Reporter Ahn Ho-geun of Star News | 2023.02.09 15:55
‘Cambodian billiards empress’ Throng Piabi (33, Blue One Resort Angels) lifted her 4th pro career trophy. This is good news that you must have been waiting for in your home country, Cambodia.
Piabi scored a set score with Kim Bo-mi (25, NH Nonghyup Card Green Force) in the 2022-2023 PBA (Professional Billiards) Tour Season 8 Crown Haitai LPBA (Women’s Professional Billiards) Championship final held at the Bitmaru Broadcasting Center in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do on the 7th. 4-3 (4-11 11-7 11-10 11-0 2-11 4-11 9-3) and won the championship.
Although he entered the PBA tour later than his competitors, he has already risen to third place in the prize money rankings. Even on her professional stage, she made a soft landing to the extent that the expression ’empress’ would not be awkward at all.
After marrying her Korean husband, Kim Man-sik (62), in 2010 at the age of 20, Piabi, who caught cue the following year, grew rapidly and became a superstar who dominated the Korea Billiards Federation (KBF). Piabi, who also competed for the top spot in the World Carom Federation (UMB), took on a new challenge at the end of the 2020-2021 season, the second of the PBA launch. Last season, after preparing in earnest, it seemed to take the championship and runner-up twice, establishing itself as an overwhelming number one.
This season also started with a championship and runner-up, but after that, a slump came. He failed to make it to the semifinals in five consecutive tournaments, and suffered the humiliation of being eliminated from the survival stage in the round of 64 in the sixth tournament.
According to PBA, Piabi, who interviewed reporters after winning the championship, said, “Starting this season, I learned various things from so many people. I think that made me rather poisonous. There were so many things I was confused about during the game. I messed up myself. Especially I suffered a lot because of my stroke,” he said. “I thought, ‘I won’t be able to win this season.’
In the first two competitions, my parents who came to Korea for treatment at the hospital accompanied me, which was a great help. He also cited himself as the driving force behind his victory. Unfortunately, after the family returned to their home country, the slump began.
This contest was different. After changing the coach to one to simplify thinking, the previous stroke came to life. Piabi, who easily passed the survival stage, advanced to the final by beating Kim Ga-young (40, Hana Card Wonkyupay), who won the most in the quarterfinals, and Imari (52) in the semifinals.
Against Kim Bo-mi, who showed a terrifying rise this season, she gave the flow with a set score of 3-1 and eventually headed to the 7th set, but it was Piabi who laughed at the end. Despite the prolonged game and extremely high tension, Piabi did not lose focus. From a narrow lead of 5-3, he added 4 points with a series of bold bank shots and rose to the position of the winner.
Piabi, who showed off a bold ceremony unlike usual after succeeding in the champion shot, shed tears soon after thinking about the hardships she had suffered. He said, “The recent sluggishness seems to have had a big impact. Until now, I thought, ‘I can always do it,’ and I’ve been doing that, but I didn’t know it would be difficult to win like this.” I’m happy,” he said.
The prize money for winning this tournament is 20 million won. Due to the large difference in size from the men’s division (won prize money of 100 million won), Piabi’s cumulative winning prize money remains at 128.8 million won. Although Piabi is still far from a luxurious life, she spares no investment for her homeland and for those who dream of becoming the second Piabi in Cambodia.
Piabi, who is preparing a comprehensive sports center in her home country, said, “It is good to volunteer in Cambodia and donate a certain amount, but I wanted to establish an organization to make people work hard and dream more fundamentally.” I am trying to promote the construction of ‘Non-Sports Comprehensive Center’. Of course, it is currently in the conception stage, but many people in Korea are helping. When the season is over and I go to Cambodia, I meet with government officials to express my thoughts and help from various organizations such as the government’s permission. I want to receive,” he said.
“Also, there are still too many jobs in Cambodia. There are many good friends, but the environment does not keep up with them, so there are many difficult friends,” he said. “Cambodia also dreams of becoming a sports powerhouse like Korea.
There is a more important stage left to get closer to the desired goal. The LPBA World Championship, equivalent to the King of Kings, with a prize money of 80 million won, will be held at the Bitmaru Broadcasting Center from the 3rd to the 12th of next month.
Confidence overflows. Piabi said, “I got rid of the difficult sluggishness. I learned a lot and was confused, but most of it was organized, and the practice is at the end.” “If I make good use of the strokes that were difficult and difficult to adapt to, I think there will be good results at the World Championship. I will do my best as always.” I made up my mind.
I want to share thrilling moments with the person I love the most. “My husband wanted to come to the stadium (on that day), but I stopped him,” said Piabi, who smiled and wished, “I want to invite my husband to the World Championship and hold a trophy-lifting ceremony together.”
[저작권자 @머니투데이, 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]