Vietnamese 3-cushion billiards is gradually asserting its position.

Vietnamese 3-cushion carom billiards continues to demonstrate its strength on the world stage, with player Tran Quyet Chien having just won the 2024 Veghel World Cup in the Netherlands. This is Vietnam's third World Cup title in 2024, more than any other country, following the tournaments in Bogota (Colombia) in March and Ho Chi Minh City in May.

Vietnamese 3-cushion carom billiards is having a very successful 2024, affirming its leading position in Asia and the world (pictured: Quyet Chien - left and Thanh Tu at the awards ceremony in Veghel).

Vietnam, a rising billiards powerhouse, is looking towards a bright future, welcoming another outstanding World Cup champion in 2024. In Veghel, Netherlands, 40-year-old Tran Quyet Chien defeated 56-year-old Belgian Frédéric Caudron 50-38 in the 28th inning/27, becoming the fourth Asian champion in five World Cups this year. For Tran Quyet Chien, this is his second World Cup title this year and his fourth overall in his career.

The 2024 Veghel World Cup is a tournament where the Vietnamese team is sending a large contingent of 11 players. This is the first time a World Cup held abroad has seen such a large participation of Vietnamese players. This is understandable, as Vietnam has consistently achieved impressive international results recently, and the skill level of its players is steadily improving, giving them more opportunities to participate in the World Cup.

Tran Quyet Chien concluded his journey at the 2024 3-Cushion Carom Billiards World Cup in the quarterfinals - Photo: UMB

In this tournament, Vietnam's number one player Tran Quyet Chien and 2023 World Champion Bao Phuong Vinh were given by special entry into the main draw. The remaining nine representatives competed in the qualifying rounds, with 2024 World Runner-up Tran Thanh Luc, 2024 Ho Chi Minh City World Cup Champion Tran Duc Minh, and Chiem Hong Thai competing from the fourth qualifying round. Nguyen Tran Thanh Tu started from the third qualifying round, Nguyen Hoan Tat, Nguyen Chi Long, Thon Viet Hoang Minh, and Le Thanh Tien competed in the second qualifying round, while Nguyen Dinh Luan participated from the first qualifying round.

This title also earned Quyet Chien 80 bonus points, bringing him back to world number 3. In the top 10, Vietnam also has Thanh Luc, followed by Phuong Vinh at 14th and Hong Thai at 22nd. Reaching the semi-finals also helped Thanh Tu climb to 24th place. The victory at Veghel also marks the third time in 2024 that Vietnam has had a representative win the World Cup, following the Bogota leg (Quyet Chien) and the Ho Chi Minh City leg (Tran Duc Minh). In addition, Vietnam also won the World Team Championship with Quyet Chien and Phuong Vinh at the end of March in Germany.

In this year's World Cup, Vietnamese 3-cushion carom billiards also saw Tran Duc Minh crowned champion in Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam has contributed significantly to Asia's current global dominance, with Jung Han Heo of South Korea also writing a successful World Cup campaign in Ankara for the region. The only European to date who has managed to stop Asia's absolute dominance is world number one Dick Jaspers with his World Cup title in Porto. Even Frédéric Caudron – returning from his PBA adventure – couldn't change Asia's overwhelming trend. The Belgian star tried his best against Dick Jaspers, Myung Woo Cho, Nguyen Tran Thanh Tu, and Tayfun Tasdemir, but still stumbled against the warrior Tran Quyet Chien – an invincible technical master in the Netherlands. The Vietnamese mark in the Netherlands didn't stop with Tony Tran's championship. Almost everything that remains most memorable bears the mark of Vietnam. Tran Quyet Chien not only won the championship but also held the best match record with 40 points across 9 innings, achieving an incredible scoring efficiency of 4,444 in his victory over home player Glenn Hofman. Tayfun Tasdemir had the highest series with 17 points, while Nguyen Tran Thanh Tu was close behind with a series of 14. Bao Phuong Vinh was the most surprisingly eliminated player, with an average scoring efficiency of 2,522 points across 3 group stage matches; a performance that any player would envy.

Two big names expected to shine at Veghel both fell to Vietnamese players. "The Alien" Frédéric Caudron lost to Tran Quyet Chien in the final. Meanwhile, world number one Dick Jaspers looked like he was about to cry in front of the home crowd as he watched Nguyen Tran Thanh Tu perform a technical show in a 50-33 victory in just 14 innings.

These titles make Vietnam the most successful country in major tournaments of the World Billiards Federation (UMB) in the 3-cushion carom discipline, rightfully earning its place as the "leading force" in Asia. This will continue to create a strong impact on the development of the sport domestically, leading to more people practicing this sport , more tournaments being organized, and more players representing the country in international competitions.

Le Quang