Players from the professional billiards (PBA)안전놀이터 tour survived the crisis of relegation to the first division. In particular, Eom Sang-pil (Blue One Resort), the captain who led the team to the league championship last season, dramatically stayed.
PBA (Professional Billiards Association∙President Kim Young-soo) held the ‘2023 PBA Q-School’ and ‘2023 LPBA Tryout’ at the PBC Carom Club in Ilsan, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do from the 7th to the 13th. PBA powerhouses such as ‘Champion’ Kim Byung-ho (Hana Card) and Seo Hyun-min (Welcome Savings Bank) secured the right to advance to the first division tour next season.
As a result of the first part of the tour last season, Byeong-ho Kim, Hyun-min Seo, and Ji-seung Han (Welcome Savings Bank) were in the bottom ranks and fell to Q School, putting them in danger of being demoted. The last chance for survival was not missed.
‘PBA Q School’ is the final gateway to qualify for the first division tour registration and is the last opportunity for players who were demoted in the first division of the previous season to remain in the first division. In the first round, Dream (Part 2)∙Challenge (Part 3) tour players competed, and those who passed Round 1 and players who were relegated from the First Division competed for tickets to advance to the first part tour in the second round.
First, Han Ji-seung and Kim Byung-ho escaped the crisis. Han Ji-seung passed the Q school with an innings average of 2.667, including 20 high runs in a game with Hwang Ji-won, the “work glove of fear”. In addition, 10 people, including Lim Tae-soo and Hwang Hyung-beom, confirmed their retention and promotion to the first division on the first day of the second round of Q School.
Seo Hyeon-min, who lost 32 to 40 to Hwang Ji-won on the first day, defeated Ma Won-hee, Kim Dong-young, and Kwon Ik-joong in turn on the second day to confirm his stay in the first division. In addition, Jung Jae-kwon, Gu Min-soo,
Um Sang-pil could not be relieved until the end. Um Sang-pil, who lost 38-40 to Kim Byeong-ho in the last match to remain in the first division on the first day, was caught by Choi Jeong-ha 38-40 on the second day. However, on the last 3rd day, where only 4 players were selected, Um Sang-pil defeated Noh Jong-hyeon, Choi Jeong-ha, and Choi Dong-seon in turn, and dramatically succeeded in remaining in the first division. In addition, Koo Ja-bok, Lee Seung-jin, and Kim Min-gun were also on the list of remaining and promoted to the first division on the last day.
Through this Q School, 23 people secured the right to register for the first part of the next season. Those who passed the women’s LPBA tryout held on the 10th will be comprehensively evaluated and announced by the PBA Game Management Committee on their grades and game contents.
The PBA is scheduled to open the 2023-2023 season in early to mid-June. On the 23rd, the ‘2023 PBA Team League Draft’ event will be held at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul to select players who will be active in the PBA Team League in the 2023-24 season.