Twenty-five players registered for BIC (Belgium Individual Championship) 2017, eight of which qualified for Division 1 through 2016 results, while the others (17) joined Division 2, divided in groups A & B. After playing a lot of 13- and 11-points matches at home and/or away throughout the year till September, the best four from D1 and D2 qualified for the BIC play-off. There, the slaughter begun : in the ¼ finals, two-times overall winner Walter Meuwis fell surprisingly to Metin Ates, who qualified narrowly in D2 group B ; ranked n°1 Michel Lamote lost from Johan Huyck, easy winner of D1 group A ; Guy Van Middelem, ultimate survivor from D2, beat Paulus van Rooijen, 2nd in D1 in Vlissingen (NL) and Johan Segers, BGFed.be vice-president, won against 1st ever champion Geert Van der Stricht. The slugfest continued in the semi-finals : Johan H. beat deservingly Guy and Metin had his share of luck at the right moment against Johan S.
Finalist Johan Huyck (left) en winner Metin Ates (middle) of BIC 2017. Maurits Pino (right) represented BGFed.be.
The big BIC final 2017 (best of 3 till 13-points) would be Metin Ates against Johan Huyck on Saturday the 16th of December, in Longchamp (Brussels) in front of an interested crowd. There was really no match : Metin emerged 2-0 with some checker play magic and could lift the BGFed.be trophy despite outstanding play by Johan in the second set.
Congratulations to the 4th winner of the 5th BIC competition : Metin Ates.
BIC records :
2017 : Metin Ates ;
2016 : Walter Meuwis ;
2015 : Michel Lamote ;
2014 : Walter Meuwis ;
2013 : Geert Van der Stricht
Looking forward to BIC 2018 !
— GVM
