Bao Phuong Vinh breaks into world's top five in billiards rankings
VOV.VN - Bao Phuong Vinh has climbed to fifth in the latest world three-cushion billiards rankings, making him Vietnam’s highest-ranked player, while the country has four representatives in the world’s top 20, according to the Union Mondiale de Billard (UMB).
In the World Players Ranking, version 24/2026, released on November 8, Bao Phương Vinh earned 296 points, just two behind fourth-placed Berkay Karakurt of Türkiye. Belgium’s Eddy Merckx leads the standings with 474 points, followed by the Republic of Korea’s Cho Myung-woo with 458 and Egypt’s Sameh Sidhom with 327.
Vietnam also has Tran Thanh Luc in 14th place with 230 points, Chiem Hong Thai in 17th with 178, and Tran Quyet Chien in 18th with 153.
The rankings followed the Yanggu World Cup 2026, which concluded in the Republic of Korea on November 8 with Merckx claiming the title. Three Vietnamese players – Bao Phuong Vinh, Tran Thanh Luc and Quyet Chien – reached the quarter-finals, although none advanced to the last four.
Quyet Chien made headlines with a 50-23 victory over home favourite Cho Myung-woo in the round of 16, producing a 16-point run during the match. Cho had won three World Cup titles in 2026, in Bogota, Ankara and Lier.
The Vietnamese player’s campaign ended in the quarter-finals with a 32-50 defeat to Dutch veteran Dick Jaspers. Despite the impressive win over Cho, Quyet Chien dropped to 18th in the rankings after losing points under the UMB's points-protection system. His quarter-final finish in Yanggu yielded fewer points than the runner-up result he achieved at the 2025 Ankara World Cup.
Merckx secured the Yanggu title with a 50-23 win over Dutch player Glenn Hofman in the final.
The final World Cup event of 2026 is scheduled to take place in Egypt from December 6 to 12, giving Vietnamese players another opportunity to improve their world rankings.
Vietnamese cueist makes history at 2026 Asian Carom Billiards Championship
VOV.VN -Vietnam’s Nguyen Duc Yen Sinh has marked a historic milestone for Vietnamese billiards after winning the women’s three-cushion carom title at the 2026 Asian Carom Billiards Championship in Ho Chi Minh City.
