HBSF Tour 2 – MIN Table Cup: Bùi Xuân Vàng faces double challenge, Vietnamese women’s billiards scene rises

When the schedule for the HBSF Billiards Tour 2 – MIN Table Cup was released in early September, many eyes turned to Group C of the women’s three-cushion carom event and asked: Can Bùi Xuân Vàng, the national women’s pool champion, really play two contrasting disciplines at the same tournament? On the morning of September 9, the answer began to unfold as Vàng stepped into the group-deciding match against Nguyễn Ngọc Phương Anh, before having to rush to the pool tables to play her opening match in her strongest discipline. Taking place in Ho Chi Minh City and organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Billiards & Snooker Federation (HBSF), the tournament attracted nearly 310 players across four events: men’s and women’s three-cushion carom, and men’s and women’s pool. Vietnamese fans have nicknamed it the “World Cup of Vietnamese billiards” both because of its scale and professional depth, and because of a generation of female players who combine achievement with media appeal. But beneath the attractive surface lies something deeper: this event is also a crucial warm-up before the Women’s World Championship in France after September 11, where Nguyễn Đức Yến Sinh, Nguyễn Thị Liên and Nguyễn Thị Bích Trâm will represent Vietnam. In the women’s three-cushion group stage, Nguyễn Đức Yến Sinh – the reigning Asian and national champion – sent a strong message by defeating Mỹ Duyên 25–9. This was not just a one-sided scoreline; it showed her ability to sustain long breaks and finish with precise three-cushion solutions. If she keeps this form in the knockout rounds, she is a clear contender for the upcoming trip to France. The most intriguing story, however, belongs to Bùi Xuân Vàng. In the morning carom session, she edged past Nguyễn Thị Thu 22–21 – a tight score that reflected the pressure of a match where every small error could shift the balance. A few hours later, Vàng had to move to the pool area for her first pool match. Recovery time was almost nonexistent, while the two disciplines demand entirely different feel, stroke mechanics and tactical thinking. Three-cushion carom requires the cue ball to hit at least three cushions before reaching the second object ball, while pool emphasises cue-ball control on a smaller, pocketed table. Appearing in both disciplines on the same opening day puts a question mark over how Vàng manages stamina and mental focus. Looking at her credentials, the national women’s pool title shows she is among the best in pocket billiards. But when she switches to carom, she faces players who have spent years specialising in three-cushion patterns, such as Nguyễn Đức Yến Sinh and Lê Thị Ngọc Huệ. Her 22–21 victory, therefore, is not pure luck. It came from reading the table, choosing safe shots and keeping calm at decisive moments. Still, the tight margin suggests Vàng is not yet completely comfortable in carom – she has the break power, but lacks the smoothness needed for long three-cushion patterns. From a tactical perspective, her decision to play carom is like a psychological lever: if she can hold her own against three-cushion specialists, she will enter the pool event feeling that every situation is under control. At the same time, the risk is obvious. Playing two disciplines forces the body to constantly switch between the wrist-heavy mechanics of carom and the smoother shots of pool. If the schedule drags on because of extra play-off rounds, Vàng could suffer from overload. Past experience shows that many two-discipline players have paid a price as they go deeper: they lose the touch in their main discipline because the body has become accustomed to the rhythm of the other game. Behind the stories of stars like Vàng lies a new generation of Vietnamese female players growing day by day. Huỳnh Hoa, born in 2026 in Cần Thơ, made an impressive debut by losing narrowly to Lê Thị Ngọc Huệ, the SEA Games champion. The point is not the score, but her attitude. After the match, Hoa said she “learned a lot” and promised to return at the next HBSF stop. For a young player newly exposed to the spotlight, losing to an experienced senior can be a more important stepping stone than an easy win. But observers also remain cautious: not every young talent has the mental strength to turn a loss into long-term motivation. The media’s attention this time has focused on the “hot girls” of Vietnamese women’s billiards – from Nguyễn Đức Yến Sinh and Bùi Xuân Vàng to Huỳnh Hoa, Tú Trinh and Nguyễn Phương Thủy Tiên. This is both an opportunity and a risk. The opportunity is that female players can attract sponsorship and new fans to a sport that still has a niche audience. The risk is that professional achievements may be overshadowed by off-table stories. In a truly international event like the next World Championship, French reporters and fans will not care much about beauty. They will look at the scoreboard, the technical stats, the way a player handles tricky three-cushion layouts and the nerves at key moments. If the domestic media keeps exploiting looks over performance, the players themselves will be the ones who suffer when they step onto the world stage. Meanwhile, the absence of Dương Quốc Hoàng – often called Vietnam’s best male player – has created a notable gap. Without “Hoàng Sao”, the organisers still have enough pull with the women’s stars, but the technical level of the men’s three-cushion event is certainly weaker. The fact that a tournament nicknamed “World Cup of Vietnamese billiards” misses its number-one male star is a signal that the domestic calendar still clashes with international events. On a broader level, it reveals a reality that this writer has observed for many years: Vietnamese cueists are constantly racing against a tight schedule, from national events to international flights, and they do not always have enough recovery time. Bùi Xuân Vàng or Nguyễn Đức Yến Sinh may be experienced competitors, but biological time remains their toughest rival. Looking back at the years before the pandemic, Vietnamese billiards saw many tournaments branded as “World Cups” that were merely amateur events lacking data and financial transparency. What makes this HBSF Tour 2 different is the improved organisation – from arranging a suitable schedule for female players before their trip to France, to the involvement of sponsor MIN Table, a billiards table brand. These factors show a domestic billiards ecosystem slowly moving from spontaneous play to a professional community where equipment, organisers, athletes and fans are connected. Still, a clear-headed perspective is needed. The technical data produced so far is still thin. We only know the results of some group matches involving title contenders, but there are no statistics on long runs, safety-play percentages or performance under pressure. Concluding that Nguyễn Đức Yến Sinh will win the world title just because she won 25–9 would be premature. Three-cushion billiards is a game of consistency, where one bad hit can ruin a set and a small mistake in the early rounds can push you into a much tougher knockout bracket. For Bùi Xuân Vàng specifically, the group-deciding match against Nguyễn Ngọc Phương Anh tonight is a turning point with two possible meanings. If she finishes top of Group C in carom, the psychological pressure will shift to her opponents in the pool event, because a player who can handle multiple tasks at the same time is always intimidating. But if she loses, negative energy could stick with her for the rest of the tournament. This observation comes from my own experience watching many World Cups and international events – successful two-discipline players know how to separate their mental states: they treat each match like a box, not allowing the previous result to affect the next one. Vàng must do exactly that now. Looking at the big picture, HBSF Tour 2 is showing a clear rejuvenation in Vietnamese women’s billiards. There are no longer just one or two dominant names; there is a group of at least five players who can compete at continental level: Nguyễn Đức Yến Sinh, Bùi Xuân Vàng, Lê Thị Ngọc Huệ, Nguyễn Thị Liên and newcomer Huỳnh Hoa. Having multiple young faces in the group stage does not only improve the technical level but also creates a better training environment. When players spar with each other every week, their standard will gradually rise. At the time this article was written, the organisers have not released details about prize money, but holding this event just before the World Championship suggests that HBSF Tour 2 is part of a long-term preparation plan for the national women’s team. Nguyễn Đức Yến Sinh, together with teammates Nguyễn Thị Liên and Nguyễn Thị Bích Trâm, will leave for France after the tournament ends. That is likely why the women’s carom event is scheduled to finish on September 11 – giving the players more time to travel, adapt to local conditions and adjust to time-zone changes. No one can deny the appeal of attractive faces around the table. But billiards, like many other sports, is honoured through technique and achievements. Fans may initially come because of a debutant’s looks, but they will only celebrate a well-executed break or a cold-blooded shot. If the media can place beauty correctly in a secondary role, HBSF Tour 2 will become a real measuring stick for Vietnamese billiards. If it continues to chase sensational stories, we lose what really matters. As I always say, “I open the contract before I open my mouth” – meaning that to understand a tournament, you must look at results, data and organisation, not promotional hype. A short tournament, backed by a billiards table brand, with almost 310 players and less than one week of play – does it truly deserve the title “World Cup of Vietnamese billiards”? The answer depends on what happens on the tables from now until the final. If the champions keep progressing and then fly to France to make an impact, the title will be carved into the fans’ memory. But if it all turns out to be a routine warm-up, where beautiful faces are pushed to the front and weak numbers are hidden behind the scenes, then this is just a training event. Vietnamese female players do not need another showcase. They need a real tournament to test themselves against the world. The HBSF Tour 2 story is therefore still unfinished. Cue balls are rolling, and every three-cushion shot carries a dream named Vietnam.