Vietnamese cueist Ngô Đình Nại, No 21 in the PBA Tour ranking, is one of 124 male players taking part in the PBA-LPBA SY Bazzar Hà Nội Open 2024. Photos courtesy of VietContent

 HÀ NỘI — The prestigious PBA Tour is making its debut in Việt Nam, as the organising committee officially announced during a press briefing on August 22 in Hà Nội.

The Professional Billiards Association (PBA), a South Korean commercial billiards organisation, initially operated on a national level but has seen significant international growth since its inaugural season in 2019.

Now in its sixth season, the organisers have chosen to move the tournament from the Korean border to Việt Nam, recognising the country as a 'rising star in the billiards world.'

Titled the PBA-LPBA SY Bazaar Hà Nội Open 2024, the competition features 192 cueists from leading three-cushion centres such as South Korea, Japan, Spain, Turkey, and Việt Nam. The event is being held at the Grand Plaza Hà Nội Hotel from August 19-26.

Việt Nam is represented by 27 players, including top national talents like Mã Minh Cẩm, Nguyễn Quốc Nguyện, and Ngô Đình Nại.

"I'm very happy to compete in Việt Nam. The tournament features nearly 200 participants, giving me the opportunity to play against many strong opponents, including Vietnamese players," said South Korean player Hwang Durk Hee, who placed fifth at the Crown Haitai PBA Championship 2023.

A substantial prize pool of KRW250 million (US$187,000) will be awarded to the top male athletes, with the champion receiving KRW100 million. On the women's side, the total purse is KRW100 million, with the winner taking home KRW40 million.

These are the largest cash prizes ever offered at a billiards event in Việt Nam.

"The three-cushion movement in Việt Nam ranks second globally after South Korea and is continually growing," said Lee Hee Jin, vice president of PBA and CEO of FMG (Fidelity Management Group), the holding company of PBA.

"Việt Nam is also known as an emerging powerhouse in three-cushion billiards, with world-class players. These are the reasons we have chosen Việt Nam as the starting point of our global tour with the PBA-LPBA SY Bazaar Hà Nội Open 2024."

PBA manager Lee Hee Jin (third, right) and Vietnamese and South Korean players at the press briefing of the PBA-LPBA SY Bazzar Hà Nội Open 2024 on August 22 in Hà Nội.

According to the organising committee, 60 per cent of the foreign viewership on the PBA TV YouTube channel comes from Việt Nam.

Vietnamese players have made significant strides in the sport, with world No. 1 Trần Quyết Chiến clinching the world championship title in 2018, 2023, and 2024, and Bao Phương Vinh securing the World Cup trophy earlier in 2024.

The Hà Nội tournament is officially licensed by the municipal Department of Culture and Sports and is being broadcast live on four Korean sports television channels as well as Vietnamese VTVcab channels.

The PBA Tour is dedicated to male players, while the LPBA Tour caters to female competitors, both managed by the PBA, which has also been organising team events since 2020.

Each season features 10 individual events and six team events, typically running from June to March the following year.

Looking ahead, the PBA plans to host three tours in Việt Nam, with events scheduled in the major cities of Hà Nội, Hồ Chí Minh City, and Đà Nẵng. — VNS