Hoang 'Sao' and the journey at the world billiards tournament: From early exit to VND 2 billion milestone

In three consecutive appearances at the world 10-ball championship, Duong Quoc Hoang has left a very clear trail on the bracket: early exit, then round of 32, then round of 16. This is not a straight line, nor is it a quantum leap. It is the trajectory of a player learning to coexist with the pressure from the sheer brutality of the call-shot format — where a ball is never allowed to drop into a pocket unless called in advance.

The 2026 WPA Men's 10-Ball World Championship kicks off at Phu Tho Arena, Ho Chi Minh City from September 19-26, with a total prize fund of $500,000 and a champion's purse of $80,000 — approximately VND 2 billion. This marks the second consecutive year the tournament has been held in Vietnam, attracting nearly 200 players from 40 countries. Duong Quoc Hoang, nicknamed "Sao" (Star), is considered the host nation's heaviest contender, leading a five-strong Vietnamese contingent: Hoang, Luong Duc Thien, Pham Phuong Nam, Nguyen Anh Tuan, and Chu Viet Hoang.

But before discussing expectations, we must understand the format shaping the competition.

The call-shot format and the blade that cuts luck

In pool billiards, 10-ball is not terrain for those who believe in luck. The call-shot rule — requiring players to nominate exactly which ball and which pocket before executing — eliminates almost entirely the "slop" factor, meaning balls accidentally falling into pockets without intention. This transforms 10-ball into a problem of cue ball control, shot selection, and defensive discipline.

In 27 years of following sporting events, I have witnessed countless cases where a player defeated a weaker opponent simply through a short "hot streak." But in call-shot 10-ball, that is nearly impossible. This format demands absolute precision and steel-like nerve, as described in the original VnExpress article: it is "one of the most grueling arenas on the planet." That assertion is not marketing language — it has structural basis in the rules.

For Duong Quoc Hoang, this format is both a challenge and an advantage. Because if luck is neutralized, pure skill is proportionally rewarded. And his three-consecutive trajectory — early exit, round of 32, round of 16 — is precisely the evidence that he is adapting correctly to this environment.

Numbers don't tell the whole story, but they know where the story begins

The champion's purse of $80,000 against a total fund of $500,000 — approximately 16% concentrated on a single name — shows a top-heavy prize distribution structure. This is a common model in world billiards tournaments, not as distributed as football or tennis, but sufficient to create real fighting motivation for those who reach the final rounds.

However, noteworthy is that the original article provides no information on Hoang's world ranking, nor does it name any international opponents. This framing is "inward-looking journalism" — focusing on the host perspective and Vietnamese audience expectations, rather than analyzing the global power map. This is not wrong, but needs to be recognized to avoid confusing "heavy contender" as assessed domestically with "title favorite" by world standards.

A top-16 finish at a world championship with approximately 200 players is an elite-tier achievement. But elite within the top 50 or top 100 globally differs enormously from actually competing for the title. And at this tournament, Hoang is described as a "heavy contender for the championship" — an opinion from Vietnamese media, not yet verified against international ranking reality.

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The nickname "Sao" attached to Duong Quoc Hoang is no accident. In Vietnam's billiards community, he is the representative figure, the one who brought the first notable international results. But precisely because of this, the pressure from the "Vietnam's No. 1" title is also a double-edged sword.

The five Vietnamese players competing — Hoang, Luong Duc Thien, Pham Phuong Nam, Nguyen Anh Tuan, Chu Viet Hoang — show that Vietnam is no longer a purely consuming billiards market, but is gradually transforming into a competitive force in this sport. The tournament's second consecutive year in Ho Chi Minh City, under the auspices of the Vietnam Billiards & Snooker Federation (VBSF), HCMC Billiards & Snooker Federation (HBSF), and the city Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, signals that organizational infrastructure is robust enough to host a world-class event.

This is a fairly common public-private partnership model in major billiards events: the international federation (WPA) grants the license, national and local federations provide administrative support, and sponsor brands name the side events. The Poison Saigon Women's 9-Ball Open has a $90,000 prize fund, the Box Billiards mixed-doubles open has $111,000 — three events totaling approximately $701,000 in prizes. This is the "festival" strategy becoming increasingly popular in billiards: rather than a single tournament, creating a chain of events attracting different audience segments and player demographics.

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Looking at the broader picture of Asian billiards — Thailand, Philippines, and Chinese Taipei have had top world players for years — Vietnam is still in the early stages of the journey. But notably, Hoang's trajectory is heading in the right direction. Three consecutive appearances at the same tournament, each time going deeper than before — that is not coincidence. It is a sign of a player learning to read opponents, adapt to pace, and most importantly, control emotions as pressure mounts.

The call-shot 10-ball format demands near-absolute concentration. A small mistake in calling a ball can cause a player to lose cue ball control, and from there, lose the entire rack. With an event of nearly 200 players, the risk of "early elimination" is always present — not because of lack of skill, but due to the inherent volatility of single-elimination format.

The thicker the data profile, the more the story must be told with human ears, not camera eyes

In billiards tournaments, the "touch" factor plays a more critical role than in any other sport I have followed. A player can train thousands of hours, but if the ball doesn't "obey" on a specific day, the result will be completely different. And with call-shot format, even a momentary lapse in concentration can decide an entire match.

Hoang once shared about thorough preparation before tournaments. That brief statement reveals a process-focused mindset rather than result-focused. And in a sport where the boundary between victory and defeat is as thin as a millimetric deviation in a shot, psychological preparation may be no less important than technique.

Big events don't end when the whistle echoes; they begin when the lights go out

The WPA Men's 10-Ball World Championship in Ho Chi Minh City is not merely a sporting event. It is a mirror reflecting Vietnam's ambition to build a professional billiards ecosystem. From producing a top-world player, to hosting a world championship, to nurturing a generation of young players — that is a long journey, and this year's tournament is a step in the right direction.

For Duong Quoc Hoang, the question is not "will he become champion?" but "can he maintain his upward trajectory and surpass the round of 16 he achieved last year?" Because in a sport where every shot is a decision, progress doesn't come from a dreamy night, but from every step along a long road.

And looking at the five Vietnamese players standing on the Phu Tho Arena floor, I realize something: Vietnam is not just producing good players, but building a billiards culture. And that, perhaps, is the greatest victory — regardless of the outcome on the table.