Billiards player Nguyen Phuc Long

Nguyen Phuc Long will be Vietnam's sole invited representative at the Philippines Open Pool Championships which will take place from April 7-11 at the SM Megamall in Manila.

The 10-ball tournament is being organised by the World Pool-Billiard Association and will feature both men's and women's events.

Long, the national 9-ball champion, will compete for a cash prize of 30,000 USD.

In February, Long made it through to the knockout stages of the World 8-ball Championship in the UAE.

The Philippines Open is shaping up to be a world class event, with the confirmed participation of three male and two female world champions.

Dennis Orcollo, the newly crowned world 8-ball champion, Mika Immonen, world 10-ball champion, and Francisco "Django" Bustamante, world 9-ball champion, will feature in a field of 64 players in the men's competition.

In the women's event, Jasmin Ouschan, world 10-ball champion and Fu Xiao-fang, world 9-ball champion have confirmed their intent to compete for the tournament purse of 20,000 USD.

The top players in the world have received invites to compete in the tournament, but more than 200 athletes from 30 countries and territories have also registered to play in qualifiers for the main event that started on March 31.

Five women and seven men from Vietnam are competing in these rounds which conclude later on April 4.

Source: VNA/ VOV