Niels Feijen to be inducted into BCA Hall of Fame
Nicknamed "The Terminator," the Dutch pro's career spans almost three decades.
There’s a style to European pros’ play that some will say “consistent to the point of robotic.” It means no disrespect and to the contrary, it just illustrates the recognition of European players for their dedication to perfecting their mechanics and fundamentals.
Such is Niels Feijen. When Feijen bursted into the scene he was aptly nicknamed “The Terminator” — the most advanced robot which instills fear and stops at nothing. He was the first young pro from Europe to slay in international tournaments and impressed fans and peers alike with his form and fundamentals.
He’s been a dominant player in the EuroTour. He’s made Team Europe in the Mosconi Cup 14 times, and earned MVP four times. He’s captured multiple WPA world titles. He’s won the coveted Derby City Classic 9 Ball before. And he’s also a talented 14.1 player, winning multiple straight pool tournaments.
Most of all, he’s just one of the most knowledgeable and nicest guys around the sport. If you stumble upon pool matches on YouTube which he’s a commentator then you know. Speaking of YouTube, his channel offers well-edited instructional videos for all skill levels. He exudes professionalism, in defeat and in victory, never badmouthed opponents and never involved in any sort of scandal.
This was Feijen’s fifth year on the ballot. Finally, this year he’ll get to join legends such as Efren Reyes and Earl Strickland in the Hall of Fame. Congratulations and much deserved!
Inaugural WCBS Championship ends with Asia B defeating Europe B
First, a little bit about the World Confederation of Billiards Sports… It is made up of three member organizations each representing a major cue sports discipline: the UMB (Union Mondiale de Billiard) for carom, the WPA (World Pool-Billiard Association) for pool, and the IBSF (International Billiards and Snooker Federation) for snooker. Although not a household name among fans, the WCBS is important because it works with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to further the possibility of including cue sports in the Olympic Games. Obviously, right now there are several other entities promoting the sport by holding pro tournaments around the world, many unaffiliated with the federations.
Well, the WCBS finally organized a tournament in all disciplines for men and women — pool (10 Ball), carom, snooker, and Heyball (a.k.a. Chinese 8 Ball). Players were put into regional teams (Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa & Rest of the World) to compete in perspective disciplines. For example, Hunter Lombardo was the sole American in the tournament and entered to play 10 Ball. (Unfortunately, he didn’t fare well with a win/loss record of 25-26. It was Mario He and Konrad Juszczyszyn who clinched top two finishes in the round-robin stage.)
The final match was Asia B vs. Europe B, with Asia coming out on top as the winner of the inaugural event.
Eklent Kaci hospitalized after accident
World champion Eklent Kaci shared on Instagram about being involved in a car accident and having to undergo four hours of operation to fix his injured arm and hands. The good news is that he’ll be all right after a few months to recover, then hopefully fans will see him in action at a pool table again.
Frédéric Caudron leaves PBA
The Belgian three-cushion pro left the UMB five years ago to join the Korea-based PBA tour. Since then he’s dominated the tour and widely considered a world champion in the discipline. His abrupt exit of the PBA has shocked the tour organizers as well as diehard fans and peers.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Sharks International 9 Ball Open, July 24-29 - WNT ranking event held in Quezon City, Philippines.
European Open, August 8-13 - A major WNT event by Matchroom hosted in Fulda, Germany.
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