Chinese Girl Li Yongxi: Anchored by Billiards, Shining in a Multifaceted Life

By Li Yuquan

In 2025, the name of Chinese girl Li Yongxi shone twice on the grand stages of international billiards. First, she stormed through the competition to win the championship title at the Second National University Billiards Tournament. Then, on September 30, she achieved another remarkable result at a world-class event, securing two prestigious trophies that stand as the culmination of more than twenty years of dedication to the sport — and as shining symbols of her relentless pursuit of excellence.

Li Yongxi’s journey with billiards was destined to be extraordinary from the moment her father handed her her first cue at the age of six. In the soft morning light of her childhood, she practiced the bridge position over and over, the calluses on her fingertips fading and forming again. As a teenager, she spent every weekend immersed in billiard clubs — at home, at school, and later in Sydney — learning everything from the friction of the cue ball to the precision of force control. Even the club owner joked, “Her shadow is almost glued to the table.”

To prepare for the two major tournaments in 2025, Li embodied the very definition of hard work.

While training for the Australian Chinese Eight-Ball Championship, she arrived at the training hall every morning at six o’clock sharp. She began with two hours of physical conditioning before devoting another six hours to technical drills — from mastering precise cue-ball positioning on low shots to controlling the power of high shots, from calculating rebound angles to perfecting defensive tactics. Every detail was meticulously refined.

When faced with technical bottlenecks, she studied match footage late into the night, analyzing top players’ habits frame by frame. To simulate competition pressure, she invited teammates for high-intensity mock matches, forcing herself to stay calm and think strategically even when trailing behind.

Her fingers blistered from constant grip; she wrapped them in tape and continued. Her arms ached from repetitive motion; she used hot compresses to ease the pain — only to return to practice immediately after.

During preparation for the Second University Billiards Tournament, she entered a “non-stop” mode. Eight hours of training each day became her norm. Beyond honing her fundamentals, she analyzed the styles of younger college players to adjust her tactical approach. To strengthen her mental resilience, she practiced in noisy environments, training herself to stay focused under distraction. She treated every simulation as a real match — from the opening bow to the post-game review — maintaining the highest standards throughout.

Once, after developing a lumbar strain from overtraining, her doctor advised her to rest for a week. She rested only two days, then returned to the table — hitting slower, but never stopping.

It was this persistence and discipline that led her to dominate both tournaments with overwhelming performances, earning her the rare title of “Double Champion” in the world of billiards.

Beyond the billiards table, Li Yongxi shines just as brightly. As a student representative welcoming Premier Li Qiang, she spent three months researching and refining her speech, presenting herself with confidence and poise that reflected the best of Chinese overseas students.

At the International Monetary Forum, representing the University of Sydney, she engaged in deep discussions with global leaders and thinkers, broadening her perspective and building valuable connections.

Academically, she achieved the highest IELTS score in the country when admitted to the University of Sydney, and she consistently ranks among the top of her class. With her strong academic foundation and exceptional research ability, she earned a professor’s recommendation and an offer from a world-renowned university for her master’s degree.

No matter where her journey takes her, billiards remains Li Yongxi’s spiritual anchor. “Billiards has taught me not only precision and calmness,” she says, “but also the lesson that once you set your target, you must never fear repeated refinement.”

From a little girl holding her first cue to a multifaceted young woman excelling across disciplines, Li Yongxi has shown through every shot and every drop of sweat what true perseverance means.

With billiards as her anchor and determination as her compass, this remarkable Chinese girl is sure to continue creating brilliance on even greater stages in the years to come.