Belgium had to watch passively last Saturday as the Netherlands came second in the Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen, but it was still a memorable day for our southern neighbors. Patrick Fiersen from Antwerp won the important Leaderboard Tournament in Megabreak Poolhall in Pattaya.
Tournaments are organized very regularly in Megabreak (Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays) and the participants receive points according to their performance. The Leaderboard is adjusted after each tournament and once every four months the top 16 players play a Top16 tournament, where big cash prizes can be won.
Naturally, all regular players are doing their best to be in the Top 16, as it is a recognition of your achievements over the past four months. Patrick Fierens has now participated in 64 tournaments in recent years, has even won one, but very rarely managed to reach the Top 16. This time he did, he came in eighth and secured first place, which earned him 12000 Baht.
Patrick Fierens is a Belgian from Antwerp, who has been living and working in Rayong for more than 12 years. On Sundays he drives to Pattaya to participate in the tournament. He prepares well, arrives early to Pattaya, has a relaxed dinner with the other Patrick (from the Belgian restaurant in the Arcade), and drinks a few Leffe's to get in the right mood.
Now the tournament was on Saturday, but Patrick's preparation for the tournament was no different. And it immediately started well, because he was paired with me in the draw for the first round. A real Belgium – Netherlands confrontation! We both played well, but I made some capital mistakes, which were skillfully punished by Patrick. A blistering 4 – 0 defeat was my part, disillusioned I also lost the second round and the tournament was over for me.
Patrick continued undeterred, first beating a player from Scotland and a player from Japan also had to believe it. He was still lifted by a player from Bahrain, but through a
rematch, a victory over a Thai player, he still reached the Grand Final. He had to compete again against the player from Bahrain, whom he now defeated with great bravura. He had his revenge, but more importantly, he is now the first Belgian in the (short) history of Megabreak to be the Champion of the Season.
Patrick soared through Megabreak like the World Champion. He is now waiting for a call from the Belgian Embassy to tell him which Belgian royal decoration will be awarded to him and when.
About this blogger
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Bert Gringhuis (1945), born and raised in Almelo in the beautiful Twente. Later lived for many years in Amsterdam and Alkmaar, working in export for various companies. I first came to Thailand in 1980 and immediately fell in love with the country. Been back many times since then and moved to Thailand after my (early) retirement as a widower. I have been living there for 22 years now with my somewhat younger Thai lady Poopae.
My first experiences in Thailand as a kind of newsletter sent to family, friends and acquaintances, which later appeared under the name Gringo on Thailandblog. Many, many articles followed those first stories and that has grown into an almost daily hobby.
In the Netherlands still an avid footballer and football referee, but the years are starting to tell and in Thailand still avid, but the pool billiards is really of inferior quality, ha ha!
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Passively watching the Eurosong Contest? No, not that. I think she deserved to win...
But well, if Jan, Piet (Pier), Joris (Tjores) or Corneel had played in the pool tournament, Patrick might also have been second. 🙂
Still, congratulations Patrick
Did he have a work permit to play this tournament?
According to the rules, this is only possible if he is a professional pool player.
And then there is a problem: can't his job be done by a Thai?
I'm afraid that if the immigration officials hear about this, only Thais will be allowed to participate in the next Top16 tournament.
(wink)
Congratulations Patrick. And don't be bothered by unkind comments about work permits if you are a sportsman, that does not apply. Otherwise, the whole of PSV would have had to give a work permit 2 years ago when they won against Bangkok.
Jan
Jan, you missed the humor in Chris' comment, I suspect………..