Tran Quyet Chien claims a SEA Games gold medal in three-cushion carom on May 22. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNS/VNA) — Tran Quyet Chien proved why he’s the world No. 3 in three-cushioncarom after beating Nguyen Duc Anh Chien in an all-Vietnamese final of theongoing 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) on May 22.
Despite being one of the best carom players, this is the firstSEA Games gold medal for Quyet Chien as this category is rarely held at the SEAGames.
The final got off to a very even start with both players closelyfollowing each other on every point.
However, against one of the world’s best, Anh Chien couldn’tkeep his momentum and missed a few tough shots when the match was gettingmore intense.
And that Quyet Chien left his compatriot far behind as the38-year-old showed his class, scoring consecutive points to take a big31-16 lead.
Anh Chien’s massive late effort helped the world top20 player to narrow the gap to 35-24 before Quyet Chien sealed the final withfive world-class shots to be crowned the champion.
With his first SEA Games title, Quyet Chien became the secondVietnamese player to win the SEA Games in this category after Nguyen Quoc Nguyen’sgold in 2011.
On his way to the final, Quyet Chien had a once–of–a–lifetimeopportunity when he faced the legendary Efren “Bata” Reyes.
After surpassing the Filipino pool master with a score of 40-10,he knelt before Reyes with respect, creating one of the best images ofsportsmanship at this year’s Games.
Quyet Chien is currently the top 3 player in the world withhis most outstanding achievement being the 2018 World Cup title in Ho ChiMinh City. He is considered one of the most difficult players to beatin three-cushion carom.
Despite losing in the final, Anh Chien, who ranks in the world’stop 20 and was a World Championship finalist in 2019, was able to show hisclass and will be a contender in the next Games./.
