World CupHo Chi Minh (Viet Nam)

Olympic level and fantastic ambiance

08/14/2015

Published by frits bakker

The Vietnamese player Duy Trung Nguyen is one of the new stars in Ho Chi Minh

HO CHI MINH – A Mister Pizza sticker on his sleeve, a little moustache, the pale black hair combed to the front in a tuft. Who in the world of 3-cushion knew this guy: Korean Dae Kwon Shin, who made his debut in the main draw of a World Cup and faced the famous Dick Jaspers? It looked like a walkover for a Dutchman, you were tempted to say. His opponent had survived two earlier rounds, once as seventh (1.333) and once as tenth (1.304). He's 728th on the world ranking, with only two points to his name. How could he ever pose a threat to Dick Jaspers, the world number three and winner of the Luxor World Cup?

But let's not jump to conclusions. Dae Kwon ran an early eleven and took a 22-15 lead after five innings. The match was played on an unbelievably high level: 4.600 and 3.337 average after six innings. Jaspers had to dig really deep to get on top of the Korean ninja. He managed to stay ahead, if just barely: 40 - 37 in 13, with Dae Kwon Shin still having the equalizer.

He used it well, ran three and the scoreboard showed the best ever draw in a World Cup: 40 - 40 in 13, the previous record being a 40 - 40 in 14 between Torbjörn Blomdahl and Jae Ho Cho in Guri. The shootout turned into a drama for Jaspers: under tremendous pressure he missed the break, and Dae made the one point he needed to grasp his victory.

Of the thirteen Europeans in the field, nine went to the last sixteen. A ten Korean contingent was reduced to three, Vietnam saw three of its six players advance. One African, Sameh Sidhom also made it. If this was a boxing match, it looks like a technical K.O. for Europe after only one round.

After twelve of the sixteen matches, the level was historic, thanks also to Shin and Jaspers' record match. The twelve winners had produced 480 points in 228 innings: a 2.105 average for the field. Two runs of seventeen, three matches with a 3.076 average, and ten winners above the 2.000 mark.

Dani Sánchez showed brilliant form against Tae Jun Oh, when he went from 23 - 20 to the finish in two runs: ten and seven. Roland Forthomme played the tiles off the roof and also Marco Zanetti, Quyet Chien Tran, Frédéric Caudron and Tayfun Tasdemir were on a superb level.

Dick Jaspers became probably the best nr. 17 in a World Cup ever, with a 3.076 average. Vinh Ly The, Jérémy Bury, Jean Paul de Bruijn, Tae Jun Oh and Dong Koong Kang were also sent home despite really good averages.

Dick Jaspers and Dae Kwon Shin starting their historical match

Three cushion has entered into a new era, in the Ho Chi Minh sports arena, with a new future. Who dares to think back to the days of Raymond Ceulemans, when silence was sacred and every little cough was greeted with angry looks?

Marco Zanetti, Dick Jaspers, Jérémy Bury, Roland Forthomme, they will all have to get used to this. This World Cup is a breakthrough: the cheers and shouts from the stands are non-stop, sometimes there are group chants and standing ovations. Silence in the arena is a rarity. The ambiance is fantastic, and it inspires the players to do great deeds.