The history of carrom

Development in Switzerland and Europe

1979

1st Swiss Championship

In spring 1979, Hanspeter Grimm of Zurich organised the first carrom tournament, inviting seven friends. Everyone was captivated by the game. They found a partner to sell boards imported from India, and more friends soon discovered it. By June–August 1979, the first carrom championship could be held, with 16 participants.

1980

2nd to 4th Swiss Championships

The 1980 championship attracted 66 players and, for the first time, was played over five championship points tournaments.

1981

Carrom Club Zürich (CCZ)

The CCZ was established by 29 founding members. Its aims were — and remain — to promote carrom in Switzerland, organise tournaments open to everyone and hold club events.

5th Swiss Championship

In March 1981, a report in the Schweizer Illustrierte introduced readers to carrom in Switzerland and drew players from across the country to that year's championship. The CCZ took on the main organisation of the tournaments. Abdul Wali Nouri from Afghanistan won one of the six championship points tournaments, which attracted 90 players in total, and the Swiss Championship final. Carrom Club Rottweil in West Germany was founded in early 1982.

1982

6th Swiss Championship

The 1982 championship consisted of five tournaments with 61 participants in total. All were won by A. W. Nouri or newcomer Kumar Basappa from India, who also won the championship final. Carrom Club Zürich held its first summer festival, giving Zurich residents a chance to discover carrom in a relaxed setting.

Dillon's Cup

Another highlight was the Dillon's Cup in July 1982 at the private club Dillon's, with 16 players from ten nations.

1st Swiss team tournament

The first team tournament was held in August 1982 with eight teams from Switzerland and Germany. Carrom Club Zürich 1 won.

1983

7th Swiss Championship

Five championship points tournaments were held in 1983, with 58 participants.

1984

8th Swiss Championship

At the last championship points tournament of 1984, a Swiss player finally won again: CCZ president Roger Mayer defeated A. W. Nouri in the final. The championship final itself was convincingly won by Kumar Basappa.

1st German Carrom Championship

With help from the CCZ, the first German championship took place in July 1984 during the Engen town festival, in the castle gardens in beautiful summer weather. Kumar Basappa won the tournament. Rainer Albrecht from Hamburg became the first German champion.

1985

Founding of the Swiss Carrom Association (SCA)

Early in 1985, CCZ founder Hanspeter Grimm returned from a year in Asia. He brought valuable experience from carrom congresses and international tournaments, along with many new ideas. He initiated the founding of the Swiss Carrom Association, the umbrella organisation for Swiss carrom clubs, and was elected its president.

9th Swiss Championship

The 1985 championship included five MSP tournaments with 118 players. In the final, A. W. Nouri regained the title he had held in 1983.

2nd German Championship

The CCZ and Carrom Club Rottweil organised the second German championship. The final had the same two players as in 1984, but a different winner: A. W. Nouri.

FICTT — First Intercontinental Carrom Test Tournaments

The FICTT took place as a team cup in Zurich on 16 November 1985 and a singles cup in Berlin on 23 November. Delegations came from India, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Switzerland.

The tournaments gave carrom a major boost:

• The standard of play improved noticeably after watching Asia's leading players.
• New clubs were founded and international contacts established.
• Plans were made to establish the International Carrom Federation (ICF) in Madras, India.
• Carrom became a bestseller among board games during the 1985–86 Christmas season.

1986

10th Swiss Championship

A record 139 players entered the six MSP tournaments of the 1986 championship. Kumar Basappa won his third title, following his victories in 1982 and 1984.

1st Euro-Cup

Having already organised 55 tournaments, Carrom Club Zürich took on another major project after the successful 1985 FICTT events. The first Euro-Cup in carrom history took place in Greifensee on 22 November 1986. It brought together 66 players from nine nations. Kumar Basappa, playing for the CCZ, won once again, and the CCZ also took the team title.

A women's tournament, the Lady-Cup 1986, was held alongside the Euro-Cup for the first time. Irmgard Ludwig from West Germany won.

1987

11th Swiss Championship

Once again, more than 100 players took part in the MSP tournaments. The championship was divided into two leagues for the first time, a popular change. Fredy Egenberger from Darmstadt, West Germany, won the final. Regular winners K. Basappa and A. W. Nouri had to settle for third and fifth. The standard continued to rise and the field of leading players grew.

SCA

More and more enthusiasts formed clubs and associations. The national association already had seven affiliated clubs, with more about to be established.

2nd SCA Euro-Cup

Organised by the CCZ on behalf of the SCA, the 1987 Euro-Cup demonstrated both the scale of European carrom and the organisers' capabilities. In early October, 118 players from 12 nations met at Casino Zürichhorn to decide the “European champion” for the second time. Kumar Basappa won again, and Zurich retained the team title. Germany's Verena Schönauer won the Lady-Cup.

Some results were extremely close. Strong new players were making their mark and challenging the leaders. The event was honoured by a visit from Mr B. B. Babu, secretary general of the All India Carrom Federation — a sign of the SCA's close ties with carrom's homeland. Other contacts included West Germany, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands and Denmark.

The tragic death of Hanspeter Grimm, mentor and pioneer of carrom in Europe, overshadowed the tournament, which was posthumously named the Hanspeter Grimm Memorial Tournament.

1988

12th Swiss Championship

The January and March tournaments set new participation records, with around 70 players each, pointing to a very successful year. Many newcomers who did not yet belong to a club found their way to SCA tournaments.

Kumar Basappa won the 12th championship final ahead of Ethashamul Kabir and Ramon Zollinger. The A league had 40 players; the B league was twice as large, with 81. Willi Forrer won the B final ahead of Christoph Brotz and Frank Ziegler.

ICF

In February, SCA delegate Martin Meier travelled to Madras and New Delhi to help prepare the founding of the International Carrom Federation (ICF) and the International Carrom Congress (ICC). The ICF was founded in autumn, and Switzerland's Martin Meier was elected president.

1989

13th Swiss Championship

The Basler Carrom Cup took place at the MUBA trade fair for the first — and sadly only — time. ICF president Martin Meier showed his playing ability by winning ahead of Germany's Fredy Egenberger and Arri Swaran.

The 13th championship had 46 A-league and 52 B-league players, nearly as many as the previous year. Wali Nouri won the A final ahead of Lorenzo Hürlimann and Robert Hehenberger. Thorsten Trotz won the B final, followed by Marcel Ferri and Ricard Arnold.

The 1st ICF Cup was held in Heidelberg. Alongside Switzerland and Germany, Asian players returned to competition in Europe. India took all four top singles places and was also unbeatable in the team event. Teams from the Netherlands, Sri Lanka and the Maldives also took part.

1990

A year without a champion

The SCA delegates decided to end future championships in spring to avoid the long summer tournament break. To make the transition, the 1990 season was extended into spring 1991, so no champion was crowned that year.

There was still news to report: 14-year-old Thomas Fischer won his first tournament, becoming the youngest winner in carrom history.

1991

14th Swiss Championship

Wali Nouri won the 14th championship final, once again ahead of Lorenzo Hürlimann. Peter Baumgartner finished third.

1st World Championship in Delhi

Switzerland took part in the first World Championship, represented by Lorenzo Hürlimann, Peter Baumgartner, Thomas Fischer, Werner Meyer and Kurt Scherrer. The team finished fourth behind the strong Asian nations India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Thomas Fischer surprised everyone again in the singles, helped a little by a favourable draw: he finished sixth and was the highest-placed European. Players from nine nations took part.

1992

15th Swiss Championship

Another first: the inaugural Swiss Doubles Championship. Peter Baumgartner and Thomas Fischer won ahead of the “old hands” Ramon Zollinger and Ueli Plüss. Lorenzo Hürlimann and Hrvoje Begic finished third.

The singles championship saw a new tournament winner, Mervin Kalinga. The doubles champions impressed again at the 15th championship final: Peter Baumgartner became the first Swiss champion from Switzerland in a long time, followed by Thomas Fischer and Ramon Zollinger.

1st UK Open

After playing his first tournament at the World Championship in Delhi, Krishan Sharma founded the English association. Less than a year later, the first UK Open took place in central London. Peter Baumgartner crowned his successful year by defeating the Netherlands' Piet van der Schee in the final.

1993

16th Swiss Championship

What 1992 had been for Peter Baumgartner, 1993 became for Thomas Fischer. In spring, he became the youngest Swiss champion at the 16th final, ahead of the defending champion. Mervin Kalinga was third. Thomas Fischer also won the doubles with Carlito Bollin.

2nd ICF Cup / 2nd UK Open

Krishan Sharma's enthusiasm was unstoppable. He organised another UK Open together with the ICF Cup. A Swiss highlight was Thomas Fischer's win over Bradley Mathiasz from Sri Lanka: the first time a European had beaten an Asian player from one of carrom's leading nations in competition.

1994

17th Swiss Championship

It was a quiet year internationally. Thomas Fischer could not defend his title, finishing second behind Muthuvel Mahendren, who dominated the season. Lorenzo Hürlimann was third. In doubles, Carlito Bollin and Roger Mayer beat Thomas Fischer and Kurt Scherrer.

1995

18th Swiss Championship: a new era begins

The final was exceptionally close, with the winner decided only in the last round. Carlito Bollin prevailed over Muthuvel Mahendren and Thomas Fischer. Nobody knew it yet, but this was the start of a new era in which the other players would rarely find a way past the seemingly unassuming Carlito!

1996

19th Swiss Championship

Participation declined slightly, particularly because some players were no longer willing to travel to regional venues. Former champions Muthuvel Mahendren and Thomas Fischer — who had moved on to snooker — did not play this season, so Carlito Bollin looked like the player to beat. He lived up to expectations, finishing ahead of veteran Lorenzo Hürlimann and newcomer Rafi Dewangso.

1997

20th Swiss Championship

Participation continued to decline slightly. Carlito Bollin dominated both the season and the final to claim his third title. Rafi Dewangso and Lorenzo Hürlimann swapped podium places. For the first time, the final was held in Schwellbrunn in Appenzell, an idyllic setting that would become a firm fixture in leading players' calendars.

1st (3rd) Eurocup in Luton: European tournaments return

After a ten-year break, Krishan Sharma's initiative brought back the Eurocup in the London area. Forty-eight players from five nations took part. The nine-strong Swiss delegation was led by Carlito Bollin, who finished an excellent third. Anders Illi, ninth, also made the top ten. Germany's Stefan Besser became the first European champion of the new era.

2nd HP Grimm Memorial

On 15 October 1997, 37 players gathered at Restaurant Schweighof to remember this unforgettable supporter of the sport with a carrom tournament. On this occasion, the fact that Carlito Bollin won was of secondary importance.

1998

21st Swiss Championship: carrom finds a home

What had long seemed likely finally happened: all seven championship tournaments were held in Zurich. Everyone was tired of transporting the boards, and Restaurant Schweighof provided an excellent venue. The format also changed to the Swiss system, familiar from chess. Players immediately took to it because everyone now had the same number of matches, regardless of wins or losses. New format, same Swiss champion: Carlito Bollin won the final. The other podium places changed hands again, with Lori ahead of Rafi.

2nd Eurocup in Berlin

Would the European revival continue? Arif Naqvi and his team were determined to make it happen. With 58 participants, including eight Swiss players, the event grew. The Swiss sporting results were less memorable: Germany made full use of home advantage and occupied the first eight places. Frank Kunisch won ahead of Peter Böcker. Carlito finished tenth.

1999

22nd Swiss Championship: Carlito switches to his middle finger

Shortly before the final in Appenzell, Carlito Bollin almost lost his shooting finger during Swiss army refresher training. The original chronicle jokingly blamed an unknown elite unit of rival carrom players for the “sabotage”. What could he do but switch to his middle finger? The supposed 15 conspirators thought their mission was accomplished — until they discovered that this finger was too strong as well. A fifth consecutive title! Lorenzo and Rafi were so confused that they even forgot to swap places this time.

3rd Eurocup in Zurich

Switzerland did not want to be the first to slow the new momentum in European carrom, so it organised a Eurocup of its own. Sixty-eight players met in the CS sports halls, another record. The organisers were a little disappointed by the number of Swiss entrants — 17 — but three Swiss players finished in the top ten: Carlito fourth, Lori seventh and Bäumle tenth. For the first time in Switzerland, the second day featured separate Nations Cup and doubles competitions.

The winners:
Frank Kunisch — singles
Germany — Nations Cup
Saleh/Abedin, UK — doubles

2000

23rd Swiss Championship

Carlito lost to Prabhu G. at the first tournament of the season. Could Prabhu stop him? Carlito answered quickly, fighting back during the season and ultimately claiming his sixth title. Rafi did his part to swap the podium places again, but this time first-time finalist Prabhu G. took Lori's place.

4th Eurocup in Mezzocorona: a wonderful experience

Elisa and Paolo Martinelli set a high standard for future Eurocups. Everything came together, and Carlito Bollin responded by taking the European title. The new father produced a fantastic display of attacking carrom against Abedin Karnal in the final.

2nd World Championship in Delhi

In November, Carlito, Kurt Scherrer and Josi Meyer made the trip to the World Championship. They knew it might be risky, but nobody expected light-blue boards with a plastic-coated surface. The organisation was also chaotic, so the chronicle passes over the sporting results. One memorable exception was their Russian friend Oleg Kochline's marathon against a South Korean opponent: 25–5, 25–0 over 13 boards in no fewer than four hours!

2001

24th Swiss Championship

Nothing stood in Carlito's way as he claimed his seventh title. A European champion has standards to uphold! Young German player Peter Hasel finished an excellent second, with Prabhu G. third.

5th Eurocup in Millau, southern France

Eighty participants set another record. Much of the organisation in Millau was excellent, and the ECC could be proud of completing a full cycle through the five major European carrom nations. Shaheen Miah became the first English European champion; Carlito finished seventh.

The original Swiss chronicle also expressed frustration about the Nations Cup. It reported that England had been behind Switzerland, but that an incorrectly completed scoresheet was successfully disputed by the British team.

2002

25th Swiss Championship

Carlito was a little less dominant during the season, losing three of six finals, but secured his eighth title in Schwellbrunn. For the first time in ten years, the podium was entirely Swiss, with Josef Meyer and Beat Kälin in the other places. At the end of the season, the news that Restaurant Eyhof would no longer be available as the long-standing tournament venue caused concern.

6th Eurocup in Cologne

Meike and Mike were at the centre of an excellently organised Eurocup. A beautiful youth hostel allowed everyone to sleep, eat and play in one place. Eighty-five players, including eleven Swiss, set yet another record. Carlito Bollin reached the final again but lost to Peter Böcker, who won his first title in his third final. England won the Nations Cup for the first time, surprising many.

2003

26th Swiss Championship

Fortunately, Restaurant Schweighof proved an even better venue for carrom tournaments. Host Peter Meier helped wherever he could. At the start of the year, Roger Mayer's 100th championship points tournament was celebrated in a wonderful atmosphere. From Schwellbrunn came a familiar result: Carlito Bollin's ninth title, after seven wins in seven tournaments and an unbeaten final. Peter Baumgartner was a surprise runner-up, ahead of Josef Meyer.

7th Eurocup in Luton

Always ready to try something new, Krishan Sharma added an extra day for the first time. Participation fell to 70 — hopefully no warning sign for the 2004 Eurocup in Switzerland! Only four Swiss players travelled to Luton, but fortunately Carlito Bollin was among them. He won his second European title, once again against Abedin, once again after losing to him in the preliminary rounds, and once again in a year when he became a father. This time he beat a whole array of English players; Peter Böcker, in twelfth place, was the second-highest finisher from continental Europe.