KOREA FOUNDATION

“Babe, why don’t you try learning billiards? I’ll do the housekeeping.” Straight posture, brilliant concentration — it was Pheavy’s husband Man-sik KIM who discovered the potential in the way she held a cue. One day, she accompanied her husband into a billiards room, where she picked up a cue for the first time in her life. It was at that moment that she found something she both enjoyed and could do well. With her husband’s support, she started practicing for more than 12 hours every day with a 25-dollar cue. She debuted as a pro in 2016, just five years after she picked up the game, and has tucked many titles under her belt, sweeping various competitions. Nowadays, her name is usually seen with the prefix “Billiards Queen.”

   Pheavy recently bought 3,000 pyeong (approx. 2.5 acres) of land with prize money and donations that she has saved to date. This has brought her one step closer to her dream of building a school for children in her hometown in Cambodia. To make it possible for Pheavy to participate in the World Championship Tournament, the Cambodian Billiards Federation was founded, and a growing number of children have begun to follow her career path. The good influence that she has imparted thus far is based on a mentality that sees her embrace her love for Cambodia and appreciation of Korea at all times. The story of a woman living in balance between her homeland and her new country is an epic tale in and of itself.

Q. We heard the good news that the Professional Billiards Association (PBA) and Korea Billiards Federation (KBF) signed an amateur-professional win-win agreement on February 25. This paves the way for PBA players to participate in other domestic or international competitions and for KBF players to participate in the PBA. You must be busy preparing for competitions these days. 

Since the win-win agreement was signed, I’ve wanted to perform well for PBA fans, too. Like any other player, I'm always practicing at my best level, as if I’m always playing a real game!

Q. After debuting as a professional in 2016 and sweeping various competitions, it was difficult for you to participate in international events because Cambodia had no billiards federation. Then, the son of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who heard the news, showed interest, and June 2018 saw the creation of the Cambodian Billiards Federation. That’s so impressive. How did you feel at that time?

I was very happy and grateful. So many people helped me that I can’t name each of them now. I don't think this has been achieved by my own efforts. I think this means that I should try to represent the hopes of the Cambodian people, and that the Korean fans’ support made such a positive thing happen.

Q. Thanks to you, there are a growing number of Cambodian children who can develop their interests and dreams in sports. What is your message to them?  

There will be many difficulties ahead of you. However, pushing past the limits of physical capabilities and patience should be the basic mentality of any sportsperson. When you have to act, you have to throw away your doubts, as written in the Bhagavad Gita (a piece of Hindu ure). Always believe in yourself!

Q. Last year you were invited to attend the Korea-Cambodia Economic Forum in Phnom Penh. That means you were selected to play the role of a link between Korea and Cambodia. 

Throughout the event, I thought to myself, “My seat here represents encouragement for a person to live a more meaningful life.” As always, I considered my trip to be a thrill and tried my best to fulfill my mission. My husband, who has always supported me, was so proud, and I was really happy too.

Q. Is there any kind of superstition in billiards? Something like, if you eat bread in the morning, you’ll win or lose that day? 

I think billiards is a psychological game. Speaking of a “jinx” might reveal a weakness in me, so as an active player, I’ll tell you a different story instead: I don't talk to anyone on the day of a game. I stay in the car alone, go out to play the game, and then go back into the car again. If I control my mind before I play, I don’t regret anything, even if I lose the game. 

Q. In an episode of Screening Humanity ( a Korean documentary program, Kor: 인간극장 ) which aired last year, your husband complained that, “If Pheavy worked for the print shop and I just played and practiced billiards, I would be a better billiards player.” We know it was a joke, but I’m curious about your honest opinion of your husband’s provocation.  

My husband was fully devoted to the print shop and I just played billiards. Thankfully, that situation allowed me to invest most of my day into billiards. Besides, my husband had many friends who played billiards well, so I think that the environment around me put me on the right track, like the old story of a mother relocating three times to find a better learning environment for her son. Not just my husband, but anyone who has a strong will and passion must have the same type of opportunity, I think.

Q. You seem to be very sociable and friendly. After you came to Korea, there must have been some times when you felt awkward among the people around you. Did you have any special tips to help you get close to your Korean family members and people in the billiards world? 

In the beginning, I had great difficulty adapting. The primary reason for this was the language barrier. Although I had things I wanted to express, I couldn’t actually say anything. Fortunately, my husband always knew exactly what I wanted to say and communicated it to others on my behalf. While having these conversations with my husband in the middle, I naturally befriended Koreans, and they also listened to me patiently. It’s not so much that I have good social skills as that I was lucky just to be surrounded by nice people. For that, I’m always thankful.

Q. Do you know that you have a reputation for having a heavy practice schedule? As a human being, however, there must be days when you feel, “Oh, I really don't want to practice today.” What do you do at such times? 

I usually imagine people’s amazed looks in response to my cueing, the winning moment in a competition, or the faces of my family members filled with happiness. If you imagine those things, you’ll think you're a somebody. So I just keep going one, two, or even three hours more. However, if there’s a day when I really don't want to practice, it would be a day when I’ve already played a game. On those days, I’m totally exhausted. But I still push myself to the billiards room, thinking to myself, “Someone who’s doing better than me might be practicing right now.”

Q. Your husband, Mr. Man-sik Kim, told you several years ago, “Babe, why don’t you try learning billiards? I’ll do the housekeeping” To me, that sounds very romantic. What’s the most endearing or memorable words you've heard from your husband so far? 

One day, I shed tears while watching scenes of Cambodia on TV and my husband said, “You can help them with your billiards skills. I’ll help you.” Since then, I’ve only played billiards, and at some point, I saw myself really helping them. I always remember my husband backing up his words with his actions.

Q. What are some of the best things to see in Cambodia that you would recommend to your Korean family? And what is your favorite Cambodian food? 

Cambodia is primarily known for Angkor Wat. I’m always deeply moved by the many legends and stories written on the walls of Angkor Wat. And one of my favorite Cambodian foods is dragon fruit. There are two types of dragon fruit, red and white, both with different tastes. I like the red one. It’s juicy like a watermelon but with a texture similar to a strawberry. Can you imagine what that’s like?

Q. You have a goal of opening a school for children in your home country of Cambodia. What kind of place do you want it to be? 

For now, I want to sow the seeds of hope in Korea through activities in the Multicultural Billiards Academy and Billiards Club. If this initial move develops well, building a school in my home country will end up as more than just a daydream. Aside from learning billiards, language learning will also be required in the curriculum. I believe that if children who have learned many languages like English and Korean can communicate across different cultures, they’ll be able to contribute to creating new cultures. Until then, I’m simply a person who works hard on small things to help to achieve something big.

Q. The ASEAN Culture House, an international exchange platform located in Busan, is trying to promote international communication and bring culture and news from the ten ASEAN countries, including Cambodia, to Korea. What would you like the ACH to introduce regarding Cambodia, or to do for the sake of Cambodia?  

I would like them to introduce Cambodia's concept of jeong (a feeling of affection or attachment). As a Korean saying goes, “A simple brushing of sleeves develops into an eternal relationship.” Cambodia is also a country of jeong, and is not much different in that way from Korea. Also, rather than wanting anything from the organization, I would like to say to the ACH that I truly appreciate their dedicated efforts to promote communication between countries, which is something really great that deserves much respect.

Q. Besides you, Ms. Sruong, there are many Cambodians and other Asians living in Korea and other countries. To close out the interview, could you please say something to these people?  

I’m also a member of a multicultural family. Our children are being born and are putting down their roots in the soil of Korea. I think it’s about time that many multicultural people settling in Korea move from a position where they are in need of help to one where they can provide help to others. Whatever you do, set your goal and challenge yourself to find a way to reach that goal. As there is hope whenever you dream, let your dreams lead your life.