Female cueists compete in two contrasting events, joined by hot girls at “Vietnamese Billiards World Cup”

Bui Xuan Vang chooses the hard path

Amid the continuous sound of billiards at the HBSF Billiards Tour 2 – Cup MIN Table, Bui Xuan Vang stepping away from the three-cushion carom table and quickly preparing for her first pool match made an undeniable impression. The national women's pool champion didn't come to Ho Chi Minh City only to defend her specialty. She registered for two contrasting events: carom 3-cushion and pool. The tournament is nicknamed “Vietnamese Billiards World Cup”, with nearly 310 players across four events, but the real technical story lies in such parallel choices.

Tournament background

The HBSF Billiards Tour 2 – Cup MIN Table is held in Ho Chi Minh City and organised by the Ho Chi Minh City Billiards & Snooker Federation. It is a stop on the domestic tour, featuring nearly 310 cueists. Women players are not competing only for trophies; they also treat the tournament as a springboard to international competition.

The women's three-cushion carom event is scheduled to finish on September 11, just before Nguyễn Đức Yến Sinh, Nguyễn Thị Liên and Nguyễn Thị Bích Trâm fly to France for the Women's World Championship. Many group-stage matches therefore serve as dress rehearsals rather than mere battles for titles. Organisers also receive support from MIN Table, showing the link between the tournament and the sports equipment industry.

Impressive form from Nguyen Duc Yen Sinh

In her opening match in the women's carom group, Nguyễn Đức Yến Sinh impressed with a 25-9 win over Mỹ Duyên. The margin shows a clear gap in class. Yến Sinh is the reigning Asian champion and national champion, so her decisive victory was not a huge surprise. The more important point is how she controlled the game, scoring long runs and giving her opponent little chance to fight back.

In three-cushion carom, each legal contact scores one point. A player can score many consecutive points in one visit by maintaining the right trajectory and ball position. The 25-9 win suggests Yến Sinh had long scoring runs and minimized her opponent's opportunities. That is a sign of peak form at exactly the right time before an international tournament.

Bui Xuan Vang: between two worlds

Unlike Yến Sinh, Bùi Xuân Vàng competes simultaneously in two technically different disciplines. In her Group C women's carom match, she won narrowly 22-21 against Nguyễn Thị Thu. That result reflects the challenge of switching between carom and pool. While pool is a pocket billiards game with diverse cue-ball techniques, three-cushion carom requires precise calculation of ball paths and cushion contact.

Bùi Xuân Vàng is known as the national pool champion. Competing in carom could be seen as a personal challenge, but it also signals that Vietnamese women's carom is looking to recruit new talent from pool players. However, the 22-21 scoreline shows that moving between the two disciplines is far from easy. A player accustomed to pool's table feel needs time to adapt to the cushions, stroke and positional logic of a carom table. In this match, experience helped her prevail, but going deep in both events will create much more pressure.

Notably, on September 9 Bùi Xuân Vàng will play Nguyễn Ngọc Phương Anh for first place in carom Group C. Also on that day, she begins her first match in the pool event. Without a well-adjusted schedule, fatigue and mental stress are real risks. This is one of the biggest challenges of entering two events at the same tournament.

Huynh Hoa – a promising new face

Among young players, Huỳnh Hoa, born in 2026 and from Cần Thơ, attracts attention because of her looks. But her performance in her first major tournament is more noteworthy. Although she lost narrowly to Lê Thị Ngọc Huệ, a SEA Games medallist, Huỳnh Hoa left many positive signs. She said she learned more skills and would return at the next tour stop.

A close defeat on debut can be motivation or pressure, depending on how she handles it. For a young player, competing against veteran opponents helps long-term development. Huỳnh Hoa is not just a pretty face; she also has professional potential worth following.

The “hot girl” appeal and the media trap

The tournament gets attention because of female players nicknamed “hot girls”, such as Tú Trinh, Nguyễn Phương Thủy Tiên and others. Media coverage of their beauty helps the event spread on social media. However, this also creates a trap. When news focuses more on appearance than results, the professional value of female players can be underestimated. A tournament nicknamed “Vietnamese Billiards World Cup” should be judged by beautiful carom shots and convincing victories, not only by glamorous photos.

In reality, Vietnamese women's billiards is developing genuine talent. Nguyễn Đức Yến Sinh is a clear example. Lê Thị Ngọc Huệ has competed at SEA Games. Bùi Xuân Vàng has proved herself in pool. These are signs that the talent pool is getting deeper, not just relying on one star. Young faces like Huỳnh Hoa further confirm that Vietnamese women's billiards is evolving.

Schedule concerns before the world championship

A systemic issue is fixture congestion. The women's carom event ending on September 11, with players flying to France immediately after, is a reasonable approach. But if players such as Bùi Xuân Vàng or any national team player go deep in multiple events, recovery and travel time will be tight. This raises questions about how each player will manage their energy over consecutive days.

Usually, an international player needs at least a few days to adjust to time-zone differences, table quality and playing conditions. A dense calendar increases the risk of fatigue and loss of form. This is not unique to billiards; it is a common issue in modern sport.

Absence of Duong Quoc Hoang: opportunity for new names

Among the men, the tournament lacks Dương Quốc Hoàng, considered Vietnam's top male player. His absence may reduce interest slightly, but it also creates opportunities for others to establish themselves. With nearly 310 players, surprises are inevitable. Young or lesser-known players can use his absence to create a career boost.

From a professional standpoint, the women's group remains the highlight. The competition among Yến Sinh, Lê Thị Ngọc Huệ, Bùi Xuân Vàng and the young wave led by Huỳnh Hoa promises dramatic knockout matches.

What to expect next

The September 9 match between Bùi Xuân Vàng and Nguyễn Ngọc Phương Anh will be a key test. If Vàng wins Group C in carom, she gains confidence for the pool event. If she loses, she may need to reconsider how much energy to spend on each discipline. For Nguyễn Đức Yến Sinh, winning the HBSF Tour 2 title would send a strong message to rivals in France. For Huỳnh Hoa, the story is just beginning.

Whether the “Vietnamese Billiards World Cup” nickname is official or not, it shows the ambition to raise domestic tournaments to a new level. The presence of beautiful and talented female players is living proof. The tournament is still in the group stage, but scores like 25-9, 22-21 and a debutant's narrow loss are already painting a vivid picture of Vietnamese women's billiards before the world championship.