SCTV Cup 2025: The opening qualifying round was fiery.

The first day of the SCTV Cup 2025 was full of drama with a series of spectacular matches. From Ma Minh Cam's skillful comeback, Khiem Le's impressive individual breakthrough with a 14-point series, to Dao Van Ly's "super-fast" 30-3 victory in just 12 turns – all contributed to an emotionally charged opening day.

The qualifying rounds of the SCTV Cup 2025 International 3-Cushion Carom Billiards Tournament kicked off with great excitement at the Ho Xuan Huong Gymnasium (District 3, Ho Chi Minh City), as groups A, B, C, and D entered the qualifying round in a knockout format, reaching 30 points within a limit of 40 innings.

Right from the opening day (May 26th), the audience witnessed many spectacular matches. The highlight match between former national team player Ma Minh Cam and Doan Minh Kiet unfolded with dramatic intensity from the start. Minh Kiet unexpectedly took an 11-3 lead with an 8-point series in the third inning, but Minh Cam – with his seasoned experience – calmly narrowed the gap and finished the first half with a 20-13 advantage. The second half continued to showcase the solid performance of the player born in 1975, before closing the match with a final victory of 30-17.

"Idol" Khiem Le makes his mark with a 14-point series at the SCTV Cup 2025.

However, the most memorable moment of the day belonged to Le Duc Huy Khiem (nicknamed "Khiem Le"). In his match against Nguyen Anh Duy, Huy Khiem executed an impressive 14-point series in the 20th inning, turning a 15-20 deficit into a remarkable personal comeback. Ultimately, he won 30-21 after 23 innings – a match that clearly demonstrated the resilience and explosive ability of this libre tennis legend, now making a strong transformation in the 3-cushion carom discipline.

The "Best Game" title temporarily belongs to player Dao Van Ly, with a dominant 30-3 victory in just 12 innings against Nguyen Thanh Ly – the oldest player in this year's tournament (76 years old). This is one of the matches with the largest margin of victory since the beginning of the tournament.

On the same day, many other players also excelled, winning two consecutive matches to advance to the round of 64, including names like Mai Tan Huyen, Pham Quoc Thich, and Duong Thanh Luan…

May 27th - Familiar names compete against each other.

The qualifying rounds continue today (May 27th) with groups E, F, G, and H. Attention will be focused on the matches featuring familiar players from domestic and international competitions such as Nguyen Quoc Nguyen, Ngo Dinh Nai, Nguyen Tran Thanh Tu, and Chiem Hong Thai. The fact that top players have to start their journey from the qualifying rounds not only shows the fierce competition but also confirms the attractiveness of an open tournament like the SCTV Cup 2025.

SCTV Cup 2025 – An opportunity to rise from obscurity to legend

The SCTV Cup 2025 took place from May 25th to 31st, organized by Saigontourist Cable Television (SCTV) in collaboration with the Ho Chi Minh City Billiards & Snooker Federation at the Ho Xuan Huong Gymnasium. Aiming to create a professional and highly competitive annual tournament, the event carried the message "From obscurity to legend," providing an opportunity for all players – from young talents to seasoned veterans – to compete and prove themselves. The main draw featured 8 players (6 invited guests and 2 qualifiers), divided into 2 groups for a round-robin competition, with 4 players advancing to the semi-finals and finals. The total prize money reached 790 million VND, with the champion receiving 500 million VND – the highest prize money ever awarded for a 3-cushion carom billiards tournament in Vietnam.

Billiards enthusiasts can follow the tournament live on SCTV15, SCTV Online, and rebroadcast on VTV9, VTVcab, HTV Sports , THVL, as well as live streaming on SCTV Sports' social media platforms YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook.

The tournament also offered free admission to spectators at the Ho Xuan Huong Gymnasium.

Don't miss the top matches of the SCTV Cup 2025 International 3-Cushion Carom Billiards Tournament from May 25th to 31st, 2025! Install SCTV cable TV and internet or download the SCTV Online app now to watch the entire tournament anytime, anywhere.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/sctv-cup-2025-vong-loai-mo-man-ruc-lua-20250527103749005.htm