BRANDENBURG - The Dutch were on the stage on the final day with Dick Jaspers, Raimond Burgman, Raimund Swertz, together with the French Andernos team. The Stahlpalast in Brandenburg an der Havel closed its doors last night (Sunday) for the biggest billiards event in history. The winners may call themselves European champions for two years.
The organizers have two years to look forward to the next mega tournament
Ten days of billiards at the highest level have passed: time to make a summary.
1 The European championship in numbers: more than 350 players from almost all European countries where billiards is played, they battled in 18 disciplines, led by 100 referees, at 20 tables and with around 3.000 spectators, a budget of 500,000 euros. The tournament turned out into a great sporty success.
The Kozoom Premium pass holders were witnessing a spectacular event, could follow all the matches live and choose the matches on 20 tables. The live streaming was unique and was much appreciated by all viewers.
The tournament, organized by the CEB (European billiards bond) is summarized in a video of Kozoom under the name ’The Best of Brandenburg’, composed in a replay.
2 The sporty success in the first weekend was marked by the victory of Marco Zanetti in three cushion. The Italian completed a fantastic trilogy after winning the tournaments in Lausanne and Agipi Masters. With an overal record average of 2.500, Zanetti defeated in the final phase successively Dick Jaspers, Frédéric Caudron and Christian Rudolph. He showed a high class demonstration of his technique and fighting spirit, rewarded by his first European title.
3 The great victory of the Dutch in the medal ranks, before Italy and Belgium. The orange squad won seven gold medals with Dick Jaspers and Raimond Burgman (nation team), Raymund Swertz (balk-line 47/2 and 71/2) Therese Klompenhouwer (ladies three cushion), Monique van Exter (ladies, free game), Sam van Etten (free game under 17) and Guido Kauffeld (juniors free game).
4 Memorable moments in the tournament were the magisterial 28 run that Frédéric Caudron made in the match against Marco Zanetti. He equaled the world record of Raymond Ceulemans, Junichi Komori and Roland Forthomme, however, he lost the match against Marco Zanetti.
5 The young Dutch Guido Kauffeld and Gertjan Veldhuizen played a flawless final in the free game, each with 300 caroms in one inning. Kauffeld won the gold medal in the penalty runs and took one of the seven Dutch titles.
6 The Dutchman Raymund Swertz demonstrated that he is the acclaimed specialist in the balk-line disciplines: he won both finals in 47/2 and 71/2. The Czech Marek Faus was a great opponent on the final day, finishing his match in the equalizer with a big run. Swertz won the penalty runs and received his second gold medal.
7 The Italians dominated the 5 pins and showed themselves the absolute masters in this discipline. There was no other country that came close to the Italian mastery.
8 Torbjörn Blomdahl was discovered in a new discipline: one cushion. The Swede came to the Europeans without high expectations, as he told before the event, but showed in the prelims that he’s a master in this discipline. He even was the best in the rank before the start of the quarter finals. When the knockout phase started, he met Jean Paul de Bruijn, six-time champion. The Dutchman broke off with a run of 111 and bested the Swede in two innings. De Bruijn was after that performance the big favorite for the title, but was defeated in the semifinals by Frédéric Caudron, who won the title in the final against Frenchman Bernard Villiers.
9 Dick Jaspers and Raimond Burgman surprised the world champions Eddy Merckx and Frédéric Caudron in the final of the national team tournament. The swirling start of the two Dutch brought them the title. Jaspers beat Merckx, Burgman lost to Caudron. The score was in favor of the Netherlands.
10 Therese Klompenhouwer from Netherlands is the undeniable leading lady in woman billiards in Europe. She won the title again, this time in the final against another Dutch, Karina Jetten.
11 The tournament was huge, with its twenty billiards and various disciplines that were played at the same time, but the spectators and players were able to follow each movement in the matches at the giant Kozoom scoreboard on the stage of the hall.
12 The organization of the championship delivered a great performance with all its volunteers. Wolfgang Rittman, the initiator on behalf of the European federation, had a team of employees that could handle the mega event after a difficult start and make it to a fantastic finish.
13 The people in the crisis center, led by the Frenchman Jean Pierre Guiraud (and Dutchman Bennie Deegens), did an amazing job in the small office behind the playing room. The German committee was assisted by specialists from Egypt and Turkey.
14 Farouk Barki from Egypt said farewell as the vice-president of the European board in the congress. He was succeeded by Bennie Deegens from Netherlands. Barki was appointed honorary member. He remains the sports director of the UMB, the world federation.
15 Most criticism in the tournament came from the ladies, who had to pay their inscription fee, but didn’t get prize money. The German Olaf Reifflin, a billiard enthusiast and fighter for the rights of women's billiards, searched for publicity together with Turkish billiards star Gülsen Degener and campaigned against, as they called it: women discrimination.
The medal rankings of the European championship:
1: Netherlands: 7x gold, silver 4x, 7x bronze. Total 18 medals
2: Italy: 4x gold, 2x silver, 3x bronze. Total 9.
3: Belgium: 2x gold, 3x silver, 5x bronze. Total 10.
4: France: 1x gold, 2x silver, 7x bronze. Total 10.
5: Germany: 1x gold, 2x silver, 4x bronze. Total 7.
6: Turkey: 1x gold, 2x silver, 2x bronze. 5 total.
7: Spain and Czech Republic: 1x gold, 1x silver, 1x bronze. Total 3.
9: Austria: 1x silver.
10: Greece: 3x bronze.
11: Denmark: 2x bronze.
12: Sweden: 1x bronze.