Missing out on the PBA Tour 2 championship, the Vietnamese player still pockets 500 million VND in prize money.

Ngô Đình Nại's aspiration to be the first Vietnamese player to reach the pinnacle of the PBA Tour could not be realized as he was defeated by the young sensation Kim Young-won in the PBA Tour 2 final of the 2026-2027 season. However, the silver medal and his outstanding showing across the competition are still a commendable accomplishment for the Vietnamese player.

Entering the final held on the evening of June 12, Ngô Đình Nại was met with high expectations from fans following his stellar run in the tournament. Few anticipated that the Legend Club cueist could advance so far, given he started the event with a hard-fought victory and an average (AVG) of less than 1.0. Yet as the competition progressed, Ngô Đình Nại's form improved significantly.

On his path to the final match, the Vietnamese cueist successively overcame tough opponents such as Lim Wan-seop, Kim Byung-seob, and notably Kang Min-gu in the quarterfinals. The highlight of his journey was a convincing victory over Kim Jun-tae in the semifinals, where Ngô Đình Nại showcased excellent form, winning four dominant sets with a high AVG of 3.0.

However, the ultimate challenge named Kim Young-won proved too great. Although he is not yet 19 years old, the South Korean cueist is already regarded as a phenomenon in the PBA, with numerous age-related records and consistent scoring ability. In the final, Kim Young-won once again demonstrated his "scoring machine" composure, winning the match 4-2, thereby successfully defending his status on the professional stage.

This loss also extends Ngô Đình Nại's unfavorable record against Kim Young-won, following two previous meetings last season that both ended 0-3. Despite his efforts to stage an upset in their most important rematch, the Vietnamese player could not overcome an opponent regarded as one of the greatest talents in world 3-cushion billiards today.

Concluding the tournament as the runner-up, Ngô Đình Nại received a prize of over 500 million VND along with valuable ranking points on the PBA leaderboard. More importantly, his inspiring journey has solidified the growing status of Vietnamese billiards in Korea's top professional arena, while also boosting confidence that the dream of Vietnamese players touching the PBA championship trophy remains within reach in the near future.