3-Cushion
ZOERSEL - Twofold title holder Therese Klompenhouwer, former triple champion Orie Hida and the young Korean Lee Mi Rae are the main favourites for the three cushion World championship for ladies. The tournament, held for the seventh time, is launched this week (Friday, May 12th to Sunday, May 14th) in the Belgian Halle-Zoersel. The match room is in 'De Kapel', where in the days before a Charity Challenge is played, in which top players like Frédéric Caudron, Torbjörn Blomdahl and Eddy Merckx are linked to participants at the World championship.
Therese Klompenhouwer from the Netherlands was the winner of the last two editions at the World championship. The Japanese Natsumi Higashiuchi won gold in 2012 and the first three championships (2004, 2006, 2008) were won by the Japanese Orie Hida, who is again among the contenders in Belgium.
René Vermeiren, chairman of organizing BC De Ploeg, said during the press conference: ,,In Belgium we have a long tradition of organizations and successes in billiard sports. The time that in each café was a billiard table may be over, but the interest for the big events is still there.''
With Therese Klompenhouwer and Daniëlle Le Bruyn, who's the boss in De Ploeg, two players from the home team are ready to make a bit for the podium places. The Dutch is the world's number one. Daniëlle Le Bruyn won several Belgian titles.
The main competition is definitely expected from the Asians. Lee Mi Rae is a talent who's predicted a great future. She played in Seoul last year the final against Therese Klompenhouwer: she only lost in the shootout.
The World championship is played with four groups of four players. The three Dutch participants, Therese Klompenhouwer, Karina Jetten and Mirjam Plum-Emmens, are divided in the same group. The Turkish Gülsen Degener is the second European top performer from the world ranking.
The group format:
Group A:
Therese Klompenhouwer (The Netherlands)
Marianne Mortensen (Denmark)
Karina Jetten (The Netherlands)
Miriam Pruim-Emmens (The Netherlands)
Group B:
Gülsen Degener (Turkey)
Soledad Gomez (Colombia)
Lee Shin Young (South Korea)
Irena Hambalkova (Czech Republic)
Group C:
Lee Mi Rae (South Korea)
Daniëlle le Bruyn (Belgium)
Namiko Hayashi (Japan)
Johana Sandoval (Colombia)
Group D:
Orie Hida (Japan)
Helga Mitterböck (Austria)
Jaimie Buelens (Belgium)
Jackeline Perez (Peru).
X The winner receives a diamond ring, donated by Diamani Antwerp
X The first fourteen players of the world ranking are in the field
X There will be played at four Verhoeven Billiards
X The Kapel venue is a beautifully restored chapel which is a cultural center now in Zoersel-Sint Antonius, Handelslei 167.
X The Charity Challenge (entrance fee 10 euro) is for the benefit of the Mother Baby Foundation
X Presenter is René Vermeiren, famous former cyclist speaker in Belgium
X Presentator Charity Challenge: Kurt Ceulemans
The schedule:
Thursday 11.00: Presentation players
Friday: sessions at 13.30, 15.30, 19.00, 20.30
Saturday: sessions at 13.00, 15.00. Four final matches at 20.00.
Sunday:
11.00 and 13.00: semi-finals
15.30: Final
17.00: Ceremony
The program:
Friday May 12th:
Qualifications start at 13.30.
Saturday May 13th:
13.00: Qualifications
20.00: quarter finals
Sunday May 14th:
11.00: Semi-finals
15.30: Final.
Therese Klompenhouwer in last year's final vs Lee Mi Rae
Young Korean talent Lee Mi Rae with the trophy in Seoul
The best four at the World championship in Seoul in 2016