Two outstanding Vietnamese cueists overcome the German team to claim the world championship title.

In the early hours of March 2nd, Tran Quyet Chien and Nguyen Tran Thanh Tu triumphed over the host German team in the championship match to claim victory at the 2026 World Team Three-Cushion Billiards Championship, marking the second time Vietnam has ascended to the top of the world in the team discipline.

The final match was intensely suspenseful. Facing the legendary Martin Horn, Quyet Chien started dreamily, quickly building a 16-5 lead. However, the German cueist demonstrated his class with a 12-point series to turn the tide, gaining advantages of 23-19 and then 26-20 after the break. When Horn pulled ahead 30-29, Quyet Chien created a decisive turning point with an 11-point consecutive series, concluding the match with a 40-30 victory.

At the adjacent table, Thanh Tu also experienced an emotional chase against Amir Ibraimov. He held a deep 23-8 lead before the break but later allowed his opponent to narrow the gap. Even after reaching 39-27, Thanh Tu made fans hold their breath with three consecutive missed shots. Nevertheless, he maintained his composure to secure a narrow 40-38 win, clinching the championship for Vietnam.

Earlier in the group stage, Vietnam had drawn with Germany when Quyet Chien defeated Martin Horn while Thanh Tu suffered a surprising loss to Ibraimov. Both teams later displayed impressive form in the knockout rounds to meet again in the final, where resilience helped the Vietnamese cueists write another golden chapter for the nation's billiards.

The two simultaneous victories enabled Vietnam to claim the world championship title for the second time in the team three-cushion event. For Quyet Chien personally, this also marks his second time lifting this prestigious trophy, affirming Vietnamese billiards' standing on the international stage.