Rising star of world 3-cushion billiards
Kim Jun-tae is one of the outstanding talents of Korean and world 3-cushion carom billiards in recent years. With a technical playing style and effective attacks, the 30-year-old player quickly asserted his position in the top of UMB, once rising to the number 1 position in the world (in 2024).
At the 2024 Seoul Billiards World Cup, Kim Jun-tae made a strong impression with an extremely "huge" series. Specifically, in the round of 32 match against Glenn Hofman, Kim let his opponent lead 17-12 after 8 turns. This was also the moment when the Korean player made history in the world of 3-cushion carom. When it was his turn to play, he scored 28 points in a row. Because he had scored 40 points and won, Kim was forced to stop. If he could continue playing, Kim Jun-tae could even break the world record.
Kim Jun-tae is one of five players in the world who holds the 28-point series record.
PHOTO: INDEPENDENCE
Kim Jun-tae is the fifth player to set a 28-point series record. The four players who hold the 28-point series record are Junichi Komori (1993), Raymond Ceulemans (1998), Roland Forthomme (2012) and Frederic Caudron (2013). Unfortunately, the Korean player missed the chance to take home 29,000 euros (equivalent to 861 million VND). Accordingly, to encourage players to break this record that has existed for more than 30 years, UMB has announced a reward of up to 29,000 euros for any player who breaks the above milestone.
In addition, Kim Jun-tae is also the player with the highest series frequency. In matches, it is not rare to see a Korean player launch a series of more than 10 points.
At the 2024 Ho Chi Minh City Billiards World Cup, Kim Jun-tae also reached the finals and was narrowly defeated by Tran Duc Minh 46-50. After this round, Kim Jun still accumulated enough points to take the lead in the world rankings, although he could not hold on for too long.
Deciding on a career change
Despite his talent, Kim Jun-tae has never reached the top of prestigious tournaments in the UMB system such as the World Cup or World Championship. This is probably the biggest reason why the Korean player decided to change his career direction.
Kim was very close to winning the World Cup billiards championship, but could not beat Tran Duc Minh (behind) in the final match in Ho Chi Minh City in 2024.
PHOTO: INDEPENDENCE
Kim Jun-tae recently joined the PBA, the professional billiards league in Korea. He is one of many players who chose to leave UMB to seek new opportunities in an environment that is considered more financially stable. Kim is expected to compete in the PBA in the 2025-2026 season, which starts in mid-June. This choice means that Kim Jun-tae will be banned from all tournaments in the UMB system, including the World Cup, World Championship or Asian Championship, prestigious and historic playgrounds. However, Kim can still return, similar to the case of genius Frederic Caudron or Birol Uymaz before.
For 3-cushion carom fans, especially in Vietnam, where Kim Jun-tae had an impressive performance at the 2024 Ho Chi Minh City Billiards World Cup, his absence from UMB tournaments is regrettable. Kim Jun-tae is at the peak of his form and was expected to become a champion in the next few years. In the PBA, this player will not have the opportunity to create "huge" scoring series, because a game is limited to 15 points.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/billiards-cuu-so-1-the-gioi-ong-hoang-se-ri-gay-tiec-nuoi-khi-bat-ngo-roi-umb-185250602193058227.htm
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