the semi-finals and finals on Saturday.
The group format is:
Group A, Monday gtp, 18:00 Roland Forthomme, Peter de Backer, Frederic Mottet, Wesley fr Jaeger.
Group B Tuesday 18:00: Eddy Merckx, Kurt Ceulemans, Steven Van Acker, Martin Spoormans.
Group C, Wednesday 18:00: Eddy Leppens, Francis Forton, Davy van Havere, Johan Claessen.
Group D, Thursday 18:00: Frédéric Caudron, Jef Philipoom, Ronny Brants, Peter Ceulemans.