| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
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Nickname | "The Sniper" | ||||||||||||||
| Born | (1969-03-04)4 March 1969 (age 56) | ||||||||||||||
| Pool career | |||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 1996 | ||||||||||||||
| Pool games | 9-Ball | ||||||||||||||
| Tournament wins | |||||||||||||||
| World Champion | 9-Ball (1998) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Kunihiko Takahashi (高橋 邦彦,Takahashi Kunihiko) (born March 4, 1969) is aJapanese professionalpool player and aWPA World Nine-ball Champion. Nicknamed "the Sniper".
He began practicing pool at 17 and turned professional in 1996.[1] In 1998, he won the WPA World Nine-ball Championship by defeating the reigning champion,Johnny Archer, in the final match. He became the second World Nine-ball Champion fromJapan, afterTakeshi Okumura, who won it in 1994. In 1999, Takahashi won the ESPN Ultimate Shootout, earning himUS$40,000.[2]
Four years later, Takahashi was three stages away from a second world title when he lost toEarl Strickland, who would later win the championship. Takahashi was critical of the Strickland's behavior during the match: "I lost up here. Strickland shows no sportsmanship. He played very well. But no sportsmanship." Strickland denied the allegation ofunsportsmanlike conduct.[3]
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