Vietnamese billiard player shines at home, continuing the World Cup dream

The 2026 TP.HCM World Cup 3-Cushion Carom Billiards is witnessing an inspiring story named Chiêm Hồng Thái. Before the passionate support of the audience at Nguyễn Du Stadium, the player born in 1999 defeated legend Dick Jaspers, one of the greatest players in world 3-cushion carom history.

As a student of Vietnam's number one Trần Quyết Chiến, Chiêm Hồng Thái has long been regarded as one of the brightest talents inVietnamese billiards.

The player from Cần Thơ once won third place at the Porto World Cup 2022 and the national championship in 1-cushion carom in 2024. However, what the player born in 1999 has shown at this year's TP.HCM World Cup demonstrates remarkable growth in both skill and competitive spirit.

In the quarterfinal match on the evening of May 23, Hồng Thái faced Dick Jaspers, the world's number 3 player with 32 World Cup titles in his career.

Facing a monument of world billiards, many predictedHồng Tháiwould encounter great difficulties. In fact, Jaspers also held the advantage leading 25-17 after the first set.

But that was when the Vietnamese player's composure was most evident. As soon as he returned to the table, Hồng Thái unleashed an impressive 13-point series to turn the game around.

Not only did he score excellently, but he also maintained astonishing consistency in the following turns to continuously widen the gap. When the score reached 41-32, the fans in the Nguyễn Du stands began to sense an "earthquake" forming.

In the vibrant atmosphere of thousands of home fans, Hồng Thái played confidently to close the match with a convincing victory over the Dutch superstar. That was not only a ticket to the semifinals but also a victory that asserted the position of the young Vietnamese generation on the world stage.

After the match, Hồng Thái admitted: "There were times I felt great pressure when trailing after the first set. However, the support from the home fans gave me strength to regain my confidence. I hope more fans will come to watch me in the semifinals so I can have motivation to play well."

Those sincere words show that behind the strong image at the table is a player who always appreciates the affection of fans.

Hồng Thái's next challenge will be even tougher as he faces Belgian star Eddy Merckx. This player is currently world number 2, and the semifinal takes place at 11:30 on May 24. Eddy Merckx just displayed terrifying strength with a 50-23 victory over Kim Do Hyeon, including a series of up to 20 points.

Nevertheless, given what he has shown since the beginning of the tournament, Chiêm Hồng Thái has every right to dream of a new miracle. From a student who grew up under the guidance of Trần Quyết Chiến, he is gradually writing his own story.

And at the 2026 TP.HCM World Cup, amid the fervor of the home crowd, Chiêm Hồng Thái is becoming the greatest pride of Vietnamese billiards. Only two more matches remain, and the historic dream is still very close for the 26-year-old player.