MEDELLIN – In the city of Medellin, with 2.5 million inhabitants, known in its own country (Colombia) as the City of Everlasting Spring, the ’Torneo Internacional Feria de les Flores’ has been kicked off. Besides the big Colombian names, the Belgian starplayer Eddy Leppens, Luis Aveiga (Ecuador) and Rodolfo Covarrubias from Mexico are the main contenders for the final victory.
The tournament is held in the period of the annual flower festival in Medellin, the Feria de les Flores, a cultural highlight marked by an immense flower parade at the end and the election of the flower queen.
The second Colombian city after Bogotá, in the northwest of the country, has two major football clubs, Atletico Nacional and Indepediente Medellin. Furthermore, the famous cyclist Santiago Botero was born and raised in Medellin.
Sixteen groups of four players (total 64) compete in the upcoming days for a place in the knock out rounds. Five groups opened the tournament with particularly strong performances by Huberney Catano, Rodolfo Covarrubias, Eddy Leppens and Luis Aveiga.
In the groups is played to two winning sets of fifteen with a 20 innings limit.
Huberney Catano opened and coloured the Flower festival yesterday with two strong matches: he beat Wilson Guiza (1.429) and tormented Marcela Restrepo, the young lady who had survived the preliminaries: 15-2 in 8, 15-1 in 2 innings (3.000).
Rodolfo Covarrubias scooped victory and secured his place in the next round against by beating Santiago Carmona (2.167) and Orlando Henao (1.765).
Eddy Leppens dashed off with a quickie against Jorge Barrios, 15-5 (13) and 15-0 (5), 1.667 average and then defeated his second opponent Bernardo Marolanda: 15-5, 15-7, 1.500.
Heriberto Aristazabal was launched with two three-set wins vs Cesar Diaz and Dorian Agudelo.
The groups:
Group 1:
Víctor Olarte, Carlos Duque, Pedro Reyes, Giovanny Marín.
Group 2:
Mauricio Jimenez, Andres Roldan, Carloman Ortiz, Steven Uribe.
Group 3:
Walter Mesa, Wilmer Serna, Manuel Lindao, Alvaro Jaramillo.
Group 4:
Arley Montoya, Cristian Tejada, Alexander Salazar, Alejandra Zuluaga.
Group 5:
Michel Lozano, Andres Londoño, Carlos M Villegas, Mario Morales.
Group 6:
Andres Lizarazo, Sergio Tobon, Alejandro Piza, Alex Castillo.
Group 7:
Cesar Diaz, Carlos M Sarmiento, Heriberto Aristizabal, Dorian Agudelo.
Group 8:
Bernardo Marulanda, Andres Salazar, Eddy Leppens, Jorge Barrios.
Group 9:
Antonio Tabares, Carlos Elias Villafuerte, Luis Aveiga, Jeferson Rojas.
Group 10:
Mauricio Aguilar, José Masias, Gabriel Vasquez, Alvaro Piza.
Group 11:
Santiago Carmona, Roberto Castañeda, Rodolfo Covarrubias, Orlando Henao.
Group 12:
William Cano, Wilson Guiza, Huberney Cataño, Marcela Restrepo.
Group 13:
Marco Zuluaga, Augusto Quiñones, Julian Morales.
Group 14:
Arley Castrillon, Carlos Araque, Humberto Castaño.
Group 15:
Mauricio Giraldo, Luis Sanchez, Alex Lopera.
Group 16:
Mauricio Grajales (Ant), Nelson Muñoz, Robinson Morales.
Four players will be added to the last four groups.
There is a Kozoom live screen for Premium Pass holders.