The triumph reinforces the Gia Lai-born player’s status as one of Vietnam’s most accomplished modern figures in three-cushion carom billiards.
Quốc Nguyện’s victory came after a dramatic 4-3 comeback against Spain’s Daniel Sanchez, who had been unbeaten in the two previous tournaments. The win earned the Vietnamese cueist a prize of 1.8 billion VND (≈ USD 73,000), sparking celebrations across Vietnam’s carom 3-cushion community.
Prodigy from Pleiku with a rare blend of talent
Widely regarded as a “prodigy” in Vietnam’s billiards scene, the 1982-born player from Pleiku is known for his unique combination of academic excellence, athletic talent and cue-sport mastery.
Raised in a well-off family, he excelled in mathematics, earning third prize in the national competition and leading Hùng Vương High School for the Gifted to a provincial football gold medal.
While still a student, he became one of the few players of his era to score 100 points in the Billiards Libre discipline. He later entered the Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology before shifting his focus to professional billiards, a move that cemented his reputation as a hometown idol.
International breakthroughs and national firsts
Quốc Nguyện’s strong mathematical foundation translated into consistent performance on the billiards table. In 2011, he became Gia Lai’s first SEA Games gold medalist in carom 3-cushion. His career progressed with two World Championship silver medals (2013, 2017) and two bronzes (2014, 2016).
In 2017, he won the Asian Championship in South Korea and became the first Vietnamese player to break into the UMB world top 10, sealing his position among Asia’s elite.
Pioneer for Gia Lai’s cue sports community
To many young players, Quốc Nguyện is a trailblazer. Cueist Nguyễn Lê Liên Quỳnh, a 2025 World Championship bronze medalist, described him as an inspiration and mentor whose composure and multi-faceted talent set the standard for Gia Lai’s rising athletes.
Rise through the PBA Tour
The PBA Tour, a league organized by the Professional Billiards Association with a distinct competition format and substantial prizes, has drawn many world-class three-cushion players such as Frédéric Caudron, Eddy Leppens, David Zapata, Daniel Sanchez and Javier Palazón Martinez, as well as top Korean cueists Cho Jae Ho and Kang Dong Koong.
Vietnamese contenders including Ngô Đình Nại, Mã Minh Cẩm, Dương Anh Vũ, Trần Đức Minh and Quốc Nguyện have also joined the circuit.
Quốc Nguyện gradually asserted his calibre. In 2024, he helped Hana Card win the PBA Team League and reached the final of PBA Tour 9 before falling to Murat Naci Coklu. After a quiet period in South Korea, he returned strongly in early 2026, once again lifting the PBA Team League trophy as one of Hana Card’s core scorers.
A career-defining victory
In the latest PBA Tour 9 final, the Vietnamese cueist overcame Daniel Sanchez’s sharp precision to secure a landmark 4-3 win. The emotional champion thanked his family and supporters, saying their encouragement, even through television screens, motivated him to secure the coveted trophy.
