HEERHUGOWAARD - The flashing lights at the Women's World champion stage, with four stunning final players, extinguished this last Thursday evening. Starting on Friday morning (at 11.00), the spotlights are on the world's best juniors, who compete for the title. The venue, at Hotel Heer Hugo in Heerhugowaard, North Holland, has been tip-top all week under the guidance of Dirk Snip, the tournament organizer. The arena is ready for another tour de force with 14-year-young German Amir Ibraimov and 16-year-young Turk Burak Hashas as the youngest players and further routines like Maxime Panaia (21), Nikolaus Kogelbauer (20) and Lukas Mortensen (21).
The reigning champion, Korean Myung Woo Cho, who won the last championship before the COVID period in 2019 in Valencia, will not be there due to exceeding the age limit. Also missing from the 2022 World's are the numbers two until eight on that ranking, as well as Alessio D'Agata and Iván Mayor, among others. So in the coming days, Friday 23-Sunday 25 September, a new junior world champion will stand up in the Netherlands.
The Turkish federation has juggled quite a bit with averages, with the result that Arzu Gok had been given up at the women's World championship with 1.300 (she played just over 0.300). The same goes for Denizcan Akkoca and Burak Hashas, also both listed with 1.300. Koreans Son Jun Hyuk and Park Jeongu are even listed with 1.609 and 1.505 and may be considered big contenders from that perspective.
Dutchman Nick Dudink was given the wildcard by the UMB at the last minute because Korean Hwa Woo Cho was called up for his military service. With Dudink, two Dutchmen will start at this World Championship, the other being Dutch champion Joris van 't Zelfden.
In the qualification rounds is played to 25 points with equalising inning, in the finals with 16 players to 35 points without equalizer.
Dirk Snip is the tournament director, Turkish president Ersan Ercan the UMB in charge.
The 24 players for this World's in Holland:
Nikolaus Kogelbauer (Oostenrijk)
Denizcan Akkoca (Turkije)
Burak Hashas (Turkije)
Joris van 't Zelfden (Nederland)
Daniel Sainz-Pardo (Spanje)
Dimitrios Seleventas (Griekenland)
Lukas Mortensen (Denemarken)
Amir Ibraimov (Duitsland)
Maxime Panaia (Frankrijk)
Milan Ettel (Tsjechië)
Nick Rosier (België)
Fabian Ramirez (Peru)
Jimm Limones (Ecuador)
Camilo Galviz (Colombia)
Diego Pachon (Colombia)
Son Jun Hyuk (Korea)
Park Jeongu (Korea)
Nguyen Phong Hoai (Vietnam)
Le An Xuan (Vietnam)
Kimura Ruuto (Japan)
Ko Jun Sang (Korea)
Mohannad Khaled (Egypte)
Badr Tabak (Egypte)
Nick Dudink (Nederland)
The eight group stages for today:
Poule A: Kogelbauer, Tabak, Ibraimov
Poule B: Akkoca, An Xuan, Pachon
Poule C: Ramirez, Mortensen, Ruuto
Poule D: Jun Hyuk, Seleventas, Panaia
Poule E: Khald, Sainz-Pardo, Jun Sang
Poule F: Hashas, Galvis, Ettel
Poule G: Limones, Phong Hoai, Rosier
Poule H: Jeongu, Van 't Zelfden, Dudink.
First sessions:
11.00:
Tabak-Ibraimov
An Xuan-Pachon
Mortensen-Ruuto
Seleventas-Panaia
13.00:
Sainz-Pardo-Jun Sang
Galviz-Ettel
Phong Hoai-Rosier
Van 't Zelfden-Dudink
15.00:
Kogelbauer, Akkoca, Ramirez and Jun Hyuk meet first round winners
17.00: Khaled, Hashas, Limones and Jeongu meet first round winners.