HO CHI MINH - The home country of Vietnam is again in the top five with five players on the second day of the World Cup in Ho Chi Minh and ended the day with nine group winners. Only the Koreans had six players competing for the prizes, completed by Japanese Takao Miyashita. The best in average was Van Ly Dao with one loss and 2,280. The Vietnamese lost to young Sam van Etten 30-27 in ten innings, but despite a 3,000 on average in that match, the Dutchman was eliminated.
Thanh Luc Tran led the ranking with 1.818 of the players with the maximum four match points followed by Hong Chiem Thai (1.578), Nguyen Chi Long (1.538), Van Phuoc Hieu Nguyen (1.538) and Ngoc Tri Nguyen (1.428). Sung Kyu Oh was the best of the six Koreans with 4 points and 1,428, Japanese Miyashita finished 1,250 in his group.
Sam van Etten did not survive in the group of death despite a world class match against Van Ly Dao, as he lost in his first match to 19-year-old Jaein Jung (30-28 in 27). The young Korean student from Incheon has already been admitted to the PBA ranks with a pro contract.
16-year old Turk Burak Hashas, recently crowned European under-17 champion, had a flashy start in the match against another Turk, Cem Cemal Geyik (30-8 in 13 innings), but lost his chances against Van Tai Nguyen 30-20 in 22. The Vietnamese was the group winner with 1.176, the young Turk was eliminated with an excellent average 1.428.
Two reserves, Muammer Rahmet and Jung Sub Kim, were allowed to go to the next round as replacements for two cancellations. Sam van Etten, who as the three times European junior champion in the balk-line games has shown his class in three cushion, has to return to the Netherlands after two appearances.
The third qualification day brings some more big names in the Vietnamese arena. Xuan Cuong Ma can be counted among the famous Vietnamese, Turgay Orak, Jose Maria Mas, Ji Hun Ahn, Tatsua Arai, Takeshima O, Ja In Kang, Tolgahan Kiraz, Jeffrey Jorissen, Francis Forton, Barry van Beers and Gerhard Kostistanski will certainly have a shot at the next sessions of this World Cup.
The top sixteen on the second day:
1 Thanh Luc Tran 4-1,818-10
2 Hong Chiem Thai 4-1,578-8
3 Nguyen Chi Long 4-1,538-12
4 Van Phuoc Hieu Nguyen 4-1,538-7
5 Ngoc Tri Nguyen 4-1,428-7
6 Sung Kyu Oh 4-1,428-7
7 Beom Yeol Lee 4-1,333-7
8 Takao Miyashita 4-1,250-7
9 Bong Joo Hwang 4-1,200-6
10 Van Tai Nguyen 4-1,176-7
11 Hyung Mook Lim 4-1,111-6
12 Viet Hoang Minh Thon 3-1,578-8
13 Yooh Wan Kim 3-1,200-5
14 Van Ly Dao 2-2,280-7
15 Bang Jeong Geuk 2-1,279-7
16 Luan Cao Phan Triet 2-1,180-8