THE FINAL MEDAL events completed in Assen as Germany took the men’s title and France claimed the ladies’ golds as THE PREDATOR EUROPEAN SENIORS CHAMPIONSHIPS wrapped up after nine days of exciting play across the four main disciplines of pool.
Taking place at the De Bonte Weever Hotel in Assen, the Predator European Seniors Championship features 159 players from 24 countries contesting four disciplines of pocket billiards across three categories – men, 45-plus and 55-plus and 45-plus ladies.
Germany got the better of Finland in the men’s event, winning 2-1 in a tight match. It was Martin Steinlage, a 10-ball gold medal winner earlier in the week, who slotted home the winning 9-ball in the deciding match. Earlier, Meric Reshat got over the line first in 10-ball for Germany, before Valtteri Virtanen defeated Reiner Wirsbitzki at 8-ball to square the match. But it was Steinlage who sealed victory. Markus Kamuf also received a gold, having played his part earlier in the competition.
Commented Reiner, “I’m very proud. I’m the team leader of a very wonderful team and we won again as we won last year in Turkey and this year again.”
Martin Steinlage said, “For me I like team play more. Because you don’t do it for yourself, you do it for all the players in the team. I like it so much.”
Bronze medals went to Spain and Portugal.
In the ladies, it was the French duo of Stella Julien and Nathalie Rohmer who did the business, defeating hosts the Netherlands 2-0. Rohmer won her 8-ball match but could only watch on anxiously as Julien’s match against Caroline Van Steenbergen went to a deciding rack.
A Dutch win would have seen the two teams go into a 10-ball doubles decider, but to her undying credit, the French lady held herself together to run the table to claim gold for her country.
Commented Julien, “The boys told me I started with ball-in-hand on the two and then ran out till the 9 and it was very stressing as it was hill-hill and I knew that Nathalie had won her game and I wanted to be the second point of our team and didn’t want it to go to doubles.
“I focused as much as I could and played each ball with 200% focus and I was so happy and emotional at the end as it was so difficult to run the rack at hill-hill. My opponent was very strong with her safeties and I had lots of troubles during the match but when she put the white ball in at the end, I could run the table,” she added.
Rohmer said, “I’m very, very happy, we’ll go and celebrate with all the French team!”
Bronze medals went to Norway and Germany.
Matches from the Predator European Seniors Championships can be found on YouTube, via the Pro Billiard TV channel – https://www.youtube.com/@ProBilliardTV
For all results, live scoring and draw, visit www.epbf.com/tournaments/european-championships/
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