Snooker player Berry Franssen (54) has been selected to participate in one of the most prestigious international snooker tournaments for amateurs in the world. He registered for the tournament in America, but when he was invited, the panic struck. “I saw the ticket prices to America, so I had to consult it at home,” he explains.
Berry, who this year took the Dutch snooker title with his team from Veghel, read on the internet about the US Snooker Masters and registered. At the world -famous tournament in Sacramento, USA, the best 24 snooker amateurs from America and 24 players from Overzee come into action. Berry did not expect him to participate: “But thanks to my title, but also because of a number of shots of mine on social media, the organization was convinced.”
“So much support has touched me.”
And so Berry got on the plane to America this Tuesday. “I owe that to people who have supported me financially,” he explains. “My wife gave me the tip to start a crowdfunding campaign, but I first thought that happened as begging. In the end I listened to her. And the support I received touched me. I personally thanked everyone personally.”
Normally Berry, who has a company that organizes pub quizzes, trains several evenings. But in recent months he was almost full -time busy with the sport, including many hours at his table in the house. “I don’t want to be able to blame myself for not having done enough.”
Several champions are participating in the tournament in Sacramento, such as the best players in America, Canada and Ireland. “I am already very satisfied when I get the last sixteen. With a favorable draw you never know how far you can get,” says Berry.
“The blood crawls where it can’t go.”
He could not have imagined that he was now among the best amateurs in the world about five years ago. In the early 1990s he was taken by his brother to the Snookercentrum in Veghel. “It went pretty well,” Berry looks back. “I played at home and abroad and won beautiful matches.” Until he stopped around 2004 because the snooker could no longer be combined with his family and career. Five years ago he started again for De Gein. And soon it became very serious for him: “The blood crawls where it can’t go.”
Mentally and physically he is ready for the tournament. Necessary, because Snooker is a sport that is quite tough: “Especially your concentration capacity must be good. You have competitions of four to five hours and sometimes two in a day.”
“Let me stay nice and amateur.”
According to the man from Schijndel, there is a big difference between the best amateur players and the best pros. “But if you, as a professional, are on the world ranking somewhere around a hundred, that gap is hardly anymore, he says. He does not think the professional circuit is for him.” It creates a lot of obligations and you have to participate in many tournaments about the world, “he explains.” You get starting money, but there are also any costs. The professional world sounds more attractive than it is, let me stay nice and amateur. ”