BOGOTÁ - The first World Cup in 2024, in Bogotá, Colombia, is preparing for a final day today (Sunday) with two top-ten players in the world and two outsiders. Vietnamese Quyet Chien Tran, just turned 40, is the only one of the four to have won two World Cups, in Ho Chi Minh and in Porto. 36-year-old Egyptian Sameh Sidhom has a blank record as a World Cup winner, having played a final against Tran once (Porto 2023). Glenn Hofman (the youngest of the four, 34) stood on a podium once, last year in Sharm El Sheikh, Robinson Morales (the oldest, 46) never got this far in a World Cup. These four players from four continents are the protagonists on the final day of the World Cup in Bogotá.
They move up to a special final day without great champions like Dick Jaspers, Torbjörn Blomdahl, Marco Zanetti, Eddy Merckx, Myung Woo Cho, Tayfun Tasdemir and world champion Phuong Vinh Bao. Most of all exceptional is that the four finalists are from Asia (Tran), Europe (Hofman), South America (Morales) and Africa (Sidhom). Rarely in the last ten years is that no Korean will be on the podium of a World Cup, just as remarkable is the absence of one of Turkey's top players.
Quyet Chien Tran, who on Saturday was winner of the most curious match so far in this World Cup (40-39 against Tayfun Tasdemir) is the player with the best record among the four finalists. In front of his own crowd, he triumphed for 1500 frenzied spectators in Ho Chi Minh in 2018. Tran won 40-39 in the final over Dinh Nai Ngo, a Vietnamese who is in the semifinals of a PBA event on the same day, today. The two top 10 players in the Bogotá semi-finals (Tran at 5, Sidhom at 7) faced each other in last year's World Cup final in Porto. The Vietnamese won 50-30.
Sameh Sidhom mainly shone in the Porto and Las Vegas World Cups so far, in which he narrowly missed out on victory twice. The Egyptian is a multiple champion in his country and of the African continent. Glenn Hofman has no titles to his name yet, but has made striking progression since his return from the PBA. Hofman, after his two World Cup successes, is definitely the Netherlands' No 2, following Dick Jaspers. Robinson Morales, the Colombian who lives in Spain and performs in some four European competitions as a multiple winner, is very popular in Bogotá as a native of Colombia. He will certainly have the fans with him on finals day.
Quarter-finals
The best game in the quarter-finals on Saturday was Sameh Sidhom's victory over Dick Jaspers. The Dutchman was left behind by runs of 11 and 9 from his opponent in the 5th and 6th innings (30-12) and, despite one attack with 7, did not come close: 50-37 in 19. Quyet Chien Tran beat the last Turkish player, Tolgahan Kiraz with 50-33 in 34 and Robinson Morales celebrated his first moment of glory on the final days in the match against Seo with 50-28 in 28 innings.
Glenn Hofman, the Dutchman who, as in Sharm El Sheikh, shines with his high class and fighting spirit, is not impressed by big names and seems on his way to a high spot in the rankings. He first won on Saturday against Eddy Merckx 50-45 and later in the quarter-finals had no problem with Korean Bong Joo Hwang (50-31 in 27). Hofman started against Hwang with 1 carom in the first six innings and then opened the attack with 10, 3 and 8. The Korean only came back with 4 and 4 in the final part: 50-31 in 27.
Sameh Sidhom and Robinson Morales open the final gala today (Sunday 3 March) at 11.00 am in Colombia (17.00 Western Europe), Quyet Chien Tran play the next semi-final at 13.30 (19.30 Western Europe). The final is at 18.00 (12.00 Europe).
All matches can be seen live on AfreecaTV.
Quyet Chien Tran from Vietnam
Glenn Hofman from the Netherlands
Sameh Sidhom from Egypt
Robinson Morales from Colombia/Spain
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