Quyet Chien and Phuong Vinh to compete against South Korean opponents in the knockout stage of the Asian Championship

Vietnam's number one player, Tran Quyet Chien, now knows his rival in the knockout stage of the three-cushion carom discipline at the 2026 Asian Billiards Championship. He is set to take on South Korean cueist Kim Haeng Jik in what is seen as the marquee matchup of the last 16.

Earlier, on May 7,Tran Quyet Chiendelivered a world-class performance to top Group C with a perfect winning record.

In the opening match, Vietnam's leading cueist comfortably defeated Takahashi Tomotaka of Japan 40-22. He then beat South Korea's Lim Jung Deok 40-20 to complete an flawless group stage.

Having secured first place in Group C,Tran Quyet Chienadvances to the round of 16, where he will take on Kim Haeng Jik, one of South Korea's top billiards players. Kim Haeng Jik has won three World Cup titles.

The clash between Quyet Chien and Kim Haeng Jik is regarded as the pivotal encounter of the first knockout round. It is not only a battle between two world-class players but also a showdown between Asia's two strongest billiards nations—Vietnam and South Korea.

Besides Quyet Chien,Vietnamese billiardshas several other representatives in the round of 16. Bao Phuong Vinh navigated a tense "group of death" to advance, thanks to a better scoring average than Nguyen Huu Thanh and Umeda Ryuji.

Bao Phuong Vinh's next opponent will be the reigning world champion,Cho Myung Woo,the current world number one. This poses an extreme challenge for the home player.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Dinh Quoc won all three matches to top Group D. Le Thanh Tien also impressed by defeating Arai Tatsuo in a decisive match to secure his spot in the next round.

Other Vietnamese cueists, including Thanh Luc, Hoan Tat, Van Tai, and Hao Tri, have also made it to the knockout stage, creating an interesting balance as both Vietnam and South Korea have eight representatives in the top 16.

The 2026 Asian Carom Billiards Championship is being held from May 7 to 10 in Ho Chi Minh City, bringing together many of the continent's top players. The three-cushion carom event will conclude on May 8 with the round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, and final all taking place consecutively.

Vietnamese billiards fans are hoping that Tran Quyet Chien and the home players will take advantage of their home ground to achieve a remarkable feat against the formidable South Korean stars.