Fostering Young Billiards Talent in Schools

　In the World Games 2009, billiards is one of the sports that Taiwan may receive medals. In order to foster more future billiards stars, Kaohsiung City Government has launched a "Sparkles of Billiards" Program. Featuring top local pool players as instructors, this program offers billiards training sessions of 48 hours in 10 elementary and high schools.

　"Sparkles of Billiards" Program instructors include Hui-Kai Hsia, Kun-Fang Li, Sheng-Ping Pan, Yung-Chuan Tseng, Hsiang-Ling Tan and Su-Ping Liu who are all international top players. The ten participating schools are San-Hsin High School, Chung-Cheng Industrial High School, Haiching Vocational High School of Technology and Commerce, Feng Lin Junior High School, Lunghua Junior High School, Kuang Hua Junior High School, Shin-Sun Elementary School, Ming-Jeng Elementary School, Kuang Wu Primary School, and Min Tsu Elementary School.

　The Information Office of Kaohsiung City Government is sponsoring this program and has invited Chief Executive Officer of the Kaohsiung Organizing Committee (KOC), Cheng Chi, famous pool players, and participating schools' principals to join the event.

　"Sparkles of Billiards" Program is scheduled to last for three months from September to November. Instructors appointed by the Billiards Committee will hold training sessions at participating schools twice a week, for a total of 48 hours of training. A competition will be held in early December to create friendships among schools and let students display skills they have learned. Although training sessions last for only a short period of time, Chief Director of the Billiards Committee, Chen-Pang Li emphasized that this is an excellent opportunity for younger students to experience billiards.

　Hui-Kai Hsia feels that billiards is not familiar to many students. The main purpose of this program is to create and increase students' interest in billiards by teaching them basic skills. Kun-Fang Li said that for those who already have basic knowledge about billiards, they will not focus on correcting students' mistakes with their techniques, but instead they will focus on teaching students how to maneuver the balls.

　Cheng Chi revealed that the slogan of the 2009 World Games is "It's time to be a hero." With so many heroes from Kaohsiung, we should take this as a window for Kaohsiung and Taiwan to connect with the world. Like many people, she pays high respect to these heroes. For these billiards heroes, their great responsibility during this time is to guide young potential heroes. For students, they are lucky to be instructed by the best billiards coaches on the most useful concepts and techniques. She wishes the true heroes in the future will win glory for their country like their predecessors.

撞球好手前進校園──撞球運動向下紮根

◎文／江戶川 明　◎攝影／鮑忠暉

　　由於撞球為2009世界運動會的奪金強項，高雄市政府新聞處「撞出繁星」行動計畫9月起連續3個月邀請頂尖高雄在地撞球好手夏揮凱、李昆芳、潘聖平、譚湘玲、曾永權等，響應市府新聞處，前進10所高、國中及小學，期以48小時的授課向下紮根，培育更多撞球明日之星。

　　「撞出繁星」教練團有夏揮凱、李昆芳、潘聖平、曾水權、譚湘玲及劉素萍等揚名國際的頂尖好手；10所推廣種子學校則包括三信家商、中正高工、海青工商、鳳林國中、龍華國中、光華國中、新上國小、明正國小、光武國小與民族國小。

　　主辦單位市府新聞處特別邀請高雄世運組織委員會基金會執行長紀政、知名撞球國手，以及其他共襄盛舉參加推廣計畫的學校校長也來到記者會現場，對推廣此一撞球運動表達支持。

　　「撞出繁星」計畫從9至11月為期3個月，每週2次、共計48小時的時間由撞球委員會推派的師資前進校園授課，12月初還將辦理一場友誼賽、驗收成果；雖然時間有限，不過體育會撞球委員會主委李振邦強調，這是做好向下紮根的工作。

　　夏揮凱說，校園內很多人對於撞球還是很陌生，此次的計畫主要是提起學生們的興趣，透過基本動作的教導達到推廣的目的；李昆芳表示，對於已經有撞球基礎的學生，不會刻意修正他們打球的動作，而是以傳授如何做球的觀念為主。

　　紀政表示2009世運的標語是「來高雄作英雄」，而高雄的撞球高手已經是英雄，靠著這些英雄，將把台灣高雄帶到國際，她與大家都對這些運動好手們表達尊敬之意。這次這些英雄要指導出年輕的新英雄，責任重大，學子們也相當幸運，能夠有最好的教練，將傳授最正確的觀念及技術，培養出來的也就是真確的英雄，她期望新的英雄未來也有機會為國爭光。