"I gave up my life in Vietnam..." T. Nguyen fulfills his Korean Dream, harvesting a 100 million won winning prize [PBA]

*This content was translated by AI.

A new Vietnamese "star" has emerged in professional billiards PBA. Nguyen Tran Thanh Tao (29, T. Nguyen) lifted his first professional billiards championship trophy just two tours after joining the PBA.

On the 3rd, at the Goyang Kinex PBA Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, T. Nguyen defeated Semi Signer (61, Turkey, Welcome Savings Bank) in a full-set thriller during the PBA finals of the "Eco-Friendly Building Materials SW PBA-LPBA Championship," the third tour of the 2026-2027 season, to claim the title with a comeback victory at a set score of 4-3 (10-15, 15-5, 6-15, 12-15, 15-9, 15-10, 11-9).

T. Nguyen, who debuted in the PBA this season through registration, reached the pinnacle of the PBA within just two tours. He became the third Vietnamese champion after Ma Min-kam (NH Nonghyup Card) and Nguyen Quoc Nguyen (Hana Card).

T. Nguyen, who was eliminated in the first round of 128 players at the previous tour (High1 Resort Championship), defeated top-tier PBA players including Eddie Leffens (Belgium, High1 Resort), Rottf Chennet (Turkey, High1 Resort), Shin Jeong-ju (Hana Card), Choi Sung-won (Hyumons), and Signer in succession at this tournament to become the 26th champion in PBA history. With this victory, T. Nguyen accumulated 100 million won in prize money, instantly jumping to third place in the season prize money rankings with 100 million won.

The "Welcome Top Ranking" (4 million won), awarded to the player with the highest average in a single match, was received by Vietnamese player Nguyen Phuong Linh (Harim) for recording an average of 4.091 against Shin Dae-gwon in the round of 64.

T. Nguyen, who was ranked around 20th in his country's amateur league, challenged the professional stage ahead of this season to compete with world-class players in a professional environment and grow into one of the world's top billiard players. According to his teammates, T. Nguyen is known for his calmness and composure, demonstrating strong mental control even in difficult situations.

T. Nguyen's strengths were fully displayed even in the finals. After splitting the first two sets 1-1 with Signer, he calmly navigated the match despite trailing 1-3 in set score, mounting a comeback to ultimately claim the title with a dramatic victory.

The early part of the match was dominated by Signer. With the set score tied at 1-1, Signer leveraged his flashy and powerful offense to take sets 3 and 4, moving closer to victory. In the first two innings of the third set, Signer scored three points in one inning and six points in another, building a commanding 9-1 lead. He then secured the set with an incredible five-cushion bank shot at 6 innings (14-6), passing two object balls. In the fourth set, he filled 15 points within 12 innings to win 15-12, leading the match 3-1 in sets.

Facing defeat, T. Nguyen refused to give up and fought back by winning the fifth set. Trailing 8-9 after seven innings, he swept a high run of seven points including a bank shot to close out the fifth set. Riding this momentum, he continued his steady scoring in the sixth set, winning 15-10 within nine innings and forcing the match into a full set.

In the fateful seventh set with the championship on the line, an intense back-and-forth battle unfolded without any concessions. When Signer trailed 5-7, he scored one point in three innings and three points in five innings to take a 9-7 lead. Signer attempted a one-bank shot to end the match in the sixth inning but failed to score. T. Nguyen, who had been stuck with three consecutive misses, succeeded with a bank shot to tie the game again. He then followed up with a successful cut-shot point and a return-point, securing victory 11-9 (six innings).

At a press conference held after the awards ceremony, T. Nguyen said, "I gave up my stable life in Vietnam and challenged the PBA stage for this opportunity. It's hard to believe I actually won." He added, "No matter who I faced, I was able to succeed because I trusted myself and focused solely on my play."

After concluding the third tour of the season, PBA will hold the second round of the "Welcome Savings Bank PBA Team League Hwaseong Special City Tour 2026-2027" from the 12th to the 20th at the indoor gymnasium of Hwaseong Comprehensive Sports Town in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.

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*This content was translated by AI.