Chiêm Hồng Thái and the major leap forward for Vietnamese billiards

Chiêm Hồng Thái was unable to finish his dream run at the 2026 World Cup 3-Cushion Carom in Ho Chi Minh City, falling to the legendary Frederic Caudron in the championship match. Nonetheless, considering the full scope of the event, the second-place finish earned by the 1999-born cueist remains a remarkable accomplishment, one that brings honor to both himself and Vietnamese billiards.

Entering the final at Nguyen Du Stadium on the afternoon of May 24,Chiêm Hồng Tháifaced the biggest possible challenge.

Across the table stood Frederic Caudron, the Belgian legend known as the "pool genius," one of the greatest players in the history of world 3-cushion carom.

Caudron's experience and class helped the battle-hardened nearly-60-year-old cueist win the final 50-25 in 22 innings, thus claiming his third title in Ho Chi Minh City after 2016 and 2019.

That result does not diminish Chiêm Hồng Thái's value. On the contrary, it only highlights how far the Vietnamese player has come in this year's tournament.

Before the 2026 World Cup in Ho Chi Minh City,Chiêm Hồng Tháiwas not considered a top contender for the championship. In fact, he only advanced thanks to tiebreaker criteria after the final qualifying round. Yet from that slim chance, the cueist from Can Tho created the most memorable journey of his career.

He successively overcame a series of strong opponents to march all the way to the final match. Notably, Hong Thai defeated world champion Bao Phuong Vinh, overcame superstar Dick Jaspers, and then beat Eddy Merckx—names that belong to the elite group of current world 3-cushion carom.

What is even more remarkable is that Chiêm Hồng Thái surpassed famous senior figures in Vietnamese billiards. While Tran Quyet Chien, Bao Phuong Vinh, Tran Thanh Luc, and Nguyen Tran Thanh Tu all exited early, Hong Thai became the only home representative to reach the final.

At 27 years old, the cueist from Can Tho still has plenty of time to develop. Compared to Caudron, Hong Thai is less than half the age of the 58-year-old player who has decades of top-level experience. These defeats will help Hong Thai gain further experience.

Reaching the final of a World Cup on home soil and consecutively defeating top world players will surely give him great confidence for the road ahead.

The 2026 World Cup in Ho Chi Minh Cityconcluded with the trophy going to Frederic Caudron. The Belgian legend once again proved why he is considered one of the greatest players in history. But Vietnam also has reason to be proud.

Chiêm Hồng Thái has shown that the new generation of Vietnamese billiards is fully capable of competing with the world's top names.

In the final, the home cueist received strong support from a large crowd at Nguyen Du Stadium, hoping to cheer onChiêm Hồng Thái. Although he did not achieve complete success, it is still a positive sign for the country's billiards. Vietnam remains a strong nation with many formidable 3-cushion carom players in the world.

Chiêm Hồng Thái could not touch the championship this time, but his journey in Ho Chi Minh City could be an important turning point to open up even greater successes in the future. With his talent, composure, and young age, the 27-year-old cueist still has many opportunities to continue writing his own World Cup dream.