DUFFEL – In the week following the World Cup and the World Championship in Belgium, the fifth round inthe Belgian team competition was played this week. For once, the main role in the six matches with 48 players for this round was not played by the top players who have performed on the world stage, such as Eddy Merckx, Roland Forthomme, Peter Ceulemans, Peter De Backer and others, but by a complete outsider. 69-year-old Rudy de Laet from Duffel, a retired laborer, playing for BC Zevenbergen, was the best of the field with 40 in 20 innings, averaging 2,000.
BC Herstalien remains in the lead with 9 match points despite an unexpected 4-4 draw against the second team of Mister 100. The first team of Mister 100 is in second place after its 6-2 victory over T's Place.
Rudy de Laet played for many teams in Belgium and even the Netherlands in his early years, but he hasn't played individually for a long time. The Duffel billiards player was rarely seen in the top ranks at the Belgian championship. He did, however, often play great matches for his team and, during his career, won against Merckx, Forthomme, and Leppens, among others. Yet, this week's victory was one of his highlights. The victory over Belgian youth player Toon Bollansee was the best average of all players in this round of the competition. "I played a good match, with 22 in 7 innings, a run of 11, then a short setback, but I still managed to finish it off well in 20 innings," he says with a certain pride.
The Duffel man, married to Annyta, father of four children and grandfather of four grandchildren, a metalworker by trade, has always prioritized work and family over billiards. He is a true family man. "I recently stopped playing billiards for six years because I had to care for my sick mother three times a day. She turned 97 and passed away last year. It was a difficult time, because my youngest brother also passed away two months ago."
Rudy de Laet picked up billiards again two years ago. "I played well again right away, because I never needed much practice to play well," he says. The Duffel native played for teams like FC Lugo with De Backer, Forthomme, Wezenbeek, and Weyenburg, and for Op de Meir with Tom Persijn, Wim van Cromvoirt, and Tom Persijn's father. He also played for teams in the Netherlands, such as SIS from Uden and a team from Oss. Rudy de Laet has been playing billiards since he was young, first at BC Hogerop in Duffel, where he played in the top division at small billiards at the age of thirteen.
He deserves to be celebrated among all those great players. His team, BC Zevenbergen, was promoted to the top division this year. "We expected to be at the bottom of the table, but we already have 4 points out of 5 and are now in the middle part of the table."
Mister 100 made the best impression this week against T's Place, with victories for Kurt Ceulemans, Jerry Hermans, and Bart Ceulemans. Peter Ceulemans, the leader, was the only one to lose to Peter De Backer, 40-36 in 36 innings. At Herstalien, Forthomme and Broux were the best players, winning in 24 innings against Tom de Ruyter and Marc Celen from Mr. 100 2. Bart van Hove and Erwin Hens, in 36 and 46 innings respectively, secured wins for the bottom-placed team, resulting in a draw between the top-placed team and the bottom-placed team.
Biljart Express and Op de Meir drew, with Eddy Merckx and Frans van Kuyk winning for Biljart Express and Roland Uijtdewillegen and Wesley de Jaeger for Op de Meir.
DBC De Leug defeated Kon. Brugse 6-2, with Jeffrey Jorissen as best player in 26 innings. Kon. Kortrijkse remained in the bottom bracket after losing 6-2 to De Witte Molen. Johan Loncelle defeated Ronny Brants 40-34 in 36 innings.