On the morning of September 25, in Phan Thiet city, Binh Thuan, the opening ceremony of the 76th World Individual 3-Cushion Billiards Championship took place. This is the first time Binh Thuan has organized a world-class Billiards Tournament.
The 76th World Individual 3-Cushion Billiards Championship is the world's most prestigious tournament in the 3-Cushion Carom category under the official competition system.
The tournament took place from September 25 to 29 in Phan Thiet city with the participation of 48 top players from 26 countries and territories belonging to the Billiards Federations of Europe, America, Asia, Africa - Middle East.
Vietnam has 7 players participating: Bao Phuong Vinh, Tran Quyet Chien, Nguyen Van Tai, Tran Thanh Luc, Le Thanh Tien, Tran Duc Minh, Chiem Hong Thai.
Mr. Farouk Barki, President of the World Carom Billiards Federation, declared the tournament open, expressing his belief that Binh Thuan province and the Vietnam Billiards & Snooker Federation will successfully host this world championship.
Mr. Nguyen Hong Hai, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Binh Thuan province, said that organizing the 76th World Individual 3-Cushion Billiards Carom Championship is both an honor, an opportunity and a challenge for the province as it represents Vietnam for the first time. With the highest sense of responsibility, he believes that the tournament will be successful.
After the opening ceremony, the players entered the competition. There were 4 tables competing at the same time. There were referees on duty, a timer, and scores updated on the electronic board. Behind there was a grandstand for the audience to sit and watch.
In the first round, Vietnamese player Chiem Hong Thai competed with Turkish player Turgay Orak. As a result, Chiem Hong Thai had the first victory for Vietnam Carom Billiards with a score of 40-27.
The qualifying matches are divided into 16 groups (3 players each) to select the 32 best players to compete in the knockout round from the round of 16 to the quarterfinals, semi-finals and finals. The final match will take place on the afternoon of September 29, followed by a closing ceremony and award ceremony.
Hosting a world-scale sporting event not only gradually improves the professionalism in the organization, but also provides an opportunity to promote the image, culture and people of Binh Thuan.
