TILBURG/OOSTERHOUT – The championship in the Dutch premier league three-cushion billiards, the Kozoom league, will be decided this weekend in a two-match series. The teams from Babbelz and Cues&Darts/Xtreme face each other in a double encounter. This Friday evening, 6 June, at 7:30 p.m., Cues&Darts plays a home match in Tilburg, and on Saturday, 7 June, at 1:00 p.m., the return match is played at Babbelz in Oosterhout. If no decision has been made, on Saturday afternoon, a third match will be played at Babbelz until one of the two teams has reached 4 match points. The winner of one team match receives 2 match points, the loser 0 match points, and in case of a draw, 1 point. So, with a score of 4-0 (or 3-1) and 2-2 over two matches, the required 4 match points have not yet been achieved and a third match will follow.
The matches will be broadcast live on Kozoom. The line-ups are:
Babbelz: Fréderic Caudron, Dion Nelin, Savas Bulut, Jack Wijnen (Saturday Davy van Havere).
Cues&Darts: Glenn Hofman, Jef Philipoom, Huub Wilkowski, Joey de Kok.
Team Babbelz finished the regular competition with 38 match points out of 22 matches and a team average of 1.453. Cues&Darts came second in that ranking with 31 points and an average of 1.444.
Frits Bakker spoke on behalf of Kozoom with the two team leaders: Inge Verweijmeren from Babbelz and Monique Wilkowski.
Passports:
Name: Inge Verweijmeren, Age: 46
Place of residence: Oosterhout
Job: Catering entrepreneur
How long have you been team leader? 1 season.
Name: Monique Wilkowski
Age: 41
Place of residence: Sint Michielsgestel
Profession: Own business in garden furniture, carnival party supplies, balloon decorations
How long have you been team leader: 3 years in the premier league
The Babbelz team with Inge Verweijmeren
The Cues&Darts team with Monique Wilkowski
Further questions for Inge and Monique:
1 How did you ladies get into billiards?
Inge: I met my husband 17 years ago in a café, and Jan comes from a billiards family. Eventually, we started a café together, with billiards as the main activity.
Monique: I have always played at a reasonable level with the ladies and I’m a bit obsessed with the game.
2 How do you look back on your team's season? What were your ambitions before and how satisfied are you with the result in the regular competition?
Monique: It was a great season for us. The ambition was to reach the cup final and the play-offs. We have now won a silver medal in the cup final and are playing in the play-off final, which is a nice bonus!
Inge: We look back on this season with great pride. Beforehand, we had set ourselves the goal of reaching the play-offs. We could never have imagined before the start that we would finish seven points in front for the play-offs. Nothing but praise for the players, the fans and the sponsors.
3 What has been the strength of the team that has taken you to the final?
Monique: Definitely the team spirit! We're not just a team, but a real family and very good friends who can say anything to each other and do everything in consultation with each other.
Inge: I think it's just staying “normal”. Everyone is equal. We also have a great fan base. I call them the hooligans. Together, this creates a healthy team spirit, because ultimately we do it together.
4 Did you play with a fixed captain? And usually with the strongest team?
Inge: Frédéric Caudron is our leader. Because he also plays in foreign competitions, he couldn't always be selected. Other players such as Karakurt, Nelin and Bulut took his place. This did not lead to any losses. So I can say that the leader is not the strongest player on the team, but that the win is determined by all the players.
We certainly haven't always been able to play with a strong team, at least players were ranked higher than their average. That's the risk you take when more than one foreign player also plays in competitions in other countries. Ultimately, this was always compensated for by the player who was selected.
Monique: Mostly with Glenn Hofman as the regular captain. What is the strongest team? Everyone has equal confidence in each other and we played according to the agreements we made with each other. We played 85% of our matches with at least two or three Dutch players.
5 What do you think of the system used by the KNBB, with play-offs for the top four in the rankings?
Inge: Ultimately, the KNBB determines the rules. These are drawn up at the start of the season. Of course, we have a different opinion on this, but it is what it is...
Monique: We respect that system because we made agreements with all the team leaders three years ago, and it's a good way to end the season.
6 What is it like to lead a team of top players as a woman? Are you the only two women in the premier league in those positions?
Inge: It shows that women like Monique and I have the same team leader skills as male team leaders: otherwise, we wouldn't have come this far.
Monique: Very nice, because I thoroughly enjoy the whole team. There is a lot of respect for me, I only have to ask a question in the team app and I get a response from everyone in no time. That works very well! I think we are indeed the only two women.
7 What is your role before and during the matches? How do you influence the matches, or not at all?
Monique: I make sure that all the technology is in perfect working order, that all the equipment is clean, that all the guests have a good seat and that the players don't have to worry about anything. I coordinate with the referees, scorekeepers and other helpers. And we discuss everything, so I also have a say in the matches.
Inge: Mainly scheduling the players and communicating about that. You want to achieve a certain goal, namely the play-offs. So you also have to make sure that the players play the minimum number of matches to be eligible for the play-offs. Just before or during the matches, you make sure that your players go into the match as comfortable as possible. Now all our players have gained the necessary experience, so they have already discovered for themselves what their stumbling blocks can be.
8 Take a look at the quality of the premier league: are the teams fairly evenly matched? Is the level in the Netherlands very high compared to other countries?
Monique: The teams are certainly evenly matched; I think we had the strongest competition last season. However, in our opinion, there is space for improvement.
Inge: This season, there was a high level of quality among the twelve teams. That means a lot of competition. Many of our players also play in various foreign competitions. I think the level there is comparable, precisely because these teams also use foreign billiards professionals.
9. I occasionally read critical comments about the high (or excessive) number of foreign players in the Dutch premier league. What is your opinion on this?
Inge: Every billiards fan is entitled to their opinion on this, of course. You start the season with a goal: to finish in the top four. If, as team leader, you think you won't achieve your goal with only Dutch professionals, you look outside the Netherlands. This is similar to what team leaders, trainers and coaches do in other sports, unless your goal is set differently before the start of the season. That will vary per location and/or team.
Monique: We certainly agree with that criticism. It would be nice if Dutch players or young people were also given opportunities. Our club stands for that and has already made a good start. Not everything is about money.
10 Whatever happens, champion or not: will your team look broadly the same next season?
Inge: Yes, we have no changes in the team and will play similarly to this season.
Monique: Whether we win the final or not, for us it is already a successful season. And yes, our team will remain virtually the same.
11 Can you say anything about the budget and sponsors needed to set up a top team in the premier league?
Monique: We work with a relatively low budget for the premier league, but we take good care of our players so that they feel comfortable and enjoy playing for Cues&Darts.
Inge: As everyone knows, you can't maintain a team in the premier league without sponsors. We are very grateful to them for that.
12 How likely is it that your team will become the new Dutch champion?
Inge: It sounds cliché, but 50/50. The team has fought all year to get into the play-offs. Even though we were 7 points ahead, that says nothing about Friday and Saturday's matches. We'll start again at “0” on Friday and it could go either way.
Monique: On paper, Team Babbelz is the favourite. But the balls are round, and we'll sell our skin dearly.
13. What do you expect in terms of attendance, both at home and away?
Monique: Our matches are very well attended throughout the year. We also have an excellent location to welcome everyone, so that they can enjoy the matches to the fullest. We expect no different on Friday.
Inge: I expect not only a large turnout both away and at home, but also via Kozoom.tv. The number of KNBB members has also increased significantly this year due to more publicity surrounding the sport of billiards. I therefore expect a lot of support.
14. Who were the players who scored the most points and are therefore important in the final?
Inge: Every player was and is important, whether they are playing this weekend or not. All players have competed throughout the year. As a result, the players selected for this weekend have the opportunity to potentially finish it off in this playoff final. We do it together and not separately. That shows team spirit!
Monique: Joey de Kok, Huub Wilkowski and Thérèse Klompenhouwer on tables 3 and 4 have been extremely important. In addition, we always have someone in positions 1 and 2 who can finish it off. In those top positions, it has become clear that in all teams, anyone can beat anyone.
15. How difficult is it to sign top players who play all over the world for the team competitions?
Monique: That's not difficult for us at all. It's a family. Before the season starts, all the calendars are laid out side by side and the matches are scheduled immediately. We've never had any problems with that. Most players give their first preference to Cues&Darts/Xtreme, followed by other competitions.
Inge: Connections are important. If you have them, you come into contact with many professional players.
16. Take a look into your crystal ball: what do you expect from the duel between Babbelz and Cues&Darts?
Monique: Hopefully, it will be an exciting match, and may the best team win!
Inge: Well, as I said... Both teams are starting from scratch with equal chances.
Thank you for the interview. I wish you both the best of luck and a full house of billiards fans.