From Part-Time Billiard Hall Sub to Champion..."Thanks, My Friend!"

[Anchor]

Jung Soo-bin, a rising star in the professional women's billiards circuit, has claimed her first-ever career championship. She was first introduced to billiards during her college days when she casually filled in as a part-time worker at a billiard hall. Seven years later, she has become a champion.

Reporter Ha Seong-nyong met with her.

[Reporter]

Back in 2019, Jung Soo-bin, then a college student majoring in statistics, received a request from a friend to cover a part-time job at a billiard hall for just one week.

[Jung Soo-bin / NH Nonghyup Card (LPBA): At first, I didn't want to do the part-time job. But to be honest, I did it because I heard the work was easy.]

Stepping into a billiard hall for the very first time in her life, she fell in love with the charm of the sport. She even met her boyfriend, a professional billiard player, which led her to pick up a cue in earnest.

[Jung Soo-bin / NH Nonghyup Card (LPBA): I just wanted to enjoy it together with my boyfriend, rather than just sitting around at the billiard hall. That was when I first picked up a cue, and it was so much fun.]

Enduring 10 hours of training a day and growing rapidly, she debuted as a pro in 2022, just one year and six months after she started practicing. After steadily raising her game average each year and finishing as the runner-up for the first time last February, she made this promise:

[Jung Soo-bin (Last February): I'll win next time!]

Yesterday, on October 11, she finally kept that promise.

In the final against Lee Mi-rae, who boasts five career wins, Jung successfully landed bold back-to-back bank shots to experience the thrill of her first victory four years after her debut.

[Jung Soo-bin / NH Nonghyup Card (LPBA): At the moment of victory, all kinds of emotions rushed through my mind and I felt a bit choked up, but since it was a happy day, I think I held back my tears and smiled.]

Jung shared her joy with fellow pro Han Ji-seung, who trained alongside her,

[Jung Soo-bin / NH Nonghyup Card (LPBA): Ji-seung, oppa, I'll wire you a generous lesson fee.]

And expressed special gratitude to the friend who had asked her to cover the part-time shift.

[Jung Soo-bin / NH Nonghyup Card (LPBA): Eunchae, because you couldn't make it to that part-time shift, I ended up taking it over and started playing billiards. Thanks to you, I won. I'll treat you to something delicious, I love you.]

Jung is determined to make this championship another turning point in her life.

[Jung Soo-bin / NH Nonghyup Card (LPBA): Rather than a one-hit-wonder victory, I want to consistently show that I am a player who truly deserved to win.]

Reported by Park Hyun-chul | Video by Lee Jae-sung | Graphics by Kang Yoon-jung
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.