BALKAN BILLIARD CHAMPIONSHIP |2023| ROUND 3

The 3rd round of tournaments organized by the Balkan Billiards Association has concluded. In the most extensive tournament to date, featuring a total of 89 participants in Thessaloniki, Greece, Labinot Markaj from Kosovo emerged victorious. He defeated Giannis Dimitriakis from Greece with a score of 9:3, securing the top spot in the temporary rankings before the last tournament of the year. Both finalists also earned the opportunity for a free entry into the “Euro Tour,” provided by EPBF and BBA. The two players who were on the brink of securing a spot in the “Euro Tour” but finished 3rd in this tournament are Georgi Kampourlidis from Alexandroupolis, Greece, who lost in the semi-final 3:9 to the champion Labinot Markaj, and Spiros Forkas, the representative from Thessaloniki and the hosting club. He lost to his teammate in the semi-final, Giannis Dimitriakis, in a closely contested thriller ending with a score of 8:9.

Greek dominance is evident in the 4th places as well, with 2 out of the 4 spots being claimed by Greek participants. They are making a serious claim for honorable positions in 2024. The first 4th place went to the lawyer from Thessaloniki, Dimitris Strebinas, who lost in the quarterfinals to Georgi Kampourlidis with a score of 8:9. The other Greek player securing the 4th place is Georgi Akhavidis, who lost to the silver medalist, Giannis Dimitriakis, in the most contested quarterfinal with a score of 8:9. The remaining two 4th places were shared by the representative from North Macedonia, Hristo Vasilevski, who lost to the champion Labinot Markaj with a score of 4:9, and Faton Baygora from Kosovo, who lost to Spiros Forkas with a score of 3:9.