Vietnamese billiards player criticized for celebrating his world title win early

Tran’s remarkable win: On March 3, Tran secured his third World Cup title upon clinching his fourth consecutive victory over Egyptian opponent Sameh Sidhom at the Three-Cushion World Cup in Bogota, Colombia, reported VN Express.

Tran’s celebration: Tran began waving his hand and kissing his cue in anticipation of victory even before his final shot landed. As the crowd erupted in applause, Tran took a bow and blew kisses to the spectators. His opponent, Sameh Sidhom, clapped and waited to shake hands with Tran.

Expert reacts: Shortly after the match, van Manen said Tran’s premature celebrations before shaking hands with his opponent set a poor example for the sport.

“He raised his fist and cue high, bowed and blew kisses to the audience,” said van Manen. “Those actions are fine, but they should come after shaking hands with the opponent.”

Van Manen contrasted this to Sidhom’s sportsmanship, saying Sidhom displayed commendable sportsmanship during the loss. He also pointed out how Tran reportedly made Sidhom wait before accepting congratulations and then quickly turned away.

How netizens viewed it: On social media, Van Manen’s commenters mostly agreed that Tran should not have celebrated before congratulating his opponent. One user acknowledged Tran’s victory and skill but found his behavior unpleasant. Another user pointed out that Sidhom received minimal response from Tran, noting that he had to wait twice for a handshake and even attempted to pat Tran on the back.

“Victory always brings special emotions, so I had to celebrate first and think about other things later,” he said. “I think everyone would do the same.”