Ine Helvik

Saturday my club arranged RT 4 (of 8). I was seeded no 2 into the tournament and we played round robin with a single elimination from the semifinals. I lost my focus between being a tournament director and playing and lost one of the matches in the round robin to Elkhem Eisajan, ABC, a youth player who just made the Norwegian Youth team. That meant I faced Trond Larsen, MIL, in the semifinals instead of in the finals. It turned out that was a good thing. I played really well, I was up 4-0 and 5-1 before closing the match with a B&R to win 6-4. In the finals I met Elkhem once again and this time my focus was on top and I won 6-3.

Eliminating Trond in the semis and winning the tournament gave me enough points to top the ranking again:) I hope to keep that position, but we have 4 tournaments remaining and I have to play just as well in all of them to do that:) The winner of the regional ranking automatically goes back up in the elite division, and that is where I want to be.

The draw and results for the tournament is HERE

Next tournament is ET Women in Luxembourg, Ardennen Cup.

Onwards and upwards!

Thanks for reading:)

Ine

My two Norwegian Championship 2015 trophies and the trophy for winning the regional tournament RT 1 (out of eight, three played so far)

One of the young players in my club asked me how many trophies I have got. You see, I have a few laying around in the poolhall, always thinking about setting them up properly. And I am, I just need to find the time to do so. Anyway, I looked up Tore Skagesteins overview of all the medals from Norwegian Championships and I saw I was listed with 50 total. When I add the ones not in there yet, I come to 13 Gold, 27 silver and 14 bronze… Which is kind of crazy. 54 medals in the Norwegian Championships alone. I was sure that Vegar Kristiansen and Line Kjørsvik would have way more than me, but no. I also have several European Team medals and a large amount of locally won tournaments… So I have no concluded that I am the most persevering player in Norway (or the most stubborn, or the most stupid depending on how you choose to look at it. I choose the most persevering:))

I have played tournaments for 20 years and I love the game even more now than I did when I was younger. And I take it deadly serious. For me this is a sport and I do my best to behave the part. I think it is sad that not all players think of billiards like this, it weakens us as sport and effects all of us loving it. We will never progress into the Olympics or be taken as serious as chess or golf if we, the players, do not behave like proper athletes. We are destroying the chances we have with players behaving badly, playing under the influence of alcohol, not preparing like an athlete for your next game, not having good enough organizations world wide and not following the rules and guidelines that we have, internationally or locally. With this I mean organizing or participating in unsanctioned events, not understanding the importance of having well functioning federations or even local clubs and also the lack of registering the players as members and show the world how many of us there really are. I am sure Billiards is one of the largest sports worldwide, we just can’t prove it.

So, I will continue to play and participate in events. I am now back in top 10 on the Eurotour ranking I am going to stay there:) My goal this year is to be the highest ranked woman in Norway and the highest ranked Norwegian on the Eurotour ranking. And I will put all my trophies up and tell the story:)

Be proud of our sport, I am!

And sign the petition for Billiards in the Olympics, even though we probably wont make it. Just to show the world that YOU care:)

Thanks for reading!

Ine:)

My game was not good enough today. Thats all there is to say about that. Dissapointed after playing so good yesterday. The positive is that I fought my way into the last 16 going all the way on the loosers side. After a disastrous season last year I am determined to finish in top 16 every eurotour and so far so good:)

Yet another positive is that I am now fortunate enough to be watching three of my absolute favourite players at once! Line Kjørsvik,  Louise Furberg and Monica Webb. And they are all playing great! (It is actually four of my favourite players but Jasmin Ouschan did not get in to the picture:))

Thanks for reading 🙂
Ine

Today I have played really well and I am super happy about my performance:) I had to win two matches today to qualify for the last 16 and I  did. 7-3 over Silvia Gaudino and 7-4 against my teammate Martine Christiansen. Play again tomorrow morning at 10. I don’t know my opponent yet, but I  wouldn’t be surprised if I draw Line Kjørsvik:)

Keep following on womeneurotouronline.com and kozoom.com

Thanks for reading and wish me luck!
Ine 🙂

I lost my first match today and had to play a late match to hang in there. I am not very good at playing late matches, I get so so tired. I knew i had to do something so I  went to my room and turned the music up. Now everyone think I am crazy:) but.. it worked! I won 7-0.

Next match at 1500 tomorrow.
Wish me luck!
Ine 🙂