'World No. 1' Jo Myung-woo defeated, Heo Jeong-han comes from behind for 50-45 victory at Namwon National Billiards Championship... Proves his third national title reign is intact

*This content was translated by AI.

Heo Jeong-han (49, Gyeongnam Billiards Federation) defeated world No. 1 Jo Myung-woo (Seoul City Hall) to claim the men's three-cushion title at the '2026 Namwon National Billiards Championship'.

Heo Jeong-han defeated Jo Myung-woo 50-45 in the final of the men's carom three-cushion division at the '2026 Namwon National Billiards Championship' held at Namwon Sports Town in Namwon, Jeollabuk-do, on the 27th, securing the championship. With this victory, Heo Jeong-han has reached the top of the tournament for the third time in his career.

As expected from a match between national team players, the final was fiercely contested until the end. Jo Myung-woo appeared to take control by leading 30-25 in the middle stages, but Heo Jeong-han remained unfazed. He tied the score at 30-30 with consecutive points, then successfully took the lead and extended the margin to 37-32.

Jo Myung-woo did not give up. He launched a comeback, catching up to a 44-44 tie and resetting the match. However, Heo Jeong-han showed superior focus in the final moments. He calmly accumulated points at the decisive stage, closing out the match 50-45 to secure the victory.

Heo Jeong-han maintained steady performance throughout the final. He started strongly by defeating Choi Ho-ta (Jeonnam Billiards Federation) 40-11 in just 16 innings in the round of 16. In the quarterfinals, he won a tight 40-inning match against Song Hyun-il (Ansan Sports Council) 50-47. He then advanced to the final by defeating Lee Beom-yeol (Siheung Sports Council) 50-39 in 35 innings. Having won both a decisive early match and a close contest, Heo Jeong-han displayed his characteristic focus in the final to complete the championship. Lee Jung-hee and Lee Beom-yeol (both from Siheung Sports Council) shared third place.

Heo Jeong-han has continued his strong form on the domestic stage this season. After the 2024 Namwon National Billiards Championship, he claimed a comprehensive tournament victory at the National Central Land Cup this year, marking his first major title in nearly two years and signaling a comeback. Following a runner-up finish at the Andong Mayor's Cup and a victory at the Jindo Arirang Cup, this Namwon win brings his 2026 record to four podium finishes in four national tournaments, including three championships and one runner-up finish.

In particular, this victory held special significance for Heo Jeong-han. He reached the top of the Namwon tournament for the third time in his career, following his wins in 2023 and 2024. By defeating Jo Myung-woo, a strong favorite for the title, in the final, he once again demonstrated his dominance on the Namwon stage.

After the victory, Heo Jeong-han stated, "It is especially meaningful to win by defeating Jo Myung-woo, the world No. 1 with powerful attacking skills. Although we fell behind by nearly 10 points in the middle of the match, I cleared my mind and focused only on doing what I could. That approach led to a high point total and allowed me to control the flow of the game."

He added, "After scoring one point from the 44th-point range, when my position was set in a reverse-spinning form, I thought, 'I can still finish this.' As billiards is my profession, I approach every tournament with the mindset of giving my best."

Interest is growing in what steps Heo Jeong-han, who has maintained consistent results on the domestic stage, will take in the remainder of the season.

Meanwhile, on the final day of the tournament, the 28th, competitions for professional sports in the under-12, under-15, and under-18 categories, as well as the amateur team event, will continue at Namwon Sports Town. Tournament matches can be viewed via the SOOP onLINE platform.

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*This content was translated by AI.