GOYANG-SHI - 32-year-old Cambodian billiard star Sruong Pheavy won her 4th tournament in the LPLBA Tour, the women's competition of PBA in South Korea. With this victory, she ranked among the top players in the Korean cycle. The record holders so far with 5 wins are Ga-young Kim and Jung-suk Lim, two ladies who have been competing from the start of the PBA. Sruong Pheavy only later switched after a career at the UMB, in which, among other things, she finished third at a World championship twice when Therese Klompenhouwer and Orie Hida were the numbers 1 and 2. Korean Jae-ho Cho won the men's PBA final against Dong-Koong Kang, another former UMB player at the PBA. The best European player was Javier Palazón.
Sruong Pheavy has become a celebrity in women's billiards, known for her affinity with her native Cambodia and has already set up many school projects for young children there. When she won the PBA Crown Hatai tournament this week, in a final against Bo-mi Kim (4-3), her husband was staying in Cambodia to supervise the construction of a primary school, which the couple donated to their native country.
For the Cambodian lady, it was the second tournament victory this season. She won the final with 1.040 on average, her opponent Bo-mi Kim played an excellent match and even finished slightly higher in average: 1.060. Sruong Pheavy has now earned a total of 100,000 during her stay at the PBA, including extra prizes and the premiums in the team competition. This makes her the third player in earnings. The PBA organization proudly reports that 32 ladies played a match over 1 average during this tour. Early next month, both the men's and women's play the so-called PBA World championship with increased prize money.
In the men's Crown Hatai tournament, as in the previous tour, two Koreans faced each other in the final. Jae-ho Cho was the best in the duel with Dong-Koong Kang 4-1 in sets, 2.029 average for Cho, 1.697 for Kang, set scores 15-12, 9-15, 15-12, 15-13, 15-14.
Jae-ho Cho defeated Spaniard Javier Palazón in the semi-finals, who after a strong tournament was outplayed in this match 4-0 (averages 2.308 vs 0.875, set scores 15-3, 15-9, 15-4, 15-5. Dong Koong Kang won in the semi-final against Sung-kyun Yim 4-1 (1.605). Two Europeans were in the quarter-finals: Birol Uymaz lost to Jae-ho Cho 3-1 (2.036/1.481), Javier Palazón won against Deuk-hee Hwang 3-1 (1.474/0.838).
Jae-ho Cho played his fourth final and already won an event at the start of this season. Dong Koong Kang won two tournaments and was second at the PBA World Championship two years ago, when David Zapata won the top prize 220,000 euros.
A standout match was the clash between Filippos Kasidokostas and Frédéric Caudron in the round with the best 32. The Greek was superior by 3-0 set win, set scores 15-11, 15-12, 15-8, averages: 1.552 for Kasidokostas, 1.107 for Caudron.
Among the other Europeans, Yüksel, Capak, Mayor and Zapata were eliminated in the last 32, Martinez and Papkonstantinou in the last 64 and Leppens (vs. Mayor), Montes, Carreon and Bulut in the first round with 128 players.
Sruong Pheavy, a great billiard player and a celibrity in her country Cambodia
Sruong Pheavy with her opponent in the final match
Jae-ho Cho, winner in the men's final against Dong Koong Kang