BOCHUM/DOETINCHEM/PRAGUE - The European championship for teams in the classic games will be held in Rosmalen, Netherlands in the weekend from 8 until 10 May. Six teams are expected for the final weekend, five teams must try to qualify in the preliminaries, this weekend. The reigning European champion Etikon/AEJ is automatically seeded.
Three locations determine the five teams for the finals this weekend (14 and 15 March) for the battle in the European Cup with the title holder. Twelve teams signed up, which are divided into three groups of four, playing in Bochum (Germany), Doetinchem (Netherlands) and Prague (Czech Republic).
The group winners and the two best runners-up advance to the final.
The German host Bochum is one of the favourites to qualify and plays in its group with the French Oissel, a tough competitor with the Austrian Arnim Kahofer in the team, the Prague B team and the Dutch Horna team where Micha van Bochem is the most known player.
A1/De Veemarkt, with double European balk line champion Raymund Swertz receives three opponents in Doetinchem. The competition comes mainly from the Spanish Sueca (with Raul Cuenca and Estve Mata) and the French Andernos (Peter De Backer and Nicolas Gerassimopoulos).
Vitkov Prague is the undisputed contender in Group C in Prague with Marek Faus, Eddy Leppens and Wolfgang Zenkner as spearheads. Chartres, France, comes with Xavier Gretillat and Jacky Justice.
The group formats:
Group A in Bochum:
1 Bochum (Germany): Blondeel, Havlik, Nockemann, Berger, Van Etten
2 Oissel (France): Petit, Devogelaere, Kahofer, Vendittelli, Colle, Martory
3 Vitkov Prag (Czech): Baca, Ziogas, Kozak, Hosek
4 Horna (Netherlands): Bot, Kenter, Van Bochem.
Fabian Blondeel with Bochum one of the contenders for the final rounds
Group B in Doetinchem:
1 De Veemarkt/A1 Biljarts (Netherlands): Swertz, Van Silfhout, Van Geel, Lässig
2 Sueca (Spain): Cuenca, Garriga, Mata, Albert Torneo, Egea
3 Andernos (Francek): De Backer, Gerassimopoulos, Baudoin, Arnoud, Connesson, Picart
4 Hilden (Germany): Wildförster, Riedel, Rütten, Künstler, Grossjung
Group C in Praag:
1 Vitkov Prag (Czech): Faus, Leppens, Zenkner, Baka, Truska
2 Chartres (France): Gretillat, Gerimont, Justice, Formont, Girard, Pariot
3 Coral Colon (Spain): Espinasa, Gasso, Barrientos, Gonzales Castrillo Mas, Moya, Torrisco
4 KBK/BNV (Denmark): Mikkelsen, Nielsen, Hendriksen, Pietrazek.