Billiards: Khalfi and Monnin, standard bearers of Toulouse billiards

They share the same passion but each in their own way. It is at “147”, in one of the largest billiard rooms in France, run by the elegant Gaëlle, that they regularly indulge in it. Between 10 and 15 hours per week for Fabian Monnin and “around twenty” for Yassine Khalfi, both licensed within Eight Ball Pink City.
The first won bronze at the end of October with Brian Ocoiski, at the European Snooker Championship, leaving Portugal with the bonus of the prize for the best series of the tournament (95 points). The second team medal only for the Blues in this discipline, one of the four variants listed by the French Billiards Federation (French billiards, blackpool and American billiards). The second, he became world champion by senior team + 50 years in Blackpool “for his first selection for the French team”.

Insulted by the English…

“After our title I was speechless for four days,” he smiles, remembering “this extraordinary human adventure.” He would also like to mention his five traveling companions whom he learned to discover over the course of the nine days of competition in Bridlington in the north-east of England: Paul, François, Christophe, Yvan and Alain. . In the final they triumphed over South Africa who had won all their matches up to that point and who had beaten them in the group stage.
One more “feat” after the victory in the semi-final against the France A team. “We were only the B team but we didn’t give up, we were like lions,” says Yassine who in the quarter-final suffered repeated insults from the English players with his colleagues. Not enough to disconcert this educator for young people between 14 and 18 years old in social children’s homes. Adopted from Toulouse for thirty years, Yassine Khalfi has compiled around ten medals, notably in American billiards which he played for 25 years before “leaving his comfort zone” to take up blackpool. He discovered this universe young when he left school “or during” it depended on the time. “It was saving, I was a little agitated and it allowed me to channel myself,” he sums up with his beguiling smile. He does not have a coach and admits to “never” training because “it bores him out” but regularly competes against others through various regional tournaments. “It’s happening!” » he laughs even more, thanking Christine, “his darling”, who follows him to all the tournaments.

“I would like to give it to my father”

Fabian Monnin fell into it “very little”. “My father played French billiards and I followed him everywhere in my stroller,” recalls this Airbus engineer, who arrived in Toulouse in 2016 from his native Auvergne. Today a consultant for Eurosport on the professional circuit, Fabian has mourned the loss of the “pro world”.
“The gap is considerable” explains the man who is considered a high-level athlete and is one of the three best French snooker players, thus accumulating numerous selections in Blue, whether individually or by team. His dream from now on is above all to win the title of champion of France. “I would like to give it to my father,” he confides. To give himself the means, he has enlisted the services of a coach, Yannick Poulain, who pays attention to his lifestyle and trains physically with gymnastics and core training. “Mentally it is a demanding discipline,” admit the two men who can seek advice on this level from the former international handball player Joël Abati, who became a mental trainer with the French Billiards Federation. Snooker or blackpool their passion is common. Much more human than remunerative since they only pocketed around 400 euros each for their two titles. “It’s addictive,” Yassine Khalfi and Fabian Monnin conclude with a smile before returning to their table.