LUXOR - The second day of the Luxor World Cup had, like always, an early wake up for Willem Hofman. The Dutchman, the only foreign referee this year in the corps with Egyptians, is an early bird. ,,I'm not used to sleep for many hours, not here, not at home, so here I am, ready to start'', the referee (named Big Willem) says, waiting for breakfast at the Sonesta St. George Hotel and trying to explain his passion for the Egypt World Cups.
We are on the start of the second day at the World Cup: Willem already did some matches on the first day, including Nabil (Bilo) Salama's, a colleague referee, friend and substitute as a player in the tournament. ,,Very special to be part of, Bilo's debut'', Willem looked back after the match. ,,We were at the same table, Bilo as a player, me as the referee, because there was a delay in one of the other matches. He didn't play well, our friend. I really felt sorry for him, but of course, you have to be professional, the same when there is a Dutch player at the table.''
The second session at the World Cup will bring some players of the sub-elite to the tables today (Monday). Two young Koreans, for example, belonging to the great talents in their country, meeet at 11.00: Myung Woo Cho and Jung Ju Shin. The best player of the first day, Salih Tekkeli, also starts in the first session. The current Greek number one, Kostas Kokkoris, has some more time left and starts at 15.30. And Gülsen Degener, eliminated on the first day, is back because one of the players did not show up this morning.
The World Cup in Luxor is a sort of homecoming: for Claus Føge, as he said yesterday, for Willem Hofman and many of the foreign players who are walking in slowly now. Namiko Hayashi, who's playing for the first time and was eliminated on the first day, said last night: ,,I was so nervous to start, in my second match I played much better. But I'm so glad to be here.''
Willem Hofman: ,,Yes, it's so good to be back here, it feels so good for me. I already had contact for some months with my Egyptian colleagues and friends Antoine Chart, Bilo Salama. Who could have thought this, prior to this cycle of World Cups that it would lead to such a close friendship, not only with my colleagues, also with Susan Milbank, Alhussein Alsharif and Farouk Barki.''
We will have a fantastic week again, says the Dutchman, who started his fifth Egyptian tournament (Hurghada and Luxor). ,,Together we will ensure that this World Cup will be a huge success.''
Starting today, the matches are played at six tables with twelve groups of three players. The winners of those groups qualify for the third day.
The first session today (11.00):
Claus Maurer-Salih Tekkeli
Rafael Perez-William Oh
Myung Woo Cho-Jung-Ju Shin
Savas Gungor-Ali Kemal Gunaydin
Salah Abdin-Claus Føge
Gülsen Degener-Osman Yilmaz.
All matches are broadcast live on kozoom.com.
Willem Hofman (right) and Nabil (Bilo) Salama
Myung Woo Cho, one of the young Korean stars coming up today
Jung Ju Shin, playing against Myung Woo Cho
Gulsen Degener is back in the tournament, because one of the players for today did not show up