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1/5/10 - Borana Andoni is a rapidly up and coming player from New
York City that is capturing the attention of many billiard
fans throughout the world. Borana took some time from her
busy schedule to discuss her billiard experiences and her
goals with us.
Q: Hi, Borana. Thanks for taking the time to do this interview.
A: Thank you very much for having me.
Q: You seem to have come onto the national and world billiard scene pretty quick. How long have you been playing pool?
A: I have only been playing pool for 4 years exactly. I started to play my second year in college and took it
seriously very quickly because I fell in love with the sport right away.
Q: So did pool just come natural to you?
A: I was always a very athletic person, and have good eye-hand coordination. As soon as I found pool, I knew pool was very suitable for my personal abilities.
Q: How often do you practice? Is there a practice routine that you follow?
A: I try to play tournaments three times a week, that is usually when I play the most pool. When I am at the table with myself, I practice the ghost ball with ball in hand and I work on my weaknesses.
Q: There’s the Duchess of Doom, Black Widow,
and Kwikfire, among other nicknames. Do you have a nickname?
A: There are people that call me KillerB, which is the one the
George "Ginky" Sansouci came up with. But most people call me QueenB, which is the one that I am sticking to.
Q: At the time of this interview, you are waiting on word as to whether you will be playing in the WPBA this year. Is it your goal to become a fulltime pro?
A: My goal is to be as good as I can and hopefully reach the professional level. I don't necessarily have to be full time, so I am just focusing on being as good as I can.
Q: Most sports in this country enable their better athletes to make serious money. Even sports like skateboarding produces millionaires. Yet, there aren’t many U.S. players that make a decent living playing pool, even with endorsements. Why do you think there is such a disparity in pay between billiard players and other athletes in this country?
A: I ask myself the same question everyday and I really do not know the answer. There is a market in the US for pool to become a bigger sport so maybe it is missing the marketing point of view. I hope the the industry changes because this sport deserves better attention than it is getting.
Q: What do you think it will take to change the sport into a profitable one for players and promoters?
A: I think marketing is a big part of it. If pool can attract some non-pool sponsors such as beer companies, the sport would would become more profitable.
Q: What is your favorite game – nine ball, eight ball, straight pool – and why?
A: I like nine ball and ten ball because they require position play which I think it is the most
challenging aspect of pool.
Q: You recently went to the Philippines to play in the World Mixed Doubles Classic. Was this your first venture on the international stage?
A: Yes, this was my first venture on the international stage and first time ever playing on TV in front of a big crowd with millions of people watching in over 20 countries in Asia.
Q: Tell us a little about the experience of playing there.
A: It was the best experience for me thus far. I learned a lot about playing on TV and the different things that a pool player has to prepare for. I also didn't know how big pool is in Asia and I was so happy to see that the sport is appreciated by so many fans. It was good too see the pool exists world wide.
Q: World class player Mika Immonen was your partner in the Doubles Classic. Not a bad partner to have. What piece of advice did he give you that really stood out for you?
A: He was a very good coach and I learned a lot from him in the table and out of the table. In the table, he taught me that the TV table speed is very fast and that you have to play with a delicate stroke most of the time. Out of the table, I learned from him that someone has to work very very hard to be successful and be number one, it doesn't just come.
Q: You are obviously very easy on the eyes. But what do you really want people to know about you as a person?
A: Thank you for the compliment. As a person, I care a lot about my friends and family and I highly value true and loyal friendships.
Q: Do you think men have an advantage over women players, or do you think all tournaments should be gender neutral?
A: I don't think men have advantages over women
players. The number of women players is changing dramatically, which means that as time passes, the number of
great female players will increase. I think there should be tournaments that are gender neutral, and tournaments that are separated where only females or males can
play - it gives the sport more variety.
Q: What advise would you give to someone, especially a woman, wanting to become a pro?
A: The one number thing is to always practice and improve your game first. The second thing is to work on the mental part of the game which can be helped by playing in open tournaments where there is a lot of professional level players.
Q: Are you looking for sponsors to help you turn pro? If so, how can they contact you?
A: I have experience in modeling pool products and speaking publicly about pool products so I can help sponsors that want to promote their products. You can reach me at
Borana@billiardscoop.com
or can send me a message on Facebook.
Thanks again for taking time out of your busy schedule to sit
with us. We wish you the best this year, and hope that
2010 is a "perfect 10" for you.
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