Female cueists take on contrasting disciplines at the 'Vietnamese Billiards World Cup'

On September 9, 2026, Ho Chi Minh City witnessed one of the most dramatic days in Vietnamese women’s billiards. At the HBSF Billiards Tour 2 – Cup MIN Table event, Bui Xuan Vang beat Nguyen Thi Thu 22–21 in three-cushion carom, while Nguyen Duc Yen Sinh dominated My Duyen 25–9. On another table, Huynh Hoa, a talent born in 2026 from Can Tho, lost narrowly to Le Thi Ngoc Hue. The largest tactical story, however, was not any single result. It was Bui Xuan Vang’s decision to compete in two fundamentally contrasting disciplines: pool and carom three-cushion. The tournament, organized by Ho Chi Minh City Billiards and Snooker Federation and sponsored by MIN Table, attracted nearly 310 players across four events. Although not an official UMB or WPA ranking event, fans call it the “Vietnamese Billiards World Cup” because it brings together most of Vietnam’s leading players. It also serves as a springboard: after September 11, Nguyen Duc Yen Sinh, Nguyen Thi Lien and Nguyen Thi Bich Tram will travel to France for the Women’s World Championship. Each match therefore carries both domestic ranking importance and international preparation value. From my years of watching professional billiards, I have learned to trust data more than noise. When the stands are empty, data become the only applause I trust. At HBSF Tour 2, the data are still thin: we know scores and titles, but not run lengths, successful safety plays, or cue-ball position maps. Any conclusion must therefore be checked against the knockout rounds. The phrase “read the name before reading the formation” comes from an old mistake of mine; now I read the geometry before the names. Yen Sinh’s 25–9 win is impressive on the scoreboard, but to understand it, we must see how she created long scoring runs. In carom three-cushion, 25 points can come from one long visit where the cue ball remains under control. If the cue ball position is less favorable the next day, the scoring rhythm can break. Thus 25–9 is a positive signal, not absolute proof of dominance. Bui Xuan Vang’s case is more complex. As the reigning national women’s pool champion, she is used to pocket billiards. At this event, she also plays carom three-cushion, a no-pocket discipline where each point requires the cue ball to contact at least three cushions before touching the second object ball. Pool is about sending balls into pockets; carom is about creating trajectories. Stroke, cushion calculation, positional play and safety logic differ greatly between the two games. Switching between them in the same tournament creates a mental challenge. Her 22–21 win over Nguyen Thi Thu showed a tight, tactical contest. She did not win by overwhelming margin, but by handling decisive moments better. I never remember just the final shot; I remember the cue-ball position before the shot. For Vang, that narrow victory may indicate strong pressure management rather than technical stability. The real test comes when she faces Nguyen Ngoc Phuong Anh for first place in Group C, then immediately plays her first pool match. Huynh Hoa’s debut adds another layer. A 2026-born player from Can Tho, she lost narrowly to a SEA Games champion in her first professional event. That near-miss could either fuel her motivation or expose the burden of media attention. Her promise to return at the next tour stop will show us which path she chooses. The name “World Cup” reminds me of Germany in 2026. Germany had a star squad, pushed too high in the final minutes, and left space behind. Here, Bui Xuan Vang faces a similar risk: not a gap on the field, but a gap in energy and focus. A player who fights for first place in carom and then steps straight into pool may pay a physical price. Finally, the tournament’s “hot girl” narrative should not distract us from the technical work. Public attention is useful, but every diagram is a confession; my duty is to listen to it. On the table, the confession appears in difficult shot selection and defensive escapes, not in facial beauty. If we only look at appearances, we miss the skill being built day by day. The question for the next rounds is not only who will win HBSF Tour 2. The bigger question is whether Vietnam’s female cueists can turn this domestic event into a genuine stepping stone for the World Championship in France. I will keep watching them, notebook in hand, because when the applause fades, the data remain.