Kim Do-hyun achieved victory on the world stage for the first time this year.
On the 26th (Korean time), Kim Do-hyun secured first place in Group E of the '2025 World Carom Federation (UMB) Bogotá 3-Cushion World Cup' second preliminary round (PPQ) group stage held in Bogotá, Colombia, with two wins and advanced to the third preliminary round (PQ).
Kim Do-hyun won his first match against Ufuk Kafusiz (Turkey) with a score of 30-12 (25 innings) and then defeated Tobias Buerdeck (Germany) 30-25 in just 22 innings.
Having ranked first among three players, Kim Do-hyun recorded a cumulative average of 1.276 across two games, advancing to the PQ group stage in 5th place. Kim Do-hyun will now be grouped with Javier Vera (Mexico) and Klaus Maurer (Austria) to compete for a place in the final qualifying round (Q).
The PQ matches of this tournament will begin at 1 a.m. on the 27th (Korean time). In Korea, Kim Do-hyun will be joined by strong competitors Kang Ja-in (Chungnam Sports Council) and Son Jun-hyeok (Bucheon Sports Council).
Alessio Dagata (Italy), the first selected player in the 'Road to UMB' conducted by Daesang, also joined Kim Do-hyun in PQ. The 'Road to UMB' program supports promising players affiliated with the Korea Billiards Federation by covering tournament participation expenses such as airfare and accommodation.
Dagata has been active domestically for two years under the Korean Billiards Federation. He earned the opportunity to compete in the Bogotá Billiards World Cup by being selected for SOOP's 'Road to UMB Season 1, Grab Bogotá 2025' project held last December.
On the same day, Dagata defeated Jorge Costa (Portugal) 30-14 (21 innings) in the PPQ F group stage, followed by a win against Alvaro Seas (Costa Rica) 30-21 in 25 innings.
Dagata recorded a cumulative average of 1.304 across two games, advancing to PQ in 4th place in the general rankings, and will face Joy De Cock (Netherlands) and Muammer Rahmet (Turkey) in Group M.
Meanwhile, the tournament's live broadcast schedule and highlights can be checked on SOOP's 'billiards special page.' Additionally, major matches of the tournament are scheduled to be broadcast live on SOOP's cable channels KT 129, SK Broadband 234, LG HelloVision 120, DLive 160, and Seogyeong Broadcasting 256.
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