On October 11, the 2025 Hanoi Open Pool Championship officially opened at My Dinh Indoor Athletics Sports Palace.
Despite the disadvantage of stormy weather, the tournament still attracted 256 players from 40 countries, creating an unprecedentedly vibrant and professional sports atmosphere in Vietnam.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ms. Bach Lien Huong - Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports expressed her appreciation for the contributions of organizers, international partners and fans.
She emphasized that the tournament is not only a place to perform at the highest level of expertise, but also a cultural bridge, contributing to promoting the image of Hanoi and Vietnam to the world.
This is considered the largest international billiards tournament ever held in Vietnam. This year's tournament brings together a cast of world-class stars such as defending champion Johann Chua, Fedor Gorst, Francisco Sanchez Ruiz and outstanding domestic players such as Duong Quoc Hoang, Dinh Chan Kiet...
Notably, for the first time Vietnam has a player in the top 16, Dinh Chan Kiet - considered an interesting unknown of the tournament.
Although the weather affected the schedule, the Organizing Committee promptly adjusted it, ensuring the tournament took place smoothly. At the same time, the tournament also spreads the spirit of humanity by donating 100 million VND from ticket money to support people in flooded areas, affirming the spirit of "Sports for the community".
Right after the opening ceremony, the matches in the 1/8 round and quarter-finals took place attractively. Unexpected events appeared when many strong candidates such as Johann Chua, Gorst and Ruiz had to stop early, making the tournament situation unpredictable.
The home team's great hope - Duong Quoc Hoang also soon stopped in the round of 16 after a narrow defeat to Philippine player, Roberto Gomez.
Meanwhile, Dinh Chan Kiet's performance is bringing great pride. From a lowly rated position, he has risen to the top 16 best players of the tournament, opening up hope for Vietnamese billiards in the international arena.
Hanoi Open Pool 2025 will end on October 12 with semi-finals and finals, promising to continue to bring fierce competition, contributing to affirming Vietnam's position on the world billiards map.
