Three Vietnamese players to make PBA debuts at High1 Resort Championship

Three rising Vietnamese three-cushion billiards players are set to make their Professional Billiards Association debuts, each hoping to follow in the footsteps of compatriot Ma Minh Cam (NH NongHyup Card), one of the sport's top Asian stars.

The PBA (President Yoon Young-dal) will hold the second tour event of the 2026-27 season — the "National Happy Rest High1 Resort PBA-LPBA Championship" — from Wednesday through June 11 at the Grand Hotel Convention Tower of High1 Resort in Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon Province.

Making their PBA debuts at the tournament are Dao Van Ri (41, NH NongHyup Card), Nguyen Tran Thanh Tao (29) and Ton Viet Hoang Minh (36).

Dao Van Ri, ranked 51st in the amateur standings, has drawn attention as one of Vietnam's emerging forces — he reached the quarterfinals of the 2023 Ho Chi Minh World Cup. He joined the PBA this season through priority registration and was also selected by NH NongHyup Card with the third pick of the fourth round in the draft held earlier this season, teaming up with Ma Minh Cam.

Dao Van Ri will make his PBA debut at the High1 Resort Championship on Friday, facing Japanese three-cushion standout Mori Yusuke (Japan, SY) in the round of 128 at 6 p.m.

Nguyen Tran Thanh Tao, another Vietnamese three-cushion prospect who joined the PBA alongside Dao Van Ri through priority registration, will also make his debut at the event. A winner of the 2019 Vietnamese junior championship, he has built his reputation with a string of podium finishes at tournaments across Vietnam.

Nguyen Tran Thanh Tao will face his Vietnamese sunbae Nguyen Quoc Nguyen (Hana Card) on Friday at 6 p.m. Nguyen Quoc Nguyen claimed his first PBA tour victory last season at the ninth tour event, the Welcome Savings Bank Championship.

Also competing in the tournament is Ton Viet Hoang Minh, who enters on a wild card. Ranked 130th in the amateur standings, he turned heads last year by reaching the round of 16 at the 2025 Porto Three-Cushion World Cup. Ton Viet Hoang Minh will take on Spanish three-cushion legend Daniel Sanchez (Spain, Welcome Savings Bank) in the round of 128 on Friday at 11 p.m.