The Asian Billiards Championships is held in HCM City today with 32 athletes from six countries.

Players will compete in the one – and three-cushion carom events. Winners will compete in this year's world championships in Potor, Portugal, in September.

Commentators are expecting fierce competition today among Japan, South Korea and Viet Nam.

Dang Dinh Tien is top seed in the one-carom event. He won gold medals in the Asian Indoor Games in 2009 and Asian championships in 2010.

World No 16 Lee Chung-bok, of South Korea, is top seed for the three-cushion carom. He won the 2010 Asian Billiards Championships.

Medal hopes among locals are world No 38 Duong Anh Vu, 2009 Asian Indoor Games silver medallist; world No 29 Ma Xuan Cuong, bronze medallist of the 2011; world No 150 Nguyen Quoc Nguyen who won gold in the 26th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games last year; Ma Minh Cam, 26th SEA Games gold medallist.

Other top South Korean players are world No 7 Choi Sung-won, No 8 Kim Kyung-roul and No 9 Choi Jae-ho.

Billiards fans will also be able to enjoy a performance from legendary Turkish player Semih Sayginer, who won world titles in 1992 and 1998 and was voted World Player of the Year in 2003.-VNS