Player Phuong Vinh: 'I won't be sad if I lose to Tran Quyet Chien'

- He only trained professionally for more than a year and then attended the World Championship and immediately won the throne. How were your feelings at that time?

- Until now, I still can't believe that I returned with the championship of the last tournament in Ankara, Türkiye. When I scored 50 points to win the final match, I was stunned, not knowing whether I was happy or not. But then, when it was highly appreciated by experts and loved by the billiard community, I felt emotions rushing back that were very hard to describe. When I returned to Tan Son Nhat airport, Ho Chi Minh City on the evening of September 13, I was warmly welcomed by fans, so I felt like I had to be more responsible and strive harder in the future.

- What was the most difficult match for you in the recent World Championship?

- It was the quarterfinals with American player Pedro Piedrabuena. He led me from start to finish, but when the score was 49-48, Pedro missed a shot so the chance was given to me. I took the snap, scoring two points to win. I think I was really lucky in this match.

- How about the final match with senior Tran Quyet Chien?

- If I have to talk about bursting with emotions, I've put it all into the semi-finals. Domestically, Mr. Chien and I are rivals between the two units of Binh Duong and Ho Chi Minh City. But when they go abroad to compete, the two brothers are teammates and support each other. Therefore, the fact that both of them reached the final is a great happiness for us and Vietnamese billiards. Therefore, whoever wins the final is fine, because the championship Cup belongs to Vietnam. Honestly, winning is fun, but I wouldn't be disappointed if I lost to Mr. Chien.

- What does this world championship mean for your future direction?

- Currently, I only focus on playing billiards. I don't care who the opponent is or what they are like. I just focus as much as possible, doing what I can. Winning or losing also depends on luck, depending on the situations in the match and, importantly, whether you can grasp it or not.

I was crowned world champion, which was a surprise. But it also paid off the hard work I've put in over the past few years. Before coming to the world championship, I trained alone for three weeks continuously, 8 to 10 hours a day, from morning to night. With luck, I was well compensated for that effort.

- What are your upcoming goals?

- The World Championship - is the most prestigious playground and I won the throne. The next goal is to get a medal, even win the championship in the World Cup - a tournament that was established in 1986 and has many matches throughout the year. Besides, I also want to win medals in national arenas and Sports Festivals and in the coming years, I will strive to win the highest titles in billiards.

- What advice do you give to young professional billiard players?

- I just want to send a message to those who love billirad that you should live your life to the fullest with passion. But first, you should determine whether you meet the qualifications and feel it is reasonable to pursue this path.