Undersigned hopes, also on behalf of the entire EPBF board, that you, your families and everyone else you love, are in good health.
As this special year slowly comes to an end, we would like to look back on the past year. Normally I would only draw up a yearly overview in the run-up to the EPBF General Assembly, but a look back at the past exceptional year, has become inescapable. The year 2020, as in 1918 - 1919 when the Spanish flu pandemic ruled the world, will go down in history as a historic blow to the global economy and all its connections and ramifications. Of course, our thoughts are first and foremost with all those personally affected by this pandemic. Our thoughts naturally go out to the relatives and loved ones of the deceased.
This pandemic also had unprecedented consequences for the world of sport. The world's biggest sporting events, such as the Olympic Games and the European Football Championships, were cancelled and / or moved to 2021, but also all the other sports were, or still are, affected by all the measures in force worldwide. It goes without saying that our sport was, and still is, also affected. All EPBF planned events in 2020, with the exception of the one Euro Tour Women & Men in Treviso in February 2020, were cancelled. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who, together with the EPBF board, have done everything possible to make events possible despite the restrictions of the Pandemic. The disappointment of the final decisions to cancel the events in question were enormous, but in the end, the health and wellbeing of our athletes, coaches, staff, spectators and board members was always our first concern. This was, and remains, of course, the most important thing of all. Thank you once again!
Despite the final cancellation of all EPBF events, the EPBF board, in addition to the efforts made to continue the events, also continued to work on all other matters related to a normal economic year. It was not possible for the EPBF board to hold physical meetings, but the phenomenon "Video Conference", forced by the Covid-19 pandemic, has now also made its appearance in the EPBF. During the year, 6 Video Conferences were held in order to discuss and further prepare other and ongoing matters.
During our last video conference board meeting, some important issues were discussed and some decisions were taken. I would like to share this important information with you.
Project “Smart Pool”:
As you may know, the application procedure for EU funding (via Erasmus+) has been successfully completed. A subsidy has been awarded and the major preparations for the implementation of the project are in full swing.
The project "kick-off" meeting took place on Monday 23.11.2020 (also by video conference) where a first acquaintance with the entire team around this project took place. It was good to see that all parties, including 5 EPBF members, namely: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany, Finland & the Netherlands, made a very enthusiastic impression and it seemed to me that all cannot wait to implement the project.
After the Erasmus+ decision became known, interest was expressed from EPBF members who did not register in the first place. The question was whether it was still possible to participate in the current project. Unfortunately we had to reject these applications because this project is precisely tailored to the previously registered partners. Unfortunately, adding new or other partners during the project is not possible.
During the last board meeting, we looked at what might be possible in the near future so that other members could still be given the opportunity to implement something out of the project in their own country or schools. Seen the fact that the project has just started, all energy will first be invested in starting up and in guiding the project. If the project is running smoothly, the steps that can be taken in looking at the possibilities to make course material, and other information, available for all other EPBF members. Of course this has to be done only with the permission of the current partners in the project and also have to fit in the Erasmus+ guidelines of the current project. Parallel to this observation, the EPBF inquired with the national agency of Erasmus+ in the Netherlands whether it would be possible in the future to make the same project eligible for an application again, but with other partners / or members.
The answer we have received is partly positive. It is very difficult to apply for the same project again with other partners but it is clearly stated that a project should be innovative and new / refreshing. We will have to see whether we can realize this in a possible new application. We think it would certainly help if we could present many of our non-participating members in the first project as partners in a follow-up project in the event of a new application.
Therefore we will probably look at the possibilities in 2022 and come back to the EPBF members.
For now, we wish all partners to the "Smart Pool Europe" Project every success and would like to express our thanks again to all who made this project possible.
ICEA / JOY events:
In August 2019, the EPBF board made a decision that every athlete participating in a JOY / ICEA event in Europe in 2019 or 2020 will make the decision to become a member of this organization. This automatically meant that membership within the EPBF was no longer possible. The decision had to be made by each athlete themselves without any pressure from the EPBF and / or its members. This measure would apply until 31.12.2020. The EPBF board has now decided that this measure will simply end on 31.12.2020. This means that every athlete has the chance to be a member of the EPBF from 01.01.2021 via the National associations that are affiliated with the EPBF.
Unfortunately, it has still not been possible to find a solution with JOY / ICEA. Of course, it was also very difficult to find a solution with them due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and without having the possibility to travel. It goes without saying that we still hope that a solution can be found so that simultaneous membership in both organizations will be possible, but as said, that has not happened yet.
The EPBF board has therefore decided to apply the same rule, which was formulated in 2019, for the year 2021. The rule is:
"Participation in JOY / ICEA events in 2021 within Europe means that the athlete concerned automatically confirms, with his/her participation, that he/she wish to become a member of the JOY / ICEA organization and that he/she no longer appreciate the EPBF Membership. This rule applies in in principle until 31.12.2022.”
EPBF Instructor’s course:
During the year 2020 we have been approached several times how and when the announced project "EPBF Instructors course" will start. Due to the Covid-19 situation it was not possible to organize physical meetings, but I am pleased to announce that steps have been taken. Currently, the final preperations are being made to set up an e-Learning / Webinar platform. We hope to be able to complete this process quickly so that we can start, latest in the second half of 2021, with this project We keep you informed.
Atlantic Challenge Cup:
After the last version of the Atlantic Challenge Cup (ACC) in 2019, the discussion started by our WPA partner in America - BCA - about the usefulness of this project. The reason for the discussion was the big difference in quality of the European Athletes compared to the American athletes. The results of the first 5 editions of the ACC showed a clear level of play difference. The BCA has now decided to leave the ACC project for the time being. They want to fully concentrate on improving the level of play of their youth athletes so that a competitive team can be formed. It has been agreed to revive the project here in the future, but for the time being the project has ended.
Online activities:
Given the covid-19 pandemic, almost all physical events have been canceled in 2020. At the moment it is still very unclear when these physical events can be organized again. A covid-19 vaccine is on the way, but it still will take a while before we can all get back to "normal" as of before the pandemic. In the meantime, some online activities have started to offer something of our sport events in these difficult times.
The EPBF has already entered into a partnership with the company "PoolStars". The first European Championship Online 8-Ball has recently been organized. It is unfortunate to say that this was not an overwhelming success. Nevertheless, it seems that this initiative will lead to a second version of this event in 2021.
There are more initiatives in case of online activities where different companies offer different variants. The EPBF board is currently investigating another possibility for an online activity. If there is a collaboration with such an organization, we will inform you.
EPBF Website:
The development of the new EPBF website & the new EPBF tournament program is in full swing. The first video conferences on how to use the complete new facilities are now planned for the short term. When the IT work on the new EPBF tournament program is completed, the final “fine Tuning” will start. One of the last tasks is “updating all historical information from the last years”. It will then also be possible to view the historical information via our new website.
We keep you posted.
We also want to ask you to inform your athletes that it is necessary for all athletes to register again at our new website, even if they were registered in the past. The registration process only have to be done once but due to the new developed system it has to be done again.
Here is the instruction:
Please tell your athletes to click at the following link: : https://www.epbf.com/player/registration/
Then they have to fill the fields with the information. After they did finish the registration, the (old) profile from the past, if that was available in the old system, will be matched with the new information. If all goes well the athlete in question will receive a message that all went well and that the registration was successful. If they need help then it is possible to activate a ticket for our IT people. They will then contact the athlete in question and try to help.
Of course it is also always possible for them to contact the EPBF directly.
IOC / WCBS / WPA Information:
The WPA has announced that we will soon have to complete a questionnaire, requesting information about our affiliated national associations. The EPBF has already pre-sorted to many of these questions by including a lot of information in the EPBF questionnaire that you as EPBF members have already completed and submitted.
Obviously one item is very important and that is the number of athletes that are active within our EPBF membership. The WPA has announced that the IOC pointed out the importance of this information about the number of people who practice billiards worldwide. This concerns not only the number of registered athletes, but also the number of recreational athletes. It goes without saying that we are all aware that getting credible and substantiated numbers will not be easy, but somehow we still need to come to a substantiated number.
Therefore you will shortly receive a short questionnaire from the EPBF in which the above item is central. The answers we ask will often only be indicative, but we still hope that through your own research, e.g. at the Chamber of Commerce in your country, will be able to provide a somewhat substantiated answers.
Parallel to this 2nd questionnaire, the EPBF board has formed a committee that will review the current membership fee system and prepare to come up with a new proposal regarding a central member administration and a more fair membership fee system. The starting point for a fairer and more specified membership fee system and regulations is not to generate more income for EPBF but to submit a fairer and provable system. A system with which we can also meet IOC conditions and conditions that are set for a modern organization in the future.
This new and ambitious project will be spread over a number of years, involving representatives of the EPBF Members in 2022 to participate in the discussions on a new system. The definite plan will be then presented at the EPBF G.A. in 2023, hopefully as a proposal to the G.A. to be submitted to a vote.
Events in 2021:
As you have already seen, the EPBF board has put the 2021 event planning online via the EPBF Sports Calendar 2021 at the EPBF website. This is of course a planning but at least gives an insight into what will happen if Covid-19 restrictions allow this.
It is still very unclear from the WPA which events will take place and when. The WPA events announced in 2020 for 2021 are also included and / or listed in the EPBF Sports Calendar 2021. In January 2021, the WPA will convene a board meeting by video conference to see whether and how things will proceed.
We hope that, with this informative letter, we have been able to inform you a little about what is going on in this disastrous year for our sport. We hope that we can be active again with our activities in the coming year.
In the name of the EPBF board, Honorary members and staff, undersigned would like to wish you already Merry Christmas and a good & healthy 2021. Let's stay positive and at least enjoy what is still possible.
Hopefully see you soon in 2021
Regards,
Gre Leenders - President EPBF