Just as Jo Myung-woo was called a prodigy early on in 3-cushion, there was a prodigy in pocketball as well.
In the first year of middle school, he appeared on TV with Kim Ga-young, and in 2015, at the age of 16, he won the national competition (Korea Sports Council Cup) as the youngest player in the general division.
This is Kim Bo-gan (24, Gyeongbuk Sports Association). Kim Bo-gan, who has outstanding skills and outstanding looks, was a promising prospect, but suddenly chose a path other than billiards. He returned to pocket ball after 2 years, but those 2 years of wandering became nourishment for him. Although his teammates are one step ahead, he has come to love billiards more himself, and he is able to enjoy billiards without any pressure.
In March last year, he paired up with Ko Tae-young at the Yanggu National Court Championships and reached the top of the national competition in Pocket 9 doubles. I met Bo Gong Kim, who won the national championship after 8 years of hiatus, at a studio in Goyang.
△ Please introduce yourself.
= This is Kim Bo-gan, who is active as a pocket ball player at the Gyeongbuk Sports Association. She currently ranks eighth in the women’s pool rankings, and
she holds the title as the youngest winner in the country in pool.
What made you start playing Pokéball?
= She started playing pool in the 4th grade of elementary school. He went to the billiard room with her older sister following her father, who was very fond of billiards. At that time, he said that he was very depressed after I lost to my older sister in a pool game. It is said that his father saw my fighting spirit and decided to become an athlete.
△ Not long after I started playing billiards, I reached the top of the general division of the National Billiards Competition.
= In 2015, when he was 16 years old, he won the ‘Korea Sports Council Cup’. This is the record for the youngest national champion in pocket ball. It is an honor to say that it is a record that has not yet been broken. In fact, I think it was possible because I was so young that I didn’t have any greed, unlike now. It seems that I focused on each ball and continued with the thought of ‘let’s just put this in’. Unfortunately, I haven’t won a championship (individual event) since, but I think it will still be very helpful because I have the experience of winning once. I still remember the thoughts and feelings of that time, so I wonder if I can win again soon. haha.
△I appeared on TV since I was a child.
= After appearing in ‘The Master of Life’, I appeared in ‘Stockings’ three times. In the first year of middle school, I appeared with (Kim) Ga-young, my uncle Kim Jong-seok (famous for his art ball), and then came out with Venom to mainly show art pieces. I wasn’t nervous at all because I was so young, and it was amazing and fun to see myself on TV. In particular, ‘Master of Life’ is my favorite program, so I wrote about it in my diary when I was in elementary school, and I was even more proud to appear on it.
△ After receiving attention as a promising actor, he suddenly let go of the queue. what happened
= I became in my late teens and my heartache got worse. Since he only played billiards for nearly 10 years, he rarely went to school and had few friends around him, and it was difficult to live apart from his parents. Also, it was not easy to live with adults at a billiard room at a young age. It is also true that the burden of grades increased as he received excessive attention due to broadcast appearances. Eventually, while looking for another job, her older sister told her that “giving up can also be brave,” and she put down the cue, feeling that if it wasn’t now, she wouldn’t be able to give up any more later.
△ I got to queue again.
= I worked as a skin manager at an ‘Esthetic’ (skin care shop) for about 2 years, and the director at the time raised my self-esteem a lot. I received more compliments than when I played billiards. Even while doing that job, I participated in billiard competitions 2-3 times a year, and won prizes every time I entered the competition. He was also runner-up twice. Then, I suddenly thought, “I really like billiards, but I had the wrong mindset.” At the same time, I took the cue again with the thought, “Now let’s play billiards comfortably and fun.”
△ Do you have confidence in billiards in the future?
= Of course. Even recently, I am often asked if I have any regrets about taking a break from billiards in the past. In fact, what made it so was that fellow players such as (Lee) Woo-jin, (Jin) Hye-joo, and (Seo) Seo-ah improved so much during my break. But when I hear a question like that, I say it with confidence. “Because of those two years, I can play billiards more fun for the next 20 to 30 years,” he said. Now, because I want to do it, I can play billiards more happily than anyone else. If you are a young player, there must be quite a few friends who go through the same period as me. I want to tell those players, “You’re still young, and it’s not too late, so if you want to do something else, try it.”
△ If there is still something you regret.
=The time I let go of the queue was when (Kim) Ga-young was running an academy (Kim Ga-young Pocket Academy). At that time, if she had learned the ball from her older sister, she would have been able to grow more mentally as well as her skills, but it is regrettable that she missed that period.
△Recently, I heard the championship trophy for the first time in a long time at the ‘Yanggu National Territory Central Cup’. (Kim Bo-gan paired with Ko Tae-young in the National Land Administration Cup and reached the top of the pocket 9-ball doubles)
= This is the first time since winning in 2015. It’s natural to be happy, but first of all, I’m so grateful to (the late) Taeyoung oppa. Usually, doubles matches, whether mixed or same, are difficult. Because both are burdensome. But this time, when I was playing against Taeyoung oppa, we discussed the ball with each other and naturally talked as if we were learning, and the game was really comfortable. After winning the championship, the other players wondered, “How do you two play billiards so happily?”
“With a two-year hiatus, I have the heart to play billiards happily for 20 to 30 years”Seoah, who is two years younger, has excellent skills and has many things to learn.△I heard that you also practice 3-cushion.
= I am also interested in the 3 cushion. It’s been about 6 months since I started, and during that time, the balance has increased by 4 points and is now 22 points, and the average is about 0.5. We plan to raise 2 more points within a month. I plan to participate in the upcoming May ‘Taebaek Mountain Boat’ with 3 cushions. He is trembling, but with the thought of learning, he tries to go out without any burden.
△ What are your strengths as a pocket ball player?
= It is true that the market for a pocket ball is smaller than that of a 3-cushion ball in Korea, and because of its low popularity, young players do not prefer it. However, it is a really big advantage that ‘work-life balance’ is guaranteed if you live as a pocket ball player. Also, it’s pretty easy to get into. Although the player base for pool is not very thick, there are many strong players. On the other hand, it can be burdensome because of the difference in skill, but if you interact with and learn from the players, you can improve your skills quickly. I hope that you will pay a lot of attention to Pokéball.
△ Do you have any tips of your own when playing games?
= I only think of one thing during competitions. He is confident about the ball. After looking at the ball and taking a stroke posture, if you hit it with the conviction that ‘this is unconditionally this thick’, the success rate mysteriously increases. On the contrary, if you are not sure, there are many cases where you miss even a little bit. After trying this method, the success rate actually increased a lot.
△ If you pick a player you are particularly close to.
= As I said before, I am close to everyone because the player base is thin, but I am even closer with (Seo) Ah. Once I go to foreign matches, I often become roommates with (Seo) Ah. We get along well, but even though Seo-ah is her sister two years older than me, she really takes care of me. She is kind, talented, and has a lot to learn. He is also close with LPBA Kim Ye-eun. (Kim) Ye-eun is close to her house, so we often practice together. She’s such a star lately that it’s hard to meet her, but she’s always cheering for her. haha.
The practice pattern.
=Around 11 am, I go to the billiard room and play poolball for 2-3 hours and 3-cushion for 3 hours. You may think that the time to practice pocketball is not enough, but since I have already been playing pocketball for 10 years, if I practice too long, my mentality will not catch up, so I am practicing at the right time.
What are your other hobbies besides billiards?
= As much as I worked on skin in the past, I have licenses related to skin, beauty, and makeup. I don’t really have any other hobbies, but I like going around a lot. Even if I go to a foreign competition, after the match, I go outside as much as possible and look around. The same goes for losing a game. It’s because I get depressed when I’m alone in my room. Traveling to a new, beautiful place makes me feel better.
△ Let me point out your strengths.
= It’s about not giving up easily. Even if I am far behind, I focus on each ball and try to hit it as hard as I can until the end. That’s why there are so many comeback wins. Technically, I am good at empty cushion or defensive play. In particular, after learning the 3-cushion recently, I gained more confidence in controlling the movement of the water polo and the jeok ball.토토사이트
△ What billiard equipment do you use?
= We received sponsorship from ‘Adam Q’ a while ago, and all three cues use Adam Q ‘Musashi’. It is also sponsored by ‘Mintable’. Adam, thank you to the CEO of Mintable.
△ Future goals.
= Wouldn’t it be nice if you could raise your grades, take first place in the rankings, and become a world champion? However, if I only aim for first place, I think there will be a lot of emptiness when I reach that position. That means the goal is gone. So rather than obsessing over grades, my goal is to keep improving day by day. Even if you lose a match, it’s okay if you learn something. I have confidence that I will be able to hit better in 10 or 20 years from now. If there is one more goal, it is to spread billiards as a person who loves billiards. Personally, I love children, and I love teaching. If there is an opportunity to donate talent, I would definitely like to participate.