The Ho Chi Minh 3-Cushion World Cup Round of 32 kicks off.
On the 22nd, during the qualifying finals (Q) held in Vietnam for the 'Ho Chi Minh 3-Cushion Billiards World Cup,' three players, including Kim Haeng-jik, Choi Wan-young, and Hwang Bong-joo, secured their spots in the finals, entering the competition for the championship along with Jo Myung-woo (Silkroad CT-Seoul City Hall), who went directly to the finals with a seed.
Kim Haeng-jik defeated Turgaï Orak (Turkey) 40-29 in 31 innings in his first match of the E Group group stage and then overcame Ryuji Umeda (Japan) 40-26 in 18 innings.
Choi Wan-young, who showed good form in the qualifiers, recorded 1 win and 1 loss in Group I, then ascended to first place in the group through average advantage. Additionally, Frederic Caudron (Belgium) recorded 1 win and 1 draw in Group G and barely joined the Round of 32 in first place.
On the other hand, strong contenders Kang Ja-in (Chungnam Sports Council), Cha Myung-jong (Incheon Sports Council), and Seo Chang-hoon (Siheung Sports Council) were unfortunately eliminated.
The group stage of the Round of 32, starting at 12 p.m. on the 23rd, will feature 15 qualifiers, top-ranked players, and 17 seeded players, including wild cards, competing for advancement to the Round of 16.
In Group A, 'world ranking No. 1' Dick Jaspers (the Netherlands) will face off against 'Vietnamese sensation' Le Nguyen Ngoc, while Group B will see the '3-Cushion World Champion' Jo Myung-woo and Hwang Bong-joo, along with 'final qualifying overall No. 1' Jimenez and Vietnam's dark horse Nguyen Van Chi competing in fierce matches.
In Group D, Kim Haeng-jik and Choi Wan-young will compete against strong opponents such as 'world No. 3' Tran Quyet Chien (Vietnam) and Berkay Karakurt (Turkey) for a chance to advance to the Round of 16. Caudron will challenge for advancement in Group H against Marco Zanetti (Italy), Sameh Sidhom (Egypt), and Klu Mung.
All matches of this tournament will be broadcast live worldwide through SOOP's global platform and can also be watched on SOOP's cable channels KT (channel 129), D Live (channel 160), LGU+ (channel 120), LG HelloVision (channel 194), SK Broadband (channel 234), and Seogyeong Broadcasting (channel 256). The tournament live broadcast schedule and highlights can be found on SOOP's 'Billiards Special Feature Page.'
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