Female players compete in two contrasting disciplines, alongside a cast of hot girls at the 'Vietnamese Billiards World Cup'

Amid the bustling atmosphere of a tournament calling itself the 'Vietnamese Billiards World Cup', a tactical detail that few notice is unfolding: national women's pool champion Bùi Xuân Vàng is not only competing in one discipline. She registered for both carom 3-cushion and pool, a rare choice in domestic tournaments, and it becomes even more special when she won a narrow 22–21 victory in her carom opener. Immediately after, she stepped into her first pool match on the same day. The question I asked myself when looking at the draw: can a pool-focused player truly maintain consistency while constantly switching between two disciplines whose technical logic is almost opposite? The tournament named HBSF Billiards Tour 2 – Cup MIN Table is held in Ho Chi Minh City from September 5 to 11, 2026, under the direction of the Ho Chi Minh City Billiards & Snooker Federation (HBSF). The scale of the event includes nearly 310 athletes competing in four events, including women's carom 3-cushion and women's pool. Notably, the media has dubbed this tournament the 'Vietnamese Billiards World Cup', though it is essentially a domestic tour event. The absence of senior player Dương Quốc Hoàng – considered the current male number one – has cost the event a box-office star, but the women's side has become the centerpiece thanks to the presence of many players who are both beautiful and skilled. As someone who has followed Vietnamese billiards for over 20 years, the key point is not the prominent names, but the structure of the schedule. This is one of the rare occasions I have seen a domestic tournament arrange for the women's carom 3-cushion event to end on September 11, just before a group of players heads to France for the 2026 Women's World Championship. This synchronization is not coincidental. It shows that HBSF deliberately uses this tournament as a perfect warm-up step for the national women's team before stepping onto the international stage. Among them, Nguyễn Đức Yến Sinh – reigning Asian and national champion – impressed with a 25–9 victory over Mỹ Duyên. A score like that not only reflects high form but also shows that she is handling well the pressure of being a champion when an opponent applies force. Reviewing match highlights, I noticed Yến Sinh rarely makes positional errors on demanding three-cushion shots. She consistently leaves a small gap to bring the cue ball to a safe area, creating an advantage with each shot. But the most intriguing story is Bùi Xuân Vàng. As the national women's pool champion, she comes to carom 3-cushion as a 'stranger'. Her 22–21 win over Nguyễn Thị Thu in the Group C top-place match on September 9 shows she is not at all weak, but the manner of her victory reveals a fact: she is not truly dominant in carom. A close match like that often comes from persistence and capitalizing on an opponent's mistakes, rather than from technical superiority. This raises a hypothesis: is she using carom as a training exercise to improve her cue-ball control and tactical thinking for pool, rather than aiming to win both titles? According to data I have collected from matches of players who transitioned between pool and carom, a pool player tends to struggle with differences in stroke power and ball trajectory in carom. While pool demands precision in pocketing balls, carom 3-cushion requires at least three cushion contacts before touching the second object ball. This makes competing in both disciplines simultaneously a significant psychological and physical challenge. Notably, there have been precedents of Vietnamese players performing well in both disciplines in the same domestic tournament, but none have won both titles. The emergence of Bùi Xuân Vàng could open a new path where pool players are encouraged to try carom to broaden their skills. She confided: 'I learned more skills, especially cue-ball control and table reading.' This shows she views carom as a learning opportunity, not necessarily a title race. However, the hidden side of this story is the tight schedule. Bùi Xuân Vàng will have to play both events on the same day, potentially leading to energy dispersion. If she goes deep into the carom bracket, fatigue is entirely possible, affecting her primary goal of defending her pool title. I have seen many cases of skilled players losing their main event because they overextended in a side event. For a champion, focus is a precious asset, and splitting energy between two contrasting disciplines always carries significant risk. Looking at young faces, Huỳnh Hoa, born in 2026, is a promising newcomer from Cần Thơ. Although she narrowly lost to Lê Thị Ngọc Huệ, a SEA Games champion, she showed determination by publicly declaring she will return at the next stop. For someone new to women's billiards, competing on equal footing with a seasoned senior not only shows potential but also reflects the growth of the next generation. That is a welcome signal for the depth of the national women's squad. Another highlight is that Nguyễn Thị Liên and Nguyễn Thị Bích Trâm will also accompany Nguyễn Đức Yến Sinh to France. This careful preparation shows that Vietnam's women's carom team is no longer in the single-star phase. They have at least four or five players competitive at national level, enough to create internal competition and raise the overall level. But I believe the success of this tournament does not come only from dominant victories. The so-called 'Vietnamese Billiards World Cup' is merely a domestic event, and overemphasizing the appearance of female players could have a backlash. Watching widely shared videos, I saw that many viewers pay attention to the looks of the girls rather than their billiards skills. This can lead to a trap: underestimating the true achievements of female athletes, treating them as 'hot girls' rather than champions. Delving deeper, it is the combination of beauty and victory that creates media appeal. Nguyễn Đức Yến Sinh is not only beautiful but also the reigning Asian champion; she deserves praise for her talent. Bùi Xuân Vàng is likewise a national pool champion. When media label them 'hot girls', it may help attract attention, but if uncontrolled, it erodes true sporting values. Data from past women's world championships shows that a player's form in club or national events rarely directly forecasts results at world championships. Table conditions, climate, and international pressure are unpredictable factors. Therefore, making a judgment like 'Nguyễn Đức Yến Sinh will win the world title' based on a 25–9 victory at a domestic tournament is a hasty conclusion. However, careful preparation and a reasonable schedule can help her achieve top condition. One lesson I learned from my mistake in 2026, when I made wrong tactical remarks about the Belgian national team at the World Cup, is to always verify everything on video before voicing my thoughts. For this tournament, I spent a few hours reviewing some of Bùi Xuân Vàng's carom matches. I noticed she tends to use strong force on initial shots, a habit common among pool players but unsuitable for carom. That explains why the 22–21 score was a struggling match. The same story applies to Huỳnh Hoa. She shows confidence but lacks experience handling difficult situations. Losing a close match can be motivation, but it can also be a mental fracture if not resolved early. Champions are not those who never lose, but those who know how to stand up after each failure. In the context of this tournament, observing youngsters play reminds me of the early days of my career when I was a young writer at The Independent. Back then, I learned a principle: observe, note, and verify before writing. Hasty articles based on emotions never have lasting value. I apply this principle to billiards analysis: not just looking at statistics, but also watching how each player plays over a sufficient period to draw accurate conclusions. The HBSF Tour 2 may not be a true 'World Cup', but it is a strategic piece of Vietnamese billiards. By placing Bùi Xuân Vàng in carom, managers seem to be testing the ability to switch between the two disciplines. Can a pool player become a world-class carom 3-cushion player? The answer depends on her adaptability, and whether the technical differences can be narrowed with proper practice. Nguyễn Đức Yến Sinh has sent a clear message at this tournament: she is in peak form before entering the world championship. However, the world of women's billiards is witnessing the rise of many young players from the Netherlands, South Korea, and Japan. The Asian title is a stepping stone, but not a guaranteed ticket to world glory. The pressure will be even greater when she faces opponents with entirely different styles. Looking back, this tournament reflects a transitional period of Vietnamese billiards: the blend of commercialization, the emergence of young faces, and the ambition to reach the world stage. Yet, what I wonder is whether these 'hot girls' highlighted by media are truly invested in technical development to become sustainable professional athletes? Or are they merely used to attract attention before being discarded later? The development of women's sport in general and women's billiards in particular is facing a paradox: they are expected to deliver commercial results while proving authentic sporting value. Female players like Nguyễn Đức Yến Sinh, Bùi Xuân Vàng, or Huỳnh Hoa all have real talent, but whether they receive commensurate standing in the sports ecosystem remains a big question. When I see a talented player appear in the press mainly for her looks, I cannot help but worry. But one thing is certain: this tournament has succeeded in providing a quality arena for female players before they head to France. A logical schedule, the presence of champions, and the performances of young faces are all factors to assess the readiness of the national women's team. Bùi Xuân Vàng's next match on September 9 will be an important test. If she wins convincingly, she gains significant momentum. If she loses, questions will arise about the cost of competing in two disciplines. As for Nguyễn Đức Yến Sinh, winning this event would be a strong signal for her preparation. The limitation of this analysis is the lack of data on run counts and defensive abilities of each player. Carom is not just about scoring points; it is also about placing the cue ball in positions that leave opponents in trouble. I do not have enough video data to assess this precisely, but based on the 22–21 score, I can guess that Bùi Xuân Vàng's match was tense with many tactical shots. Finally, I want to emphasize that Vietnamese billiards has a generation of talented and ambitious female players. The 'Vietnamese Billiards World Cup' is just a name, but the values behind it are real: investment in domestic tournaments, thorough preparation for international events, and the fierce passion of women daring to pursue the dream of conquering world billiards. Their journey deserves attention, and I will wait to see results from the world championship in France. Is it possible that the appeal of a tournament lies not in its title, but in the people who dare to push boundaries to express themselves? This question will be answered through their shots on the path to conquering the international stage.