Female players double up in contrasting disciplines as “VN Billiards World Cup” heats up

Nearly 310 players gathered in Ho Chi Minh City for the 2026 HBSF Billiards Tour 2 – MIN Table Cup from September 5 to 11. Although not an official World Cup event, local fans call it the “VN Billiards World Cup” because it brings together many of Vietnam’s top players. The biggest storyline is Bùi Xuân Vàng, the reigning national women’s pool champion, who is competing in both pool and carom 3-cushion in the same tournament. In women’s carom, Asian and national champion Nguyễn Đức Yến Sinh opened with a 25–9 win over Mỹ Duyên. Bùi Xuân Vàng edged Nguyễn Thị Thu 22–21. Meanwhile, 2026-born debutant Huỳnh Hoa from Cần Thơ lost narrowly to SEA Games champion Lê Thị Ngọc Huệ but said she had learned valuable lessons and would return. The women’s carom event ends on September 11 so leading players such as Nguyễn Đức Yến Sinh, Nguyễn Thị Liên and Nguyễn Thị Bích Trâm can travel to France for the 2026 Women’s World Championship. The absence of Dương Quốc Hoàng reduces star power in the men’s bracket, but the women’s field offers unusual depth. From a data perspective, group-stage results are still a small sample; the real test comes in the knockout rounds from September 9 to 11. The “hot girl” media angle should not obscure the fact that Vietnam’s women players are solving genuine technical challenges as they prepare for the international stage.