Tran Quyet Chien needs to accelerate in the final stretch

Tran Quyet Chien needs to show his mettle and compete explosively in the final stages of 2025 to seek the championship, and at the same time aim for the title of 'best player of the season' of the World Carom Billiards Federation (UMB).

Tran Quyet Chien must try harder

The year 2024 marks the most successful milestone in Tran Quyet Chien's career so far, when the number 1 player in Vietnam won 3 championships. Individually, he won 2 World Cup billiards championships, respectively in Bogota (Colombia) and Veghel (Netherlands). At the 2024 world team championship, he and Bao Phuong Vinh helped 3-cushion carom billiards win the first gold medal in history. But in 2025, after 4 World Cup billiards stages, the world team championship and most recently the World Games, Quyet Chien still could not step onto the highest podium.

Tran Quyet Chien strives to win the championship in 2025

PHOTO: THU BON

Quyet Chien still has the opportunity to win the title, as in the final stage of 2025 there are 4 important tournaments including: the individual world championship (World Championship) taking place in Belgium and 3 stages of the World Cup billiards (in Belgium, Korea, Egypt respectively). This October, the number 1 Vietnamese player will compete at the World Cup billiards Antwerp (Belgium) from 6-12, the World Championship also in Belgium from 14-18.

The Ha Tinh native's opponents in the two upcoming tournaments have also been revealed. At the Antwerp Billiards World Cup 2025, Quyet Chien is in Group C with Martin Horn (Germany) and Roland Forthomme (Belgium) and 1 player who passed the qualifying round. Both Horn and Forthomme are veterans of the European 3-cushion carom billiards scene, currently owning 2 World Cup Billiards championships. This is a tough group for the number 1 player in Vietnam, as only the top two players in each group (8 groups) will qualify for the next round. At the 2025 World Championship, Quyet Chien will have an easier time as his opponents in Group D, Luis Sobreyra (Mexico) and Lee Beom-yeol (Korea), are not rated as highly as the Vietnamese representative. In the 3-person group, the top 2 players will get tickets to the knockout round of the World Championship.

Quyet Chien shared that his important goal for the rest of 2025 is to find the first World Championship title in his career. At the most prestigious arena of UMB, his best achievement is the runner-up position in 2023. However, the results in the remaining 3 World Cup billiards rounds are equally important to Quyet Chien, as they directly affect the race for the title of "best player of the 2025 season" (calculating the total achievements of the 7 World Cup billiards rounds taking place in 2025).

On the ranking of the total achievements of the 2025 World Cup billiards stages, Quyet Chien is currently in 3rd place with 118 points. Dick Jaspers (Netherlands) leads with 152 points, while Eddy Merckx (Belgium) is in 2nd place with 142 points. The difference in points is not too big. Therefore, if Quyet Chien reaches his peak form and accelerates in the final stretch, the door to the title of "best player of the 2025 season" is still wide open.

Vietnamese players to participate in two tournaments in Belgium in october

At the Antwerp Billiards World Cup 2025, Vietnam has 12 players competing including: Tran Quyet Chien, Tran Thanh Luc, Nguyen Tran Thanh Tu, Dao Van Ly, Chiem Hong Thai, Bao Phuong Vinh, Le Thanh Tien, Nguyen Dinh Luan, Nguyen Van Tai, Nguyen Chi Long, Thon Viet Hoang Minh, Pham Quoc Thuan. The World Championship 2025 arena has 5 Vietnamese representatives participating: Tran Quyet Chien, Tran Thanh Luc, Chiem Hong Thai, Nguyen Tran Thanh Tu and Bao Phuong Vinh.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tran-quyet-chien-can-but-toc-quang-cuoi-185250921214459649.htm