Inside Vietnam's 'Billiards World Cup': Bùi Xuân Vàng's dual-discipline gamble and Yến Sinh's timely signal before France

On the morning of September 9, on a carom table placed near the window inside the Ho Chi Minh City Billiards & Snooker Federation headquarters, Bùi Xuân Vàng leaned down, set the cue ball in a tight angle, and stroked the cue so that the ball touched three cushions before meeting the object ball. The shot followed the intended line. When the match ended, she left the table with a 22-21 victory. A few hours later, she stood beside a pool table, where there were no cushions to count and no object ball to chase, only six pockets waiting. One tournament, two disciplines, two different languages of cue control. The tournament's official name is the 2026 HBSF Billiards Tour 2 – Cup MIN Table, organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Billiards & Snooker Federation (HBSF). Vietnamese fans have nicknamed it the "Vietnamese Billiards World Cup" because of its scale: nearly 310 players, four events running at the same time, and a female cast that made the stands fuller than usual. That nickname has no place in the international ranking system, but it captures the atmosphere of a domestic event trying to turn itself into a gathering point for the entire billiards community before the World Championship. This year's stop lines up with a crucial milestone. On September 11, the women's 3-cushion carom event will close so that players such as Nguyễn Đức Yến Sinh, Nguyễn Thị Liên and Nguyễn Thị Bích Trâm can travel to France for the Women's World Championship. The matches here therefore read as a final tune-up before a long flight. A player can use this tournament to test new tactical approaches, but she can also burn energy if she goes too deep into the bracket. Nguyễn Đức Yến Sinh was among the most anticipated competitors. As the reigning Asian champion and national champion, she entered her opening match against Mỹ Duyên and finished with a 25-9 score. On a 3-cushion carom table, that kind of victory does not merely reflect the number of scoring visits. It shows that her opponent's rhythm was broken: when Yến Sinh was at the table, she usually kept her scoring runs going; when Mỹ Duyên got her turn, the gaps between scoring chances were wide enough for the margin to grow. One match, however dominant, remains too small a sample to judge form. But it sends a clear signal: the Asian champion has good cushion feel at exactly the right moment. She knows how to produce a statement score before boarding a plane, and that carries real psychological weight. On the other side of the hall, Bùi Xuân Vàng created a more intriguing technical story. The reigning national women's pool champion entered both pool and 3-cushion carom. The gap between the two disciplines is far wider than a casual glance suggests. 3-cushion carom is played on a pocketless table; the cue ball must contact three cushions before reaching the second object ball, and the player lives by cushion feel, force and geometry. Pool is played on a smaller table with pockets, demanding precision in potting as well as cue-ball control after contact. A stroke that is correct in one discipline can become a mistake in the other simply because of differences in cloth, cushion behavior and positional logic. Vàng chose to walk through both worlds. In Group C of the women's 3-cushion carom event, she beat Nguyễn Thị Thu 22-21, a tight scoreline that suggested a point-for-point contest. On the morning of September 9, she returned to the carom table to compete for first place in her group against Nguyễn Ngọc Phương Anh, then played her first pool match the same day. That kind of dense schedule does not allow her to favor a single feel of the cue ball. She has to switch between two technical systems, and the 22-21 win can be read in two ways: an experienced player who knows how to win even when she is not at her best version, or a player still wearing her pool shoes stepping into a carom arena. The answer will come in the next rounds, especially if Vàng advances in both events. If she goes deep in both, the physical and mental load will grow. If she is forced to choose one battle, that decision will also be valuable data: pool is where she holds the title, while carom is a testing ground. Meanwhile, the younger generation began to take the spotlight through performance. Huỳnh Hoa, born in 2026 and from Cần Thơ, lost narrowly in her first major tournament against Lê Thị Ngọc Huệ, a SEA Games gold medalist. The defeat did not come with a pretty scoreline, but it carried a notable detail: Huỳnh Hoa said she will return at the next tour stop. In a tournament where much of the attention goes to players labeled "hot girls," that kind of statement reminds the audience that appearance is not the only thing brought to the table. Tú Trinh, Nguyễn Phương Thủy Tiên and many other female players also helped create a colorful picture, but lasting value still lies in how they handle each shot. It is also worth noting the absences. Dương Quốc Hoàng, nicknamed Hoàng Sao, did not appear this time, and his absence removed a male star who usually draws media attention. The loss of one star does not break a tournament, but it shows that the "Vietnamese Billiards World Cup" still depends on individuals, like most domestic events. On the women's side, the story is moving the opposite way: instead of waiting for a single star, spectators are seeing at least three layers of players overlap – the established champion, the player testing her limits across two disciplines, and the newcomer who just tasted defeat on a big stage. Media lights may emphasize looks, but matches such as 25-9 or 22-21 will tell the professional story if the audience bothers to look at the scoreboard. For now, Bùi Xuân Vàng has a long day ahead, shifting between carom and pool. Nguyễn Đức Yến Sinh has a victory to keep her rhythm before flying to France. Huỳnh Hoa has a promise to return. The tournament is still in the group stage, and what is happening in Ho Chi Minh City is only the visible part of a longer preparation process. The biggest question is not about the "World Cup" nickname or which face will appear more on social media. It is about whether these players can keep their form when they step onto the international stage, where there is no home crowd and no applause reserved for beautiful faces. The results will answer with numbers, and that is all that remains after the lights go out.