Vietnamese billiards players banned from international competitions due to conflict of organizations

ACBS sent a document on June 8 to its member federations, including Vietnam, regarding penalties for players or federations that participated in events not licensed by ACBS, and the decision was received by Hanoi' Department of Physical Education and Sports on July 13.

Vietnam was punished for having organized a tournament not licensed by ACBS, the Hanoi Open, in October 2023. This pool tournament was allowed by the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports to take place, under the World Nineball Tour (WNT) system of Matchroom Pool, which had some schedule clash with an event by the World Pool Association (WPA) and has generated conflict.

Billiards organizations worldwide, including those in Asia and Vietnam, are primarily divided into two factions. Traditionally, carom events like the Three-Cushion World Cup and World Championship were overseen by the World Billiards Federation (UMB, established in 1959). Meanwhile, snooker was managed by the International Billiards & Snooker Federation (IBSF, established in 1971), and pool by the World Pool Association (WPA, established in 1987).

The billiards landscape shifted five years ago with the emergence of the Professional Billiards Association (PBA), founded in South Korea by FMG, a holding company of five billiards-related companies. The prize money for winning a PBA Tour stage is about $72,000, triple the amount for a UMB World Cup stage.

Vietnam number one carom player Tran Quyet Chien. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Dong

The issue arises from PBA's lack of recognition by UMB and the Korea Billiards Federation (KBF). UMB has set restrictions, prohibiting players from joining PBA. Those who defy this rule face a two-year ban from UMB-affiliated tournaments, including the World Cup, World Championship, and continental or national championships.

This threat has led most top players to remain with UMB, while only a few, such as Frederic Caudron, Dani Sanchez, Semih Sayginer, and Choi Sung-won, have switched to PBA. In Vietnam, top players like Nguyen Quoc Nguyen, Ma Minh Cam, Nguyen Duc Anh Chien, and Ngo Dinh Nai have also opted for PBA.

"Would you stay if you were guaranteed double or triple your salary?" Kozoom chairman Xavier Carrer said an interview in April 2023 when asked why many players chose PBA. "The prize money of the World Cups has not grown by one euro within 5 years (at around $22,000). At the same time, their colleague Cho Jae Ho has just won €135,000 ($123,600) on the PBA final tournament."

Kozoom, a French billiards company, was UMB's media partner from 2010 to 2019 before the federation switched to working with South Korean company Five&Six. According to Carrer, this new partner controls many of UMB's activities, from television and media rights to exclusive sponsorships for competition equipment. Meanwhile, PBA has attracted numerous sponsors, including leading South Korean businesses, organizing tournaments with much higher prize money than UMB.

Carrer also said that any professional player's desire is to play as many tournaments as possible to improve their income without worrying about penalties.

In the past, WPA cooperated with promoters like Matchroom and Pro Billiard Series in a mutually beneficial manner.

"The job of Matchroom and Pro Billiard Series is to organize the tournaments, while WPA's task is to arrange the schedule of those tournaments accordingly," Carrer said.

However, the cooperation between Matchroom and WPA ended in the latter half of 2023 when Matchroom launched the World Nineball Tour (WNT) system. This system included the Hanoi Open from Oct. 10 to 15, close to the Qatar Open from Oct. 4 to 10, which made it difficult for players to attend both tournaments. The Qatar Open had been on the WPA schedule since the beginning of the year, while the Hanoi Open had not.

On June 3, 2023, WPA issued a notice to players: "WPA reminds players of the serious consequences of participating in unlicensed tournaments, including the Hanoi Open. Failure to comply with the regulations may affect future careers at WPA."

Reigning three-cushion world championship winner Bao Phuong Vinh. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Dong

On Sept. 25, 2023, ACBS issued a similar notice, stating they would ban players and federations from participating in tournaments not recognized by ACBS.

"ACBS will take this matter seriously and punish any federations that violate it," the notice said.

Founded in 1984, ACBS is a member of WPA, UMB, IBSF, and the Olympic Committee of Asia (OCA). They are responsible for organizing billiards events in the Asian region, including the Asian Games and the SEA Games.

The current ACBS chairman is Mohamed Salem Al-Nuaimi.

Vietnam has become a battleground between world federations, as it is seen as a potential market for billiards. According to billiards expert Frits Bakker, Vietnam is "a new paradise for organizers." The number of spectators watching billiards tournaments in Vietnam, whether live or online, from nine-ball pool to three-cushion, is significantly higher than at other international tournaments.

The PBA Tour has been held in South Korea with multiple stages since 2019, but ACBS has not sanctioned KBF, a member of ACBS like the Vietnam Billiards & Snooker Federation (VBSF).

WNT tournaments have also taken place in many countries, such as England, Germany, the U.S., China, and the Philippines, without their billiards federations being punished. China and the Philippines are also ACBS members.

On July 30, VBSF issued a press release regarding the ACBS ban.

"All officials and athletes of VBSF are not allowed to participate in or organize any tournaments or events related to billiards and snooker in Asia and internationally, including Asian sports events such as Indoor Games and SEA Games, from June 13, 2024, to Jan. 12, 2025," the release said.

The ban list includes not only Vietnamese players but also Asian players participating in the Hanoi Open. This affects not only Vietnamese pool players but also top carom players like Tran Quyet Chien and Bao Phuong Vinh, who will not be allowed to participate in the Indoor Games in Thailand in November 2024, simply because they are members of VBSF.

Matchroom announced on July 31 that they are discussing with their legal team how to address the ACBS suspension. The Hanoi Billiards & Snooker Federation (HBSF) stated that ACBS has "no legal basis and is unfair" in banning Vietnamese players from competing internationally for the next six months.

The argument is that VBSF is not the organizer of the Hanoi Open or PBA Hanoi Tour; these are organized by HBSF. VBSF is a member of ACBS, while HBSF is not.

The ACBS ban has been criticized by world number one pool player Fedor Gorst, who said it "goes against the spirit of the sport."

"I am fortunate to be in a position to speak out on this issue, unlike many of my colleagues," the Russian-American player wrote on Facebook. "The ACBS ban affects the development and integrity of the sport. Every player has the right to choose what they can compete in without fear of being unfairly punished."

The audience at an international billiards tournament hosted in Vietnam. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Dong

The conflict between traditional federations and professional organizations may continue. ACBS is escalating the issue to higher authorities, potentially leading to a broader ban on carom players. For now, Quyet Chien and Phuong Vinh can still participate in the Three-Cushion World Championship in Binh Thuan Province from Sept. 25 to 29.

Meanwhile, professional billiards organizations like WNT and PBA continue to seek legal assistance. The issue may ultimately be resolved at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The billiards scene in Vietnam has recently flourished at both amateur and professional levels. At the 2024 Scottish Open of WNT, where Vietnam's top pool player, Duong Quoc Hoang, won the championship, the event attracted more than 100,000 simultaneous views on a domestic channel—much higher than international tournaments streamed on Matchroom's channel. Hoang's victory was also the first time a Vietnamese pool player won an international tournament.

Vietnamese carom has also made significant strides, with five players in the world's top 30, including Quyet Chien at number two and Phuong Vinh as the reigning world champion. In May 2024, Tran Duc Minh, ranked 250th in the world due to limited international participation, surprisingly won the UMB Three-Cushion World Cup.