| Ko Pin-yi | |
| Birth Date: | 31 May 1989[1] |
| Nickname: | "Prince of Pool" |
| Professional: | 2005 |
| Game: | Nine-ball, Ten-ball |
| Major Wins: | World Cup of Pool, (2015) |
| World Champ: | Nine-ball (2015), Ten-ball (2015) |
| Highest Ranking: | 1[2] |
Ko Pin-yi (born 31 May 1989) is a Taiwanese professional pool player. He became multiple World Champion in the disciplines of Nine-ball and Ten-ball in 2015.[3] [4]
Ko won the World Nine-ball Junior Championship twice in his junior career, in 2007 and 2008.
Ko became a multiple world champion in 2015, winning three world titles in a single calendar year. He defeated Carlo Biado, 11–9 in the final of the 2015 WPA World Ten-ball Championship,[5] followed by beating Shane Van Boening, 13–11 in the 2015 WPA World Nine-ball Championship final,[6] Ko also captured its country's first World Cup of Pool title alongside Chang Yu-lung, defeating England B of Mark Gray and Daryl Peach, 10–8 in the final.[7] Ko was named Billiard Digest's "Player of the Year" in 2015.[8]
In 2022, Ko won the Asian Pool Federation's Asian Nine-ball Open in Singapore, defeating James Aranas of the Philippines, 13–11 in the final.[9] He was also able to defend it the following year, winning 13–6 over 16-year-old Filipino Albert James Manas.[10]
In 2023, Ko Pin Yi became the first Taiwanese player to win the World Pool Masters title in Brentwood, Essex England with 13–5 win against Albania's Eklent Kaci.[11]
In 2024, team Asia ruled the inaugural Reyes Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila, Philippines. The team consists of Johann Chua, Carlo Biado, Ko Pin Yi, Duong Quoc Hoang, and Aloysius Yapp, which is coached by the tournament namesake and greatest of all time Efren Reyes.[12]
They defeated the European team with a decisive 11–6 final score. Team Europe is made up of Jayson Shaw, Eklent Kaci, Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, David Alcaide, and Mickey Krause. Aloysius Yapp of Singapore was named the first-ever Reyes Cup most valuable player award for his outstanding performance throughout the event.[13]
Pin Yi is the oldest of three brothers. His younger brothers, Ko Ping-chung and Ko Ping Han, are also professional pool players.