Spanish billiards legend Daniel Sanchez (49) plays an active role in the new season of professional billiards. Choi Seong-won (46), a Korean 3-cushion champion, and Han Ji-eun (22), the No. 1 female amateur, also challenged themselves.
The Professional Billiards Association (PBA) announced on the 19th that “Sanchez, Choi Seong-won, and Han Ji-eun have completed the PBA-PPBA priority registration application for the 2023-24 season.”
Sanchez is ranked second in the World Billiards Federation (UMB) ranking and is a player with the world’s best skills, winning 16 World Cups and 4 World Championships.
Before the launch of professional billiards, he is credited with leading the revival of billiards around the world, such as Frederick Cudron (Welcome Savings Bank). He is also known as a close friend, and is a player who has many Korean fans along with Kudron as he is quite fluent in Korean.
Through the PBA, Sanchez said, “The PBA performances of Spanish players such as David Zapata (Blue One Resort) and David Martinez (Crown Haitai) were really impressive.” I will prepare hard until the start of the season and show a good image.”
Seongwon Choi is the first Korean 3-cushion player to win the World 3-Cushion Championship, the World Team 3-Cushion Championship, and the UBM World Ranking No. 1. Starting with winning the 3-Cushion World Cup in 2012, winning the World Championship in 2014, Kim Jae-geun (Crown Haetae) in 2017, and Kang Dong-gung (SK Rent-a-car) in 2018, he achieved two consecutive victories in the World Team Championship.
Choi Seong-won expressed his aspirations, saying, “I’m really happy to finally be able to advance to the professional stage.”
Han Ji-eun is currently ranked No. 1 in the amateur women’s 3-cushion rankings. With the goal of becoming the best player in the world, she dropped out of high school, and her passion for billiards earned her attention.
Han Ji-eun said that at the Verhoeven Open in 2019, she showed her prominence by beating “the world’s strongest” Teresa Krompenhauer (Netherlands). Last year, she reached the top by winning three championships in domestic competitions alone, knocking her LPBA stage where the true strongest people gathered.
Han Ji-eun said, “LPBA is really competitive as the best talents gathered. I am excited to be able to compete together and test my true skills. She will grow into a great professional billiards player worthy of the professional stage and show her good side,” she said. 메이저놀이터
The PBA is implementing a priority registration system for 3-cushion players around the world to recruit excellent players every season. Only the applicants are evaluated by the PBA Competition Steering Committee on their winnings and performances in domestic and foreign competitions. Successful players are eligible to register as PBA-LPBA 1st division tour players for that season. Priority registration for the next season is until the 20th, and applications can be made through the PBA website.
The PBA said, “Athletes with excellent skills at home and abroad, starting with Daniel Sanchez, Choi Seong-won, and Han Ji-eun, are applying for and making inquiries,” and “we expect more players to apply by the deadline on the 20th.”