Slovenia is slowly gaining recognition as a country of champions. Some of the well-known Slovenian athletes include:

Tadej Pogačar, a professional cyclist whose accomplishments include three Tour de France victories (2020, 2021, and 2024), the 2024 Giro d’Italia, and six one-day Monuments (one Tour of Flanders, two Liège–Bastogne–Liège, and three Giro di Lombardia).

Janja Garnbret, a sport climber, the first in the history of this sports discipline to win the Olympic gold medal and to complete a hat trick of wins in a single championship.

Luka Dončić, widely considered one of the best basketball players today, plays for the Dallas Mavericks. Some of his achievements include being named 2018-19 Rookie of the Year, earning All-NBA First Team honors for five consecutive years, 5× NBA All-Star, and the NBA scoring champion in the 2023-2024 season.

Not bad for a country with a population of just 2 million people.

In the pool world, there’s a young talent named Maks Benko, who at just 14 years old has already built an impressive resume, some of which includes:

European Youth U17 Champion 10 Ball 2024
European Youth U17 Champion 8 Ball 2024
European Youth U17 14.1 Straight Pool Runner-Up 2024
European Youth U17 14.1 9 Ball Runner-Up 2024
Jayson Shaw Junior Open Champion 2024
Champion of the EPBF Youth Masters 2023
Jayson Shaw Junior Open Champion 2023
3rd place, Banja Luka Open
3rd place, Predator WPA World Junior Pool Billiard Championship U17
3rd place, Longoni Balkan Tour Loznica

For someone as young as Benko, he’s already able to compete with the best, including players who are older than he is. This raises the intriguing question of how much better Benko could become in the coming years.

Undoubtedly a rising star in the pool world, Benko’s future promises even greater accomplishments. If I were placing a bet on the next big thing, I’d wager all my chips on Maks Benko.