Cambodian billiards player Sroung Pheavy – famed for her skill at the pocketless table “carom” iteration of the game – recently won the 2023 Grand Prix amid four titles in total this year in South Korea.
Now Pheavy, through the Pheavy Foundation, is working with a team of Korean medical experts to provide free examinations and treatment for children in Cambodia with atrial septal defect (ASD) – a hole in the heart between its upper chambers.
She said in a March 19 social media post that the team of medical experts are set to arrive in Cambodia in April of this year.
“Once again in April, a team of Korean medical experts will come to Cambodia to check 15 Cambodian children with ASD for them to get treatment in South Korea,” she announced.
The Cambodian children with ASD who get the opportunity to be examined and treated must be between 5 and 20 years old. The Pheavy Foundation team can also cover the travel costs if the child’s family cannot afford to travel to Phnom Penh.
Pheavy noted that of the 15 children selected for examinations, only 10 will be admitted to South Korea for treatment, while the others will receive support based in Cambodia.
“I am very excited and thank the team of medical doctors for seeking to help with this work. I wish brothers and sister get successful surgery and speedy recoveries from this disease. I will put in more effort to help children in Cambodia and I hope to have the opportunity to help brothers and sisters with other diseases,” she said.
Pheavy, whose husband is Korean, won four titles and was named outstanding female player of the year at the PBA awards held in South Korea. The other top Korean female players won only one trophy each.
Pheavy’s biggest win this year was the LPBA Grand Prix 2023 World Championship, where she defeated South Korea’s Ga-young Kim in the final on March 11.
“Last year, I came in second place. This year I was number one. For more than 10 years, I have built a reputation [as a billiards player] in Korea and I want to say that Cambodia is like my mother and Korea is like my father.
“At all of my games in Korea, I am still representing Cambodia. The organisers of the competitions still put the Cambodian flag next to my name as a clear symbol of the nation. Even if I go abroad to compete, I still represent Cambodia,” she said.
