BeNeLux Cup [update!]

[Michel]

Thanks Lia :wink:

Prof D ... of course I remember that night :tongue: When will we see that game in official events ?

Erik,
As Laetitia will be in 15+ since Feb 19, 2006, I don't know what will be the best for you. Maybe ask PUI to change the age groups to keep her in a lower division ? :biggrin:

Laetitia told me that she's ok to play for Holland, Belgium, France, UK or any other country as long as there are nice events and a lot of fun, she's even ready to take the 'European nationality' and play everywhere :wink:


b0n3z ... nobody knows (except maybe the LD's ) if there will be GC's next year, how many, where, other big international events, ...

If you talk about qualifiers for Worlds, like Kevin said, nothing has been said about it and we don't know if this Cup will be one.
Be patient, and be sure we all hope we'll have more opportunities to qualify for Worlds than our own Nationals only.

 

[Rainbowgym]

Meaby both the Belgium and Dutch OP Manager can have a word with the German OP Manager.
Would be nice to have them around to, don't you think.
Afterall if the event takes place in Eindhoven (not sure yet) it's nearby the German border.

 

[irwinmalek]

Come on guys, make this a UnitedKingdomBenelux Cup =D

Hmm, how long do you have to live in Luxemberg to become a citizen of the country?




I mean, I already know everything about the country:

- Dialling code: +352
- Main exports: Steel products, chemicals, rubber products
- Capital: Luxembourg

I even know the area: 2,586 sq km

 

[Rainbowgym]

Luxemburg LOL, open a bankaccount and your in.

 

[Prof Donphan]

Come on guys, make this a UnitedKingdomBenelux Cup =D

Hmm, how long do you have to live in Luxemberg to become a citizen of the country?

LOL! Mark Girardelli from Austria did snow for Luxembourg! ))

 

[Marcello-Milord]

Prof D ... of course I remember that night :tongue: When will we see that game in official events ?

LOL you know that PUI takes some time in order to get things ready Surely before having an European TCG Championship though

[/OT]

 

[Jann]

I don't know...it's nice to hear that OP is improving in Benelux, but I think it's somehow stupid, that it is Benelux players only =/

Last year's Open Belgian Championship had about 10-15 participants from the Netherlands, and one person from the UK (Irwin), no one from Germany or the likes.
Since this year's Nationals in Belgium will be for belgian nationals and residents only, the only European step that seemed needed to take was a Benelux Cup (since we're also responsible for Luxemburg here).
Still, check what your own LD's are planning, you never know they have some similar ideas - and who knows, if the Benelux cup is a succes we might try something bigger in 2007 - no guarantees whatsoever though

are the Belgian CC's qualifiers for the BCup or will we have other tournaments to qualify ?

Most likely, details will be confirmed before the first Belgian CC

will then the CC's or these other events be run in 3 age groups ?

Where possible (ie, enough players per category), yes

according to the amount of players in Luxemburg (2 or 3 as far as I know), couldn't you sent them directly an invite ?

Probably not, but I'm trying to get a qualifier available somewhere in the Liège area where they would be able to participate.

I suppose a player qualifying in an age group (for exemple 11-14) will not play in that group if, on the day of the BCup, he's in another division, right ?

Correct

As foreign player I can't play, but I offer myself to judge!

How's your French and Dutch? Explaining things in English to 11 year olds can be hard =)

 

[Tego]

This is great news! Sounds like a brilliant idea for a championship.

Now if we could make a Scandinavian championship (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland) some day... *starts dreaming away*

 

[Michel]

Now if we could make a Scandinavian championship (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland) some day... *starts dreaming away*

Tego, maybe the Norvegian LD and OP Manager could help you :biggrin:

How's your French and Dutch? Explaining things in English to 11 year olds can be hard =)

Let him judge in 15+ :wink:

Since this year's Nationals in Belgium will be for belgian nationals and residents only, the only European step that seemed needed to take was a Benelux Cup (since we're also responsible for Luxemburg here).

Seen in that way (foreign players coming to Belgium) you're absolutely right Jann.

But there are Belgian and UK players who've been to Paris, French and Belgian players to Utrecht and Dutch and maybe Belgian players to the German National.
You may add to that a Belgian player at the Danish National, players from different countries in Salzburg, I suppose but I'm not sure a mix in the Scandinavian countries (help Tego :redface: ), and players from different countries who were ready to go to Italy, Switzerland and UK if these events had been open Nationals.

What I mean by this it's that I'm afraid closed Nationals will prevent the most active players to play big events next year and leave them with 1 or 2 big events instead of 3 for me, 4 or 5 for many others.
Of course, the kid who only plays in his league and maybe goes once a year to a major event doesn't care, but if you look at the Nationals 2005 in Europe, you'll see that, despite the fact that trips were reserved for national players, many people have traveled across Europe to play.


The Benelux cup is, like I said, a really great idea, and once again we have to thank you and Erik for it.

But if you look at Europe, the players are like the US players, ready to travel to play.
I don't say it's you, or Erik, but I think someone, somewhere, should find a solution and take the decisions in order to provide European players, maybe not as much main events to play as in the USA, but at least more than the 1 or 2 we'll be allowed to play next year.
Not only for the prizes, trips or scholarship, even if we may not forget them, but for the fun to play and meet our friends from abroad :wink:

Sorry if this is maybe out of topic :wink:

 

[NoPoke]

Hmm it isn't so easy.

Lets suppose that I organise a big event in the UK. Will foreign players travel? Probably not. Why? because I can't offer invites to worlds or travel awards.

There has to be a compelling reason for players to travel.

 

[ukpokemonpro]

Come on guys, make this a UnitedKingdomBenelux Cup =D

Hmm, how long do you have to live in Luxemberg to become a citizen of the country?




I mean, I already know everything about the country:

- Dialling code: +352
- Main exports: Steel products, chemicals, rubber products
- Capital: Luxembourg

I even know the area: 2,586 sq km

Why does this not surprise me rofl Irwin for Benelux National Champion!

 

[Michel]

NoPoke,

Without any travel awards, but with invites which was not the most important, 15 Belgian players have been to Paris, approx the same amount of Belgian players have been to Utrecht, players from Holland went to Brussels, Italian players were ready to play the National in Switzerland, a few French players did travel too and I'm sure that they would travel more now, Holland players went to the German National, ... and I have no info about the Scandinavian Nationals but there must be players who have traveled there too without any hope to win a trip to SD.

We're planning to go to one of your Regionals in 2006 and French players plan to do it too. We don't come for the prizes as we know UK players will take them thanks to their great level of play. But we want to come to see guys like you, Freddy, Irwin, UKPro, ... all these guys we haven't seen for such a long time, and also to find a high level of play.

Of course, I don't think we'll travel for a low level local event, but prizes are not the most important. Yes it's nice to have boosters and goodies if you're in the top of the event, but in France, except the prizes coming from PUI (trophies and scholarship) and a couple of 2004 trophies, nothing has been given, not a single booster. But we've had fun, I'm sure Irwin will confirm it. :wink:


Irwin,
Could you give us some more info about Luxemburg, like the address of your bank and the number of your account ? :biggrin:

 

[afirule]

as a citizen of Luxembourg, i feel quite offended by the fun you are poking at it :nonono:

myself and the three other people who live here will write an official letter of complaint to PUI :thumb:

 

[NoPoke]

..........., but with invites which was not the most important...............

I am certain that if I offered invites to worlds then I would get players travelling even if the tournament was a tiny event held in some inaccessible place. If you are 15+ and planning on going to worlds then trying your luck in the grinder could lead to disapointment.! Irwin is a very good case in point.

In general: players will travel to get an invite to worlds, but they won't travel to get product if the cost of travel exceeds the amount they might get in return.

 

[Michel]

That's the way you see it NoPoke, not mine :wink:

Would be intersting to ask the opinion of the players who have traveled for Nationals in 2005.

First one : Laetitia and myself had our invite at the Belgian National and we've played the French and Dutch National after the one in Brussels.

Fred E, from France, has been to Holland just for fun, like Mathieu D from Belgium who has been to France and Holland.

 

[MvdV]

Last year I have played the Dutch (off course), Belgian and German Nationals. I have been to Salzburg (Austria) for the Stadium Challenge. I played several CC's in Belgium and Germany and normal tournaments and prereleases in Belgium. Travel distance (by car) 200-250 km. For what? Just for fun... (but also because there were hardly any tournaments in the Netherlands).

To play in the UK I have to travel by plain and/or train. Quite expensive but I'm certainly planning to go to the UK once this year.

 

[lev]

That's the way you see it NoPoke, not mine :wink:

Would be intersting to ask the opinion of the players who have traveled for Nationals in 2005.

First one : Laetitia and myself had our invite at the Belgian National and we've played the French and Dutch National after the one in Brussels.

Fred E, from France, has been to Holland just for fun, like Mathieu D from Belgium who has been to France and Holland.

I second that :biggrin: :thumb:

 

[Kevin89]

I qualified

edit; I'll keep a list of the players who have qualified for teh BeNeLux cup in the first post.

 

[MvdV]

What a coincidence... me too.

 

[Michel]

If we have info from the LD's here on the Pokegym, no official (on their website) or new info has been given up to now.

According to what I've heard at the CC in Ekeren, the first Belgian ranked player at each belgian CC would be qualified for the Benelux cup.

If this is right, the first two qualified players for Belgium are :

11-14 : Laetitia D (my daughter :smile: )
15+ : Michel D (me :wink: )

Congratulations to the members of the dutch team who came to Ekeren for the CC and won everything in 10- (no Belgian players in that division), the 1st and 2d places in 11-14 and the first place in 15+. :clap:

They've got the bags and the medals, but we don't worry, ... we'll win the Cup :thumb: :lol: