[I am a billiard player] Do you still remember the dream when you were young? At least he never forgot

When we were children, each of us had a dream in our heart. As they grow up day by day and enter the bizarre adult world, how many people choose to compromise completely, and how many people will continue to stick to their childhood love?

Heads-up referee Hou Jiayin is one of those people who stick to their dreams. Hou Jiayin was born in Chaoyang, Liaoning. Billiards has a deep mass foundation in the three northeastern provinces. Under the influence of the surrounding environment, he has picked up the cue since he was a child and yearned for his future career in billiards. But Hou Jiayin soon discovered that his talent is a certain distance away from becoming a professional billiard player, “being a billiard enthusiast at best”. He studied and entered the university. After graduation, he entered the local colleges and universities. He served as an administrative job in the Academic Affairs Office. He often organized and participated in invigilating exams.

Hou Jiayin has never forgotten billiards. At work, he likes to come to the faculty activity center during lunch break to discuss a few games with his colleagues. After work, in addition to playing, he will often pay attention to billiards competitions at home and abroad. “Ask what my hobbies are, billiards is the only thing.”

Therefore, Hou Jiayin decided to participate in billiards in another way. He began to participate in referee training. After receiving systematic guidance for a period of time, since last year, Hou Jiayin has become a frequent visitor to many professional billiard tournaments. From the Northern Ranking Tournament to the Super Rivalry Tournament, one of those strong conversations always wears glasses. , The figure of the “black judge” acting calmly.

The baptism of a series of competitions has made Hou Jiayin’s level of judging by leaps and bounds, and his experience has also been greatly improved, which also laid the foundation for him to manage the Chinese billiards heads-up match. Taking into account various factors, the first stage of this heads-up match will be judged by Hou Jiayin alone.

Many people may think that being a billiard referee is to wipe the ball, sway the ball, report points, and quickly point out the player’s foul. But the work of the referee runs through before, during and after the game. Hou Jiayin introduced to us his work before and after a heads-up match: “I will arrive at the stadium an hour earlier, first check my necessary things, including gloves, stopwatch, and positioner; then, the triangle box and the ball. Next, I will check the field and equipment, such as whether the layout of the field is reasonable, such as the pocket opening of the pool table, and check the frame to see if there is any looseness. During the game, my main job is to observe the player’s entire hitting process , To see if there is a foul. In addition, it is to meet the players’ needs, such as wiping the white ball, taking the rack rod, etc. After the game, I need to organize the table and take the ball and the triangle box away.”

Heads-up matches each game is a long game, four or five hours a game is commonplace, and some games only end in the early morning. Tired? “Playing so late is indeed a test of physical fitness. However, spiritual support is very important. I am interested in billiards. Once I start to judge and enter the state, I will not feel tired.”

What kind of quality do you need to make a good billiards game? In addition to complying with the referee’s basic standards of “serious, fair and accurate” in law enforcement, in Hou Jiayin’s eyes, concentration and confidence are very important: “Every time you wipe the ball or I always hint at myself like this. Only with high concentration can you capture every detail on the court and make timely and accurate judgments. Only when you have the confidence can you be decisive in emergencies. Make a decision.” With the accumulation of game experience, Hou Jiayin has become more and more able to control the rhythm of the game: “Different players have different rhythms, some are fast, and some think more carefully. From rubbing the ball to throwing the ball, I try to cooperate with the two players to ensure the smooth progress of the game.”

At the end of the first stage of the heads-up match, Hou Jiayin steadily completed all 28 games. He has never become a “topic”, but with professionalism and rigor to ensure the smooth progress of the game from start to finish, he has become an indispensable part of the heads-up match. For the future referee career, Hou Jiayin has a bigger goal, which is to continue to consolidate professional knowledge. In addition to Chinese billiards, he also wants to know more about snooker and nine balls.

The dream of billiards was finally realized in a “curve to save the country”. “I feel lucky and happy to have the opportunity to take my hobbies as my career. I am very satisfied to be able to participate in billiards in another capacity.” Salute every billiard dreamer like Hou Jiayin!