Nguyen Nhu Le comes from behind to beat the 'bonus hunter', wins the 'Vietnam Billiards World Cup' for the first time

On the afternoon of September 12, at Rach Mieu Sports Hall (HCMC), Nguyen Nhu Le completed a spectacular comeback against Nguyen Nhat Hoa in the carom 3-cushion final of Tour 2 HBSF Cup MIN Table 2026, claiming his first career tour championship. The match was played to a 50-point target, counted by innings. Nhat Hoa, nicknamed the 'bonus hunter' by fans for his ability to consistently reach the money rounds, started like a whirlwind, leading 13-5 and maintaining a 27-21 advantage at the halfway stage. However, the script began to turn midway through the match as Nhu Le fought back to close the gap to 31-28. At 34-34, Nhat Hoa almost completely stalled. Nhu Le capitalized on his opponent's loss of rhythm, unleashing a decisive 10-point run to close out the match 50-37 in just 27 innings. The statistics clearly reflect the difference between the two players. Nhu Le finished the final with an impressive average of 1.85 points per inning (50 points divided by 27 innings). Nhat Hoa, in contrast, managed only 1.37 (37 points in the same 27 innings). More notably, Nhu Le entered the final with a far more modest semifinal performance than his opponent: he averaged just 1.06 in a 50-44 win over Nguyen Van Tung Em that took 47 innings. Nhat Hoa, meanwhile, had been in scintillating form in his 50-44 semifinal victory over Chiem Hong Thai, averaging 1.52 in just 33 innings. This complete inversion of form made Nhu Le's victory a marker of a timely peak. The pool final delivered a different kind of drama, as Nguyen Hoang Minh Tai, a former national champion, was pushed to the limit by Lim Leng. Minh Tai lost the first set 2-4 but bounced back to take the second 4-1. The match went to an overtime frame, where Minh Tai prevailed 2-0, sealing a 4-3 overall victory. This was Minh Tai's third HBSF Tour title, cementing his status as a seasoned and decorated player on the domestic circuit. Lim Leng's journey was also a notable story. Reaching the final marked the player's third consecutive trip to a tour title match. However, failing to convert any of these three final appearances into a title paints a picture of consistency undermined by an inability to close out — a 'bridesmaid' risk profile. In terms of prize structure, Tour 2 HBSF Cup MIN Table 2026 spanned six days, featuring carom 3-cushion and pool events. The carom champion received 70 million VND, with the runner-up taking 30 million. The two losing semifinalists each received 10 million. Additional awards included Best Game and Outstanding Shot at 5 million VND each, plus payouts for Top 8 (5 million) and Top 16 (2 million). In the pool division, the champion earned 60 million, the runner-up 30 million, the losing semifinalists 10 million each, and Top 8 finishers 3 million. These figures, converted at roughly 25,400 VND/USD, amount to approximately USD 2,700 for the carom champion and USD 2,350 for the pool champion. At this scale, the event is best characterized as a domestic semi-professional tour with a payout structure designed to sustain broad participation rather than solely reward the winner. The distribution reaching down to Top 16 suggests the organizers' goal is to reward presence, not just victory. This event is part of the HBSF seasonal series, with the season finale, 'HBSF Final Tour 2026,' scheduled for December 16-20 at the same Rach Mieu Sports Hall, billed as the most anticipated event of the year. One notable point is that the article is dated September 12, yet the event carries the '2026' branding and the season finale occurs in December. Precisely mapping the year of each event requires further verification; it is possible the season is defined by a September-to-December window under the '2026' label. Looking back at the carom final, the pivotal moment is clear: at 34-34, Nhat Hoa went completely flat, scoring only about 3 points for the remainder of the match. Nhu Le, who entered the final with the lowest average among the four semifinalists, shone brightest when it mattered most. Whether this signals a genuine elevation in form or simply a favorable stylistic matchup will be answered in the remaining stops of the tour.