Tran Quyet Chien needs to accelerate in the final stretch.

Tran Quyet Chien needs to demonstrate his skill and perform explosively in the latter part of 2025 to seek the championship, while also aiming for the 'best player of the season' title from the World Carom Billiards Federation (UMB).

Tran Quyet Chien needs to work harder.

2024 marked the most successful year in Tran Quyet Chien's career to date, with the number one Vietnamese player winning three championships. Individually, he won two World Cup billiards titles, 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. However, in 2025, after four World Cup billiards tournaments, the World Team Championship, and most recently the World Games, Quyet Chien has yet to claim the top spot.

Tran Quyet Chien is striving to win the championship in 2025.

PHOTO: THU BON

The opportunity to win the title remains for Quyet Chien, as there are four important tournaments in late 2025: the World Individual Championship in Belgium and three World Cup billiards tournaments (in Belgium, South Korea, and Egypt, respectively). This October, Vietnam's number one player will compete in the World Cup billiards Antwerp (Belgium) from October 6-12, and the World Championship, also in Belgium, from October 14-18.

The opponents of the player from Ha Tinh in the two upcoming tournaments have also been revealed. At the Antwerp 2025 World Cup Billiards, Quyet Chien is in Group C with Martin Horn (Germany) and Roland Forthomme (Belgium), along with one player who qualified. Both Horn and Forthomme are veterans of European 3-cushion carom billiards, currently holding two World Cup billiards titles each. This is a tough group for Vietnam's number one player, as only the top two players in each group (8 groups) will advance. At the 2025 World Championship, Quyet Chien has an easier time, as his opponents in Group D, Luis Sobreyra (Mexico) and Lee Beom-yeol (South Korea), are not considered as strong as the Vietnamese representative. In a three-player group, the top two players will qualify for the World Championship knockout round.

Quyet Chien shared that his main goal for the remainder of 2025 is to win his first World Championship title. At the most prestigious tournament of the UMB, his best achievement was finishing as runner-up in 2023. However, the results in the remaining three World Cup billiards tournaments are equally important to Quyet Chien, as they directly impact his chances of winning the "Best Player of the Season 2025" award (based on the total performance of the seven World Cup billiards tournaments in 2025).

In the overall ranking of the 2025 World Cup billiards tournaments, 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 point difference is not too large. Therefore, if Quyet Chien reaches his peak form and accelerates in the final stages, the door to the title of "best player of the 2025 season" remains wide open.

Vietnamese players to participate in 2 tournaments in Belgium in October.

At the Antwerp World Cup billiards 2025, Vietnam will have 12 players competing: 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, and Pham Quoc Thuan. The 2025 World Championship will have 5 Vietnamese representatives: 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