The European Pocket Billiard Federation today announced its team’s captain to face the Americans during this year’s staging of the Atlantic Challenge Cup taking place July 5 – 8, 2017 in Klagenfurt, Austria.
“We are thrilled to appoint Albin Ouschan to lead Team Europe as its Captain for the 2017 Atlantic Challenge Cup,” said EPBF President Gre Leenders. Albin is playing so well at the moment and it will be great to have someone with his experience on board. I must say, a lot of credit has to go to Albin for taking this on, he is also preparing for the World games in Poland later that month so a big hand has to go to him for giving his time for these young stars” Leenders continued.
Albin had this to say on his appointment. “I am very honored to get picked as captain for team Europe at this year’s Atlantic Challenge Cup but I also know from the Mosconi cup, just how much work is involved. I’ll try my best to have the team prepared, I know they’re all talented and some of them I have even played against already so I know what they’re capable of doing. I will do some research on last year’s matches and see where maybe the problems are, my part will be motivating this squad and try to take the pressure off them in sticky situations”
Current world 9-ball champion Albin Ouschan will team up with the EPBF youth sports director Tomas Brikmanis who will add the valuable experience of captaining team Europe to last year’s victory in Chicago. Tomas said, “I am sure that Albin’s experience that he can pass on to these youngsters will be invaluable, after all, it is not every day that you can get advice from the current world 9-ball champion, is it? I am very happy to be a part of this team again and look forward to helping Albin with the task of retaining that trophy”.
Albin and Tomas will be up against the American duo of Johnny the Scorpion Archer and Earl Munson. Team Europe consists of Russia’s Kristina Tkach and Maxim Dudanets, Poland’s Daniel Maciol and Wiktor Zielinski. Germany’s Patrick Hofmann and Belgium’s Diana Khodjaeva complete the line up. Team USA consist of April Larson, Sierra Reams, Manuel Perez, Richard Evans, Nathan Childress and Shane Wolford.
Launched in 2015, the Atlantic Challenge Cup features the best youth players from Europe and America in a Mosconi Cup style event. Six players on each team, four boys and two girls, battle it out on an annual basis to see who has bragging rights across the Atlantic. The event is the result of a joint venture between the Billiard Congress of America and the European Pocket Billiard Federation.
Stay tuned to AtlanticChallengeCup.com for continuous updates on the 2017 event.
Press release issued by the EPBF & BCA.