The illustrious list of winners of the title of 3-cushion billiards world champion has been enriched by a completely new name. Phuong Vinh Bao, until recently a totally unknown billiard player from Vietnam, grabbed the 2023 world three cushion billiard title at the tournament held in Ankara, Turkey.
In a demonstration of skill and class, Tayfun Tasdemir has won the 2022 UMB 3-cushion world title. In Donghae City, South-Korea, he defeated Ruben Legazpi in a one-sided final: 50-14 in 15/14 innings. For Turkiye, it had been a nineteen-year wait since Semih Sayginer was world champion in 2003.
Pedro Piedrabuena defeated long-time rival and former champion Miguel Torres to win his 11th USBA 3-Cushion National Championship title.
His play throughout the event was nearly perfect and included an incredible come-from-behind victory against Kang Lee in the penultimate Semi-final round.
Three-cushion billiard players hail from all around the world, with top competitors representing Belgium, France, Vietnam, Turkey, South Korea and the USA. But the sport is currently attracting plenty of interest in the Netherlands, in part due to the recent success of the new world champion Dick Jaspers. The Sint Willebrord-born player is a true 3-cushion specialist and has enjoyed a hugely lucrative year in 2018. As a result, his homeland appears to be fully embracing the sport in every way.
In France, Korea’s Kim Haeng-jik fell just short of a world championship
Even though he just missed in the finals of the 2016 UMB World Championship, Haeng-Jik Kim (or Kim Haeng-Jik as is preferred in the Asian press) is still recognized as the leading player from Korea. Here is a wonderful article that appeared in the online news site Korea JoongAng Daily about his life and his future in billiards.
In a recent interview with Yonhap News Agency, World No. 1 ranked Torbjorn Blomdahl declared South Korea as a 3-cushion billiards utopia. With five World Union of Billiards (UMB) World Championships, nine European titles and 43 World Cup wins, Blomdahl is regarded as one of the greatest carom billiards players of his generation. He now lives near Stuttgart, Germany, but the three-time UMB Player of the Year feels South Korea is his real home.