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Category: Federation
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Rolling the Dice on a New Role
Dear backgammon players,
It was during the summer holidays of 1999 in Greece that I first discovered the great game of backgammon. Watching and talking with local players, I became fascinated by the game’s unique blend of skill and chance, the rattle of the dice, the strategic movement of the checkers, the powerful handling of the cube—combined with the thrill, the fun, and the people. Everything about it was a perfect match.
Around 2005, I joined the backgammon club in Leuven, and soon, my involvement went beyond playing. I began organising events, first locally, maintaining the club’s website since 2006. The old website, still available at https://www.backgammon-leuven.be/arxiv/, contains articles dating back to January 2006, including an early report on a visit to the club in Gent (link). Over the years, Leuven became home to a vibrant backgammon scene with biweekly or monthly club meetings, the Leuven Open tournament series (since 2009), annual club championships (since 2011), promotion events at Leuven’s summer fair De Langste Dag, interclub duels, and more.
Beyond Leuven, I have always been driven by the urge to bring players together for live play. Since 2012, I maintained for many years the website of the successful Brussels Friendly tournament series (link). Around the same time, BGFed.be was created, with its earliest post celebrating the Brussels Friendly’s 10th-anniversary edition (link). Other initiatives I was involved in include the 4 Cubes (encouraging encounters between clubs since 2009), the annual Backgammon Barbecue (BBBQ), and the national rating list, which originated as a Leuven-based list maintained by and for local players since 2005 and which gradually expanded to a nationwide system (see early history and statistics), under my management since the end of 2014.
Since late 2024, I have been coordinating the efforts of a highly motivated team to strengthen the foundations of the federation, ensuring its future growth. While some progress has been made, much remains to be done. For personal and professional reasons, I have decided to step back from this role, making room for others to carry forward the mission with renewed energy. However, this is not a farewell—I look forward to continuing to play the game I love, alongside players from across Belgium and beyond.
I would like to thank everyone with whom I have had the privilege to collaborate over the past two decades, particularly in the Leuven club, my home base, and in BGFed.be, the umbrella organisation uniting backgammon players, clubs, and tournaments in and around Belgium. I extend special thanks to the current pilot team for stepping in and catching the dice that my departure might otherwise have left on the floor.
Though the Belgian backgammon community is not the largest, it is strong, diverse, and home to both experienced players and emerging young talent. New initiatives and tournament formats continue to take shape, keeping the game alive and evolving. To those who will carry the federation forward, I wish you the best of luck. May your efforts—however modest or imperfect, as mine surely have been—have a positive impact on the Belgian backgammon community, as I will surely appreciate them myself.
Playful greetings,
Johan Segers -
General Assembly, January 19, 2025
All BGFed.be members are cordially invited to BGFed.be’s General Assembly that takes place on Sunday, January 19, 2025 at 11:00 AM in Sport & Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele.
Agenda:
- Welcome
- Roll call and appointment of minute taker
- Presentation of the pilot team (members and roles) and values
- Presentation of the Handbook
- Explanation on membership procedure
- Backgammon calendar 2025
- Explanation on the charter
- Finance
- Result 2024
- Budget 2025
- All other business
— The BGFed.be Pilot Team
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BGFed.be membership confirmation and invitation to General Assembly on January 19
[Nederlands: zie beneden. Français: voir ci-dessous]
Dear BGFed.be member,
The aim of this message is two-fold:
- To check and confirm your BGFed.be affiliation.
- To invite you to our General Assembly on Sunday, January 19, 2025.
1. Your affiliation to BGFed.be
As a member, you currently enjoy a number of benefits, such as a spot on the rating list and the right to participate in tournaments and competitions reserved to members.
If you are interested in staying a member, please complete the following short online form:
https://forms.gle/7v5aUoGVYpbtaH6C9
2. General Assembly
Hereby we wish to invite you cordially at the BGFed.be General Assembly on Sunday, January 19, 2025 at 11:00 in Sport & Squash Club de Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele. The assembly will be followed at 13:00 by the Leuven Monthly tournament organised by the Backgammon Club Leuven.
At the meeting, we will present ourselves and our project for backgammon in Belgium. An agenda and registration form will be sent later to members who completed the form above.
Kind regards from the (ad interim) BGFed.be team
Johan Segers (coordinator)
Odette Vanhorenbeek (treasurer)
Alf Martijn (communication)
Chantal Lensen (tournament planning)
Sonja Custers (member administration)________________________________________
[Français: voir ci-dessous]
Beste BGFed.be lid,
Het doel van dit bericht is tweeledig:
- Om je aansluiting bij BGFed.be te controleren en te bevestigen.
- Om je uit te nodigen op onze Algemene Vergadering op zondag 19 januari 2025.
1. Je aansluiting bij BGFed.be
Als lid geniet je momenteel van een aantal voordelen, zoals een plaats op de ratinglijst en het recht om deel te nemen aan toernooien en competities die voorbehouden zijn aan leden.
Als je geïnteresseerd bent om lid te blijven, gelieve dan het volgende korte online formulier in te vullen:
https://forms.gle/7v5aUoGVYpbtaH6C9
2. Algemene Vergadering
Hierbij willen we je van harte uitnodigen op de Algemene Vergadering van BGFed.be op zondag 19 januari 2025 om 11:00 uur in Sport & Squash Club de Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele. De vergadering zal om 13:00 gevolgd worden door het Leuven Monthly toernooi georganiseerd door de Backgammon Club Leuven.
Op de bijeenkomst zullen we onszelf en ons project voor backgammon in België voorstellen. Een agenda en inschrijvingsformulier zullen later verstuurd worden naar de leden die bovenstaand formulier ingevuld hebben.
Vriendelijke groeten van het (ad interim) BGFed.be team
Johan Segers (coördinator)
Odette Vanhorenbeek (penningmeester)
Alf Martijn (communicatie)
Chantal Lensen (toernooiplanning)
Sonja Custers (ledenadministratie)________________________________________
Chère et cher membre de BGFed.be,Vous recevez cet e-mail parce que vous êtes affilié à BGFed.be, la fédération belge de backgammon.
L’objectif de ce message est double :
- Vérifier et confirmer votre affiliation à BGFed.be.
- Vous inviter à notre Assemblée Générale du dimanche 19 janvier 2025.
1. Votre affiliation à BGFed.be
En tant que membre, vous bénéficiez actuellement d’un certain nombre d’avantages, tels qu’une place sur la liste de classement et le droit de participer aux tournois et compétitions réservés aux membres.Si vous souhaitez rester membre, veuillez remplir le court formulaire en ligne suivant :
https://forms.gle/7v5aUoGVYpbtaH6C9
2. Assemblée générale
Par la présente, nous souhaitons vous inviter cordialement à l’Assemblée Générale de la BGFed.be le dimanche 19 janvier 2025 à 11h00 au Sport & Squash Club de Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele. L’assemblée sera suivie à 13h00 par le Leuven Monthly tournoi organisé par le Backgammon Club Leuven.Lors de l’assemblée, nous nous présenterons ainsi que notre projet pour le backgammon en Belgique. Un ordre du jour et un formulaire d’inscription seront envoyés ultérieurement aux membres qui ont rempli le formulaire ci-dessus.
Salutations cordiales de la part de l’équipe (ad interim) de BGFed.be
Johan Segers (coordinateur)
Odette Vanhorenbeek (trésorière)
Alf Martijn (communication)
Chantal Lensen (planning)
Sonja Custers (administration des membres) -
BGFed.be governance: interim team and general assembly
Dear Backgammon enthusiasts,
At the BGFed.be general assembly held on June 7, 2024, it was explained that a two-person board, as it has been existing de facto in recent years, has become inadequate to meet the federation’s needs.
Since then, a number of people have been exploring new structures for the federation. Guy Van Middelem has been our figurehead for many years, and with his natural charisma, he was BGFed.be’s leader. When the board became smaller, he remained steadfast. He has flawlessly organized countless competitions, maintained membership lists, managed international contacts… We want to explicitly thank him for founding the federation, his leadership over the past years, and for passing the torch to a team—now five members strong—that will continue his work.
The search for new structures, initiated in June, has ultimately led to a team of five backgammon players familiar with the federation: Johan S., Sonja, Odette, Alf, and Chantal.
As an interim team, we have the following mission for the coming two months:
- to complete the formalities related to a non-profit association;
- to develop a plan to further shape the federation.
At the general assembly on January 19, 2025, at 11:00 am, in Sport & Squash club de Vaart in Leuven (Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele), we will present the plan to all members, with a vote on whether to continue with this interim team.
All players who are BGFed.be member are therefore warmly invited to this general assembly. Please mark January 19 in your calendars – a formal invitation will follow.
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BGFed.be General Assembly of June 7, 2024: Minutes
On Friday, June 7, 2024, the BGFed.be General Assembly took place at Royal Orée (Sint-Pieters-Woluwe). The meeting was entitled BGFed.be 2024+, and its main aim was to brainstorm on the future of the federation. Two noteworthy decisions are:
- Creation of a working group to draft a new organizational chart of the federation.
- One-shot financial support of 400 euro to the Red Beaver League.
Regarding the first point: once the roles and committees in the new structure will have been defined, there will be quite a number of vacancies to be filled. We count on you!
A full account of the discussions, conclusions and actions points is given in the minutes (NL: verslag; FR: procès-verbal) of the meeting. Read more in the following pdf file:
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BGFed.be 2024+ meeting, Friday June 7, 19h30, at Royal Orée
Dear backgammon friend, BGFed.be member,
Since nearly a decade, BGFed.be has been the governing body for all backgammon activities in Belgium, from a legal nonprofit organization with statutes to a de facto association.
- BGFed.be is member of the World Backgammon Federation, sending national teams, the Red Beavers, to international championships, with Johan Huyck as our national team coach
- Johan Segers manages a dynamic website with a.o. a rating list
- Michel Lamote introduced the Red Beaver League
- Hubert Verstraeten started the WBIF online national championship
- we organize club-, team- and individual championships (4 Cubes, Belgian Individual Championship)
- each club has a representative volunteer (Chantal Lensen for Brussels, Bert Van Kerckhove for Ghent, Line Vandamme for Bruges, and Henri Pollet for Leuven) and captain(s)
I’ve surely forgotten some names but BGFed.be thanks all of you for what has been done during the last ten years.
In the beginning, when legal issues were a concern, BGFed.be activities were structured into commissions (BIC, treasury, 4 Cubes, rating, …). With the Covid pandemic, however, these governing bodies have been diluted. However, it’s unfair and ineffective to put all decisions on the shoulders of a few specific members.
The latest BGFed.be meeting took place in September 2022. With nearly 100 individual members, it’s about time to meet again. We need more organizational structure, fresh blood and new ideas. And we count on you !
To brainstorm about our future (administration control, website, championships, online, etc…), an evening together is a priority, some sort of General Assembly. I propose Friday the 7th of June at Royal Orée (Drève des Brûlés 59, 1150 Brussels) at 19.30 hours. Sandwiches will be provided but, please, tell us your highly appreciated presence or pitiful absence.
Possibility to play some friendly encounters afterwards.
Keep on rolling, for BGFed.be, Guy Van Middelem
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General Assembly and other live events in September and beyond
BGFed.be president Guy Van Middelem cordially invites you to the next General Assembly of the Belgian Backgammon Federation on Sunday, September 18, 2022, at 11:00 in Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012, Wilsele. Everybody interested in live backgammon in Belgium is welcome. Agenda: tournaments, interclub competition, rating list, … The GA will be followed in the afternoon by the Leuven Monthly tournament (see below).
Live backgammon in September
- Brussels: every Wednesday evening starting from September 21, at 19h, at Au Bassin, Baksteenkaai 74 Quai Aux Briques, 1000 Brussels
- Ghent: every Tuesday evening, at 19h, at Union-Sandeman, Kantienberg 5, 9000 Gent
- Leuven Monthly, Sunday, September 18, at 12h45, at Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele
Looking ahead
- 13th Leuven Open: Sunday, November 13, Abdijmolen Heverlee
- Gent Open Backgammon XV: Sunday, November 20, K.A. Club Union Sandeman, Kantienberg 5, 9000 Gent. Contact: Bert Van Kerckhove, bert.vankerckhove@skynet.be, +32 (0) 474 237 656
- Vlissingen Masters: January 14-15, 2023
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BGFed.be transformed from formal non-profit organization to de facto association
At the General Assembly of Friday, October 15, 2021, it was decided that the formal non-profit organization underlying the federation was to be dissolved and that the federation was to continue its activities as a de facto association (NL: feitelijke vereniging; FR: association de fait). The name, website, activities and all the material and immaterial resources of the NPO (tournaments, competition, rating list, membership of the World Backgammon Federation) are to be transferred to this new association, which will be managed by current president Guy Van Middelem.
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Happy 2020
Dear backgammon friends,
First of all, from myself, and on behalf of BGFed.be, our federation, my
best wishes for
a splendid year 2020
Our desires, of course, include your best of luck with all sorts of doubles in the beginning of the game and mainly doubles 5 & 6 in the bear-off.
I hope (and I’m pretty sure) you can handle these throws valuably !
Please, take a (regular) look at our website, where you’ll find some nice recent films with both games from the BIC final 2019, analysis & commentary included (many thanks to Robin Bilderbeek).
Besides BIC & 4 Cubes, BGFed.be tournaments include :
Leuven Monthly (http://backgammon-leuven.be/), organized in de Squash Club de Vaart (Wilsele) on Sunday afternoons and Friday evenings
Brussels Friendly, organized in Tennis Club le Roseau (Uccle) on every 1st Friday evening of the month (starting with 03/01/20)
Bigger day tournaments in Ghent (around March/April), in Brussels (the 1st of May) & in Leuven (around November)
The 5th international BMAB – BMS tournament in Ghent (presumably the last weekend of December)
We’ll meet on all these occasions and you can improve your rating (which changes every week).
Keep on rolling, — Guy Van Middelem -
General Assembly 06-Dec-2019: Minutes Available
The 8th general assembly of the BGFed.be npo took place in tennis club le Roseau, Uccle, on Friday, December 6, 2020, prior to the Brussels Friendly 95 tournament.
The minutes of the meeting are available on the page Federation.
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BGFed.be npo General Assembly
Dear backgammon friend, member of a BGFed.be backgammon club,
You’re kindly invited to the General Assembly of BGFed.be – Belgian Backgammon Federation – on Friday the 6th of December 2019 at 18.00 PM in Tennis Club ‘le Roseau’, 60, rue du Roseau – Rietweg at 1180 Brussels.
The Assembly will be followed by the Brussels Friendly 95 tournament at 19.45 PM.
Agenda
- Welcome drink & word by the President (Guy Van Middelem).
- Financial report of the Treasurer (Alain Chif) : changes in the by-laws (address – reduction of board members) and legal publication, balance 2019, budget 2019, EUBGF fee, membership fees.
- Report of the 4-Cubes committee (Luc Palmans, chairman) : report 2019 (format, teams, calendar ) ; project for 2020.
- Report of the BIC committee (Kristoffer De Weert) : report 2019 (format, participants, calendar) ; project for 2020 (format, participants).
- Report of the Selection committee 2018 (Johan Huyck) : report European / World Championships in Montenegro 2019 ; project for France 2020.
- Report of the BMS-committee (Geert Van der Stricht) : report 2019 ; project for 2020.
- Report of the Rating committee (Johan Segers) : report 2019 ; project for 2020.
- Relation to the EUBGF (Guy Van Middelem) : report of the EUBGF Assembly in Montenegro 2019.
- Club reports (Brugge – LVD ; Gent – BVK ; Brussels – GVM ; Leuven – HP). Organisation of BGFed.be championships (1-point, 5-point,…).
- Varia
Please note : a) every individual member of a BGFed.be affiliated club is invited to the GA ; b) in the eventual case of voting : voting rights are per member (1 vote per club) and per founding member (1 vote per member).
Keep on rolling, — Guy Van Middelem, President BGFed.be
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Minutes General Assembly BGFed.be npo 7-Dec-2018
The minutes of the most recent general assembly of the BGFed.be npo can be found on the page Federation. Some other stuff on that page has been updated as well.
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General Assembly on Friday, December 2, 2016, 18:00, at Longchamp’s
Dear backgammon friend, member of a BGFed.be backgammon club,
You’re kindly invited to the General Assembly of BGFed.be – Belgian Backgammon Federation – on Friday the 2nd of December 2016 at 18:00 in the ‘Les Brasseries du Longchamp’, Waterloosesteenweg 836 in Uccle, Brussels. The Assembly will be followed at 20:00 by the Brussels Friendly 68 tournament.
Agenda:
- Welcome drink & word by the President (Guy Van Middelem) : approval of the Minutes of the General Assembly of December 4, 2015.
- Financial report of the Treasurer (Line Vandamme) : balance 2016, budget 2017, fees.
- Report of the 2016 4 Cubes committee (Luc Palmans, Chairman) : report 2016 (format, teams, calendar) ; project for 2017 idem but presumably teams of 4 players.
- Report of the 2016 BIC committee (Guy Van Middelem, Chairman) : report 2016 (format, participants, calendar) ; project for 2017 (new committee Member, Kristoffer De Weert; new BIC-playoffs rules).
- Report of the BMSB committee (new composition of the committee : Geert Van Der Stricht replacing Michel Lamote as Chairman) ; report 2016 (BMS series, BPR clusters, BMAB tournament) ; projects for 2017.
- Report of the Rating committee (Johan Segers) : report 2016, project for 2017: no changes.
- Club reports (for Brugge: Line ; for Gent: Geert Van Der Stricht or… ; for Brussels: Alain Chif ; for Leuven: Johan Segers ; for Hasselt: Luc Palmans) : members, venue, activities, organisation of BGFed.be championships (blitz, 1-point, 5-point, …).
- Report of the 2016 Selection committee (Johan Segers in the absence of Michel Lamote, excused) : report European Championships 2016 in Helsingör, Denmark ; proposals about Reykjavik 2017.
- Relation to the EUBGF (Johan Segers & Maurits Pino) : report of the EUBGF GA, October 22, 2016.
- Varia (Guy Van Middelem) : as mentioned : organisation of BGFed.be championships (blitz, 1-point, 5-point, …). Please send any questions or different points of interest beforehand to guy.van.middelem@pandora.be.
Please note:
- Every individual member of a BGFed.be is invited to the GA (please tell Guy Van Middelem if you plan to come).
- In case of voting : voting rights are per member (1 vote per club) and per founding member (1 vote per member).
Kind regards & keep on rolling,
Guy van Middelem, President BGFed.be
guy.van.middelem@pandora.be -
General Assembly of BGFed.be npo on Fri Dec 4, 18:00, at Longchamp
Dear backgammon friend,
Dear member of a BGFed.be backgammon club,You’re kindly invited to the General Assembly of BGFed.be, the Belgian Backgammon Federation npo, on Friday the 4th of December at 18.00 PM in the ‘Brasserie du Longchamp’, Waterloosesteenweg 836 in Uccle, Brussels.
The General Assembly will be followed at 20.00 PM by the Brussels Friendly 56 tournament.
Agenda:
- Welcome drink & word by the President (Guy Van Middelem) : explanation of the formal non-profit organisation, structure : board, member clubs & players, ID.
- Report of the Treasurer (Line Vandamme) : balance 2015, budget 2016, fees.
- Report of the 2015 4 Cubes committee (Luc Palmans) : project for 2016.
- Report of the 2015 BIC committee (Guy Van Middelem) : project for 2016.
- Report of the 2015 Selection Committee (Guy Van Middelem) : relation to the EUBGF, European Championships 2015 in Budapest, new 2016 Selection program (Michel Lamote).
- Report of the Rating committee (Johan Segers).
- Creation of a BMS(BE) committee (Michel Lamote).
- Board : Tournament director Luc Palmans remains as President of the 4 Cubes committee but quits as board member (many thanks for your cooperation, Luc). Therefore, BGFed.be is looking for a new board member. Candidates must write before the 1st of December to guy.van.middelem@pandora.be.
- Varia : website, plans for a Belgian tournament for the European Tour, others…
Please, send any questions or different points of interest beforehand to guy.van.middelem@pandora.be.
Please note :
- every individual member of a BGFed.be is invited to the GA (please tell me if you plan to come) ;
- voting rights are per member (1 vote per club) and per founding member (1 vote per member).
Kind regards & keep on rolling,
— Guy van Middelem (President BGFed.be)