Will the "World No. 1" Jo Myung-woo, the "strongman" Heo Jung-han, and Kim Hang-jik smile at the Yanggu 3-Cushion World Cup, where the world's top players all gather?

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Domestic powerhouses, including Jo Myung-woo (28, Seoul City Hall), who is ranked No. 1 in the world 3-cushion rankings, will engage in fierce competition with top players from around the globe on their home turf.

The "2026 Korea Yanggu 3-Cushion World Cup" will be held from the 2nd to the 8th at the Yanggu Comprehensive Sports Town in Yanggu County, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province.

This tournament marks the first 3-cushion World Cup to be hosted in Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province. It is being held in Yanggu following previous events in Suwon, Guri, Cheongju, Seoul, and Gwangju within South Korea, with top-ranked players from various countries participating to compete for the championship.

From South Korea, Jo Myung-woo, along with Heo Jung-han, Kim Hang-jik, Choi Wan-young, Cha Myeong-jong, Kang Ja-in, and Hwang Bong-ju, will take part. Jo is maintaining his upward momentum after winning the "2026 Lier 3-Cushion World Cup" held in Belgium last September. Heo Jung-han, who recently claimed the title at the "Gyeongnam Gosung County Mayor's Cup National Billiards Tournament," also aims for a World Cup victory.

The performance of rookie players is also anticipated. Emerging talents such as Song Yun-do, who won the "17th World Junior 3-Cushion Championship" held in France last September, and Kim Do-hyun will also compete. Attention is focused on how they will perform against world-class players.

The tournament begins with the first preliminary round (PPPQ) at 11 a.m. on the 2nd, progressing through staged preliminaries to the main event. The final match to determine the ultimate champion is scheduled for 6 p.m. on the 8th.

During the tournament period, a national billiards competition will also be held. The "21st Korea Sports Council President's Cup 2026 National Billiards Tournament" will take place at the same venue from the 6th to the 11th. In particular, the schedules for the international and national tournaments overlap from the 6th to the 8th, allowing spectators to watch matches featuring world-class players alongside those involving domestic professional and amateur athletes in one location.

Meanwhile, SOOP has been continuously live-broadcasting major international billiards events, including the 3rd-cushion World Cup and the World Championship. The match schedule, live broadcasts, replays, and highlight videos for this tournament can be viewed on the SOOP Billiards page.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original