The Korea Billiards Federation (KBF) is collaborating with the Japan Billiards Association (NBA) to hold a Korean-Japanese youth billiards exchange event in Tokyo, Japan, from the 13th to the 17th.
This event is meaningful in that it allows the youth of both countries to exchange skills through billiards and share sports culture while laying the groundwork for sustainable exchanges in the long term.
For this exchange project, which is being held for the first time this year, a total of 1 chief supervisor, 2 coaches (carom, pocket), and 10 players (5 carom, 5 pocket) will be dispatched, with Executive Director Kwon Young-hoon accompanying.
According to the federation, the 10 players were selected based on recommendations from local federations, focusing on the event's purpose of interaction rather than selection contests or rankings, and were composed considering factors such as region, age, gender, and sport in a balanced manner.
The event will start with training for adaptation to the venue and will proceed as a league event for pocket billiards and carom individual competitions involving athletes from both countries. After the tournament, networking among participants will further strengthen exchanges.
A Japanese cultural experience program is also included, providing participants with an opportunity to engage culturally beyond sports. Additionally, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) will be signed to formalize ongoing exchanges centered around youth between Korea and Japan.
Meanwhile, this exchange event, supported by the Korea Sports Council, will take place annually, with the Japanese team visiting Korea in 2026. The Korea Billiards Federation plans to further expand sports diplomacy between Korea and Japan and continue to enhance international sports exchanges through this event.
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