HO CHI MINH CITY - The Ho Chi Minh City metropolis, with its rapidly growing population of 12 million people, is the center of global billiards again nex week. For the fourth time in a row, a World Cup is organized in the Vietnamese capital: from Monday 21 to Sunday 27 May. The new wave of Korean and Vietnamese billiard players in the World Cups is a guarantee for an interesting clash with the European ranked top players. Frédéric Caudron is the current number one, Haeng-Jik Kim is the best rated Asian player, Minh Cam Ma is the Vietnamese champion.
The Nguyen Du Stadium, named after one of the many millions Nguyens in the country, is preparing for the arrival of 150 admitted players, of whom 45 are from South Korea with another 25 Koreans on the reserve list. Among all the famous names from the three cushion world top, many young players will show up in Vietnam, with among others the Spaniard David Martinez, the Japanese Yusuke Mori and the Dutchman Sam van Etten. The Vietnamese expected talents are Le Thanh Tien and Ngo Quang Hai. The young Korean star player Myung Woo Cho, absent at the World Cup in Antalya, returns on the main stage. Torbjörn Blomdahl makes his come-back after a small medical procedure.
The Vietnamese come to the start with six contenders for a high ranking: Nguyen Quoc Nguyen, Quyet Chien Tran (wild card), Minh Cam Ma (wild card), Anh Vu Duong, Xuan Cuong Ma and Dinh Nai Ngo. The most routine player, Anh Vu Duong, says that there are about 10.000 billiard players in Ho Chi Minh. ,,We expect a lot of spectators, more than 1000 for the last three days.'' The entre tickes are 5 US dollars per day. ,,We are ready for a wonderful World Cup in our great city.''
The seeded players, who start in the main tournament on Friday are:
Frédéric Caudron
Eddy Merckx
Dick Jaspers
Marco Zanetti
Haeng-Jik Kim
Torbjörn Blomdahl
Dani Sánchez
Sameh Sidhom
Murat Naci Coklu
Nguyen Quoc Nguyen
Jung-Han Heo
Sung-Won Choi
Jérémy Bury
Nikos Polychronopoulos.
The Korean Jae-Ho Cho, who won the Asian title, starts in the final qualification round. Frédéric Caudron won the Belgian cup last week, Murat Naci Coklu won his second Grand Prix in Turkey in a row, Dani Sánchez plays for the Spanish championship in Madrid this weekend, which he already won 18 times. The Swede David Pennör is one of the qualification players. He won the Swedish championship last week beating Torbjörn Blomdahl in the final.
The most known players in final qualifying day are Jae-Ho Cho, Dong-Koong Kang, Semih Sayginer, Jae-Guen Kim, Dinh Nai Ngo, Tayfun Tasdemir, Eddy Leppens, Myung Woo Cho, David Martinez, Roland Forthomme, Lütfi Cenet and Anh Vu Duong.
The first pre-rounds start on Monday at 11.00, the time difference with Western Europe is five hours. Kozoom will broadcast all matches live, from the last qualifications a Premium Pass is required.
Nguyen Quoc Nguyen, the best ranked Vietnamese player