BLOIS - In the French town of Blois on the Loire River, the women's three-cushion world title will be contested in September (10-12). Dutch Therese Klompenhouwer (41) is chasing for a new world title, which she had to relinquish to Korean Shin Young Lee in Ankara last year. The new world champion immediately switched to the Korean professional federation PBA after winning the title, where she could not achieve any successes so far. Therese Klompenhouwer is a five-time world champion. The opposition includes 50-year-old Japanese Yuko Nishimoto, who won silver in an Asian final at last year’s worlds.
Dutch Klompenhouwer, by far the best in Europe, won her first world title in 2014 in Sinop (Turkey) and her last so far in 2022 in Heerhugowaard (Netherlands). She leads the European contingent in Blois, where many routine players will start. Belgian champion Danielle le Bruyn, just turned 67, is the oldest of the bunch. Other players with great experience include Gülsen Degener, Karina Jetten, Helga Mitterböck, Ireana Michalkova, Magali Declunder, Yuko Nishimoto and Colombian Marcela Claudia Lalinde. South American Lalinde, one of four Colombian women at the World Cup, was one of the standouts in the WCBS tournament played in Poland last week. Korean Ha Eun Kim is the youngest at the Worlds in Blois at 19.
Therese Klompenhouwer will play Johana Sandoval and Danielle le Bruyn in the preliminary rounds. Yuko Nishimoto faces Karina Jetten and Litsa Mavridoglou.
19 year young Korean Ha Eun Kim
The participants for the World championship in Blois:
Yuko Nishimoto, Japan
Therese Klompenhouwer, Netherlands
Karina Jetten, Netherlands
Danielle le Bruyn, Belgium
Estela Cardoso, Spain
Gülsen Degener, Turkey
Steffi Tram, Germany
Charlotte Sörensen, Denmark
Litsa Mavridoglou, Greece
Helga Mitterböck, Austria
Sonia Livebardon, France
Irana Michalkoval, Czech Republic
Claudia Lalinde, Colombia
Andrea Cardona, Colombia
Johana Sandoval, Colombia
Claudia Cifuentes, Colombia
Jackeline Perez, Peru
Ha Eun Kim, Korea
Jeong Hyeon Park, Korea
Ayaka Fukumoto, Japan
Makiko Inoue, Japan
Nhi Hoangyen Nguyen, Vietnam
Kien Tuong Phung, Vietnam
Magali Declunder, France.