She dropped out of school to focus solely on billiards. Her determination paid off as she became the number one ranked amateur women’s 3-cushion player. Now her eyes are set on the Professional Billiards Association (PBA) stage. Her goal for her first season is to win.
“I’m going to win this season,” said Han Ji-Eun (21, Eswai Bazar) when she entered the PBA. There are a lot of variables, a lot of things to adapt to, but he is determined to be the best. He met with reporters after the PBA Team League Draft held at the Korea Press Center on the 23rd and said, “I’m looking forward to the PBA because the atmosphere is much different. If I adapt quickly, I think I can compete with the senior players. I’m confident,” she said, pumping her fist.
Han, the No. 1 amateur Women’s 3-Cushion player, joined the PBA for the 2023-24 season through the Priority Registration Program. The priority registration system, which led to her professional debut, is a system in which the PBA’s governing body evaluates players’ performance in domestic and international tournaments and grants them the right to register for the first tour. Han Ji-eun, along with Spanish billiards legend Daniel Sanchez and Korean 3-cushion sensation Choi Sung-won, were among the successful applicants and became ‘professional players’.
She made waves at the 2019 Verhoeven Open by defeating world number one Teresa Krompenhauer (NED). Last year, she topped three domestic tournaments and won the No. 1 amateur ranking. Her achievements came after she dropped out of high school and went all-in on billiards, which is why her fans continue to support her as she enters the PBA.
The amateur and PBA stages are different. Others who entered the PBA before Han Ji-eun, such as Song Pheavy (Cambodia) and Kim Jin-ah (Korea), faced their own adjustment challenges. Han’s biggest challenge is also adjusting to the new stage. How quickly she adapts can determine how long it takes her to reach the top.
“I’m constantly watching matches and trying to figure out what to do,” she says. While practicing, I’m thinking about the set system, the two-point system, etc. I’m practicing with the PBA’s official ball, the Helix,” she said. “I’m also worried about the fact that the PBA is a set system, not a point system, and I might be mentally shaken by the two-point system. I need to work on that. However, my goal is to adapt quickly and win this season.”
What makes Han’s entry into the PBA even more exciting is that she will be reuniting with Piavi and Kim Jin-ah, with whom she competed fiercely in the amateur ranks.
“We haven’t played together for about three or four years, so I don’t know how much difference there is now. But I think I can win if I train hard,” he said. “My rival is probably Yong Hyun-ji, who is the same age as me. We used to practice a lot and talk a lot. I’m very happy to see him again in a match,” he smiled.
As soon as Han Ji-eun entered the PBA, she also joined the team league. As a rookie team, Eswi signed five players first, including Sanchez, who was joined by Lee Young-hoon, Hwang Duk-hee, and Han Seul-ki. In her first season as a professional, she had the opportunity to showcase her skills in the PBA team league as well as in individual competition.
“Being part of a team comes with a lot of responsibility,” Han said. I am preparing a lot so that I can contribute to the team’s good performance.” “I haven’t played many team games yet, so I am looking forward to it. We are a new team, but we will do our best to show good results 먹튀검증.”