Tran Quyet Chien conquers prestigious billiards medal

Tran Quyet Chien received great honor

Among the Vietnamese athletes attending the Games in China this time, Tran Quyet Chien is the only representative competing in the men's 3-cushion carom billiards event. This is the third consecutive time the Ha Tinh native has participated in the World Games. The previous two times (2017 in Poland and 2022 in the US), the number 1 Vietnamese player reached the quarterfinals. This time, Tran Quyet Chien's goal is nothing other than breaking that limit and reaching the prestigious medal. "Up to now, I have not owned a World Games medal. Therefore, my goal is to win a medal in this arena. If I win the gold medal, it will be truly wonderful," Tran Quyet Chien shared.

PHOTO: THU BON

The men's 3-cushion carom billiards content of the 2025 World Games has 12 players competing. Accordingly, Tran Quyet Chien is in Group C with Jeremy Bury (France) and Luiz Martinez (Colombia). Today (August 11), Tran Quyet Chien will play the opening match of the group stage against Jeremy Bury. The French player is one of the veterans of the world's 3-cushion carom village, with a very solid playing style. Quyet Chien and Bury have met many times in tournaments under the UMB system (World Carom Billiards Organization). In the most recent World Cup billiards stage held in Porto (Portugal) in early July, Bury reached the final.

After the opening match, Tran Quyet Chien faced the player from Colombia - Luiz Martinez. Although Martinez is not rated as highly as Bury, the Colombian player is still unpredictable, especially when competing in big tournaments like the World Games. However, if he plays at his best, the task of passing the group stage to participate in the knockout round is not too difficult for the number 1 player in Vietnam. Accordingly, the top two players in each group will compete in the quarterfinals.

With his extensive experience and current form, Tran Quyet Chien is expected to go far at the 2025 World Games. Before going to China, Tran Quyet Chien had an impressive warm-up performance. Vietnam's No. 1 player won the championship at the HBSF stage 2 organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Billiards and Snooker Federation on August 5. This title not only has spiritual significance for Quyet Chien, but also affirms that he is in good shape to enter a larger arena. "After a long time of not competing, if I compete in the World Games right away, I might not be able to catch up. That's why the recent HBSF tournament played an important role in preparing me for the tournament in China," said the Vietnamese player.