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Vietnam's top billiards player Tran Quyet Chien |
Being invited to join a friendly billiards tournament hosted by the Chinese Carom Billiards Association and in the company of several notable players, including former world’s No.1 Dick Jaspers from the Netherlands, and young talent Cho Myung Woo from South Korea, Tran Quyet Chien, Vietnam's top billiards player, took an unexpected step by withdrawing from the event. It was his way of protesting against the inclusion of images that infringed upon Vietnam's sovereignty in the live broadcast program.
In the match that took place on September 23 between Tran Quyet Chien and Dick Jaspers, an image of China's nine-dash line map was incorporated into the live broadcast during the break. As soon as this was detected, Coach Nguyen Viet Hoa asked Tran Quyet Chien to withdraw from the competition and return to Vietnam on the same night.
The Vietnamese billiards player stated, "Coach Nguyen Viet Hoa and I reached this decision because we cannot tolerate actions that encroach upon Vietnam's sovereignty. The tournament had encroached upon Vietnam's maritime sovereignty. During our discussions, Coach Nguyen Viet Hoa informed me that he had reported the incident to the Vietnam Billiards & Snooker Federation for further resolution."
In light of this withdrawal, Farouk Barki, President of the World Billiards & Snooker Federation, sent a letter to the Vietnam Billiards & Snooker Federation, seeking an explanation for Tran Quyet Chien’s decision to withdraw from the tournament.
