2025 Northern Region 9-Ball Pool Championship: Opening up professional opportunities for amateur athletes

The tournament was organized by the Vietnam Billiards & Snooker Federation (VBSF) for the first time in the Northern region and is considered the largest grassroots tournament in the history of Billiards Pool 9-ball in Vietnam. Through the tournament, VBSF aims to bring Pool 9-Ball closer to a large number of sports lovers, while creating opportunities to compete, discover and nurture potential players for the future.

Overview of the ceremony

Accordingly, the top 8 best players in the final round will receive the opportunity to participate in the professional 9-Ball Pool Men's Training Course, under the guidance of leading names in the Vietnamese billiards world such as: Grandmaster Nguyen Thanh Nam and Coach Bui Truong An.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Hung, Vice President of VBSF, affirmed: "Through this tournament, VBSF hopes to contribute to building a widespread grassroots competition platform, creating conditions for athletes to develop their talents, while spreading the spirit of healthy sports to the community, in line with the orientation of bringing Vietnamese Billiards to the regional and international level."

In its first edition, the 2025 Northern Region Pool 9-Ball Club Championship is expected to attract nearly 1,000 amateur athletes to register and compete at 24 major Billiards clubs in Hanoi and Hai Phong. The 2025 Northern Region Pool 9-Ball Club Championship applies the Billiards & Snooker rules of the General Department of Sports and Physical Training (now the Vietnam Sports and Physical Training Department) issued in 2009 and updated with the latest international rules.

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Hung, Vice President of VBSF spoke at the ceremony.

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Hung affirmed that although the qualifying round was held in many locations, the organization had been carefully prepared from facilities to related logistics. In addition, VBSF also sent referees with high expertise and capacity to supervise, operate, and ensure throughout the competition.

The Club Qualifying Round will be played in a knockout format, playing to 5 (Hitting 5 balls into the bag, similar to the formats of playing to 7, 9). In the Final Round, 48 athletes will compete in the 2-loss qualifying round (Eliminated after 2 losing rounds), playing to 7, each round has a time limit of 40 seconds to select 32 athletes for the knockout. Round 32 will apply the knockout format, playing to 7, time limit of 40 seconds. From round 16 - Final, apply the knockout format, playing to 9, time limit of 40 seconds.

According to the schedule, the club qualifying round will take place from May 13 to July 27 at 18 clubs in Hanoi and 6 clubs in Hai Phong . The final round of the tournament will be held in Hanoi from August 1 to 3, 2025 in Hanoi.

The total prize value of the tournament is up to 350 million VND. In the final round, the champion athlete receives 50 million VND in cash, a Cup and a certificate; the runner-up receives 10 million VND in cash and a certificate; the third-place athletes receive 5 million VND in cash and a certificate.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/giai-vo-dich-pool-9-ball-khu-vuc-mien-bac-2025-mo-ra-co-hoi-chuyen-nghiep-cho-cac-vdv-phong-trao-20250509111423273.htm