Vietnam’s billiards and snooker teams are facing a six-month suspension from international competitions, a decision that has stirred considerable controversy. The Asian Confederation of Billiards Sports (ACBS) announced the ban, which will be in effect from June 13, 2024, to January 12, 2025, and communicated this decision to the Vietnam Billiards & Snooker Federation on July 13, 2024.

The suspension is attributed to Vietnam's organization of several billiards tournaments in Hanoi, most notably the Hanoi Open Pool Championship in October 2023. Authorized by the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, this event was part of the World Nineball Tour (WNT) by Matchroom Pool. Additionally, Hanoi was set to host another pool tournament in October 2024 and a Professional Billiards Association (PBA) event from South Korea in August 2024.

This ban means that Vietnam’s billiards players will miss significant competitions, including the 6th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) in Thailand in November and the World Three-Cushion Carom Billiards Championship in Binh Thuan (Vietnam) in September. Players like Tran Quyet Chien and Bao Phuong Vinh will suffer from ranking drops and point deductions, affecting their future participation in major tournaments.

Nguyen Ngoc Ha, President of the Hanoi Billiards & Snooker Federation, criticized the ACBS ruling, arguing that it lacks legal standing and does not align with the actual development trends of the sport. He stated that the organization of these tournaments was fully legal and compliant with the regulations governing international amateur sports competitions. He referenced the 2018 amendments to the Sports Law, which empower local authorities to sanction community sports events within their jurisdiction.

The Hanoi Billiards and Snooker Federation also pointed out that according to the disciplinary guidelines of sports organizations such as the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), penalties should be individually assessed and applied based on specific violations, not broadly imposed on entire teams without concrete evidence.

Furthermore, Nguyen Ngoc Ha highlighted that ACBS has not imposed similar sanctions on other countries hosting non-ACBS-sanctioned events, raising questions about the consistency and fairness of the ruling.

Dai Nam