Vietnamese Billiards and the Data Shortage Problem: When Analysis Is Nothing but Question Marks

In the Vietnamese sports world, billiards has always been a popular sport, from three-cushion carom to snooker and pool. However, when looking at the data system available to professionals, a large gap remains. Rankings, detailed technical indicators, head-to-head histories, and even the list of players participating in many domestic tournaments are often not published or are published sporadically. This raises a big question: how can one analyze, evaluate, and predict results when the most basic data is missing? In reality, not only Vietnam but many other developing countries face a similar situation. Yet, in the context where Vietnamese billiards is making notable progress on the international stage, the lack of a systematic data infrastructure becomes even more problematic. Top players such as Tran Quyet Chien, Nguyen Duc Anh Chien, and Ngo Dinh Nai have achieved respectable results in major tournaments, but their achievements are still not supported by a unified database, making it very difficult for domestic analysts. Imagine a sports analyst wanting to study a player's form before an important final. He needs to know the win rate in recent matches, the number of times reached the final, average break scores, head-to-head record against a specific opponent, and even physical and mental conditions. But if there is only a little information from news articles and a few expert comments, all analysis remains at the level of subjectivity. This is no different than building a building without a blueprint. International analysts often rely on sources such as world rankings, history at ranking tournaments, and advanced metrics like safety rate, pot success, and break building. These data not only help them understand the strengths and weaknesses of each player but also help predict the flow of a match. In Vietnam, most tournaments have not been organized professionally enough to collect and publish these advanced metrics. Even tournaments like VnDA (Vietnam Billiards Association) only announce final results without detailed statistics. What are the consequences? First, fans find it hard to follow the development of players scientifically. Second, sponsors lack a basis to evaluate the commercial value of each athlete. They may be interested in a player who just won a world championship, but they cannot know if that achievement is a one-off or based on long-term consistency. Third, the media also faces difficulties in creating in-depth analytical articles due to a lack of material. Thus, many articles on billiards merely stop at reporting results without providing sharp tactical insights. On the other hand, the lack of data also creates a breeding ground for rumors, subjective analyses, or even misinformation. Without an official database to verify, analysts can easily make subjective conclusions, disturbing the market information. This also makes detecting irregularities like match-fixing or other negative behaviors harder, as there is no baseline data to compare. Sports management experts believe that for sustainable development, Vietnam needs to build a national sports data system, including billiards. This system should be standardized according to international criteria, with the involvement of the Vietnam Billiards Federation, clubs, and media stakeholders. This effort will not only provide analysts with material to work on but also enhance the professionalism of this sport, thereby attracting more investment and viewers. However, it cannot be denied that collecting data for billiards has its own difficulties. Unlike football or tennis, billiards has many variants, each with different rules and scoring methods. Building a unified set of criteria requires cooperation between specialized associations and technology developers. But that does not mean it is impossible. Major international tournaments such as World Billiards or carom tournaments in Europe have had successful models; Vietnam can certainly learn from them. Another solution is to use sensor technology and artificial intelligence to automatically collect data from matches. Smart cameras can record ball positions and trajectories, thereby providing detailed statistics. Although the initial investment costs can be significant, the long-term benefits are undeniable. With the speed of technological advancement, that is no longer too far-fetched a scenario. In that context, the role of the media is also crucial. Press agencies need to proactively request tournament organizers to publish data and build their own databases for easy reference. Fans can also contribute by recording and sharing observations. When the community joins forces, the data source will gradually be filled. Returning to the concept of 'Data Availability Assessment' – evaluating the readiness of data. This is the first step in any analysis. If this step is empty, all subsequent analyses become meaningless. We can build complex prediction models, but if the input has no real data, all results are only hypotheses. This raises a big question for the Vietnamese sports industry: where are we in building a solid data foundation? It cannot be denied that some sports in Vietnam have made progress in digitalizing data, such as football with the VPF data system. But for billiards, a sport with a long tradition and a large number of players, it seems that this has not been given due attention. This shortage not only affects analysts but also the players themselves, as they do not have enough information to improve themselves. Look at countries that develop this sport strongly such as South Korea or Spain; they all have large data centers where athletes and coaches can access to review every shot they have made. That is a tremendous advantage that Vietnamese players are missing. Without a data revolution, it is hard to expect a sustainable breakthrough. It should be emphasized that the lack of data is not only a problem for billiards but also a common issue for many other sports. But in those less popular sports, the problem becomes even more acute. When major sports have made great strides in adopting technology, billiards also needs to find its own path to avoid falling behind. Concerning player analysis, without data, we cannot know if a player is at his peak or past his prime. We also cannot know which opponents have styles that counter him or which shots are frequently successful in critical moments. All sophisticated tactical analyses can only be performed based on data; without it, tournaments become harder to predict but also less professionally engaging. So, what is the solution? First, government agencies for physical education and sports need to act. They should consider building sports data as part of the development strategy. Second, tournament organizers should make it mandatory to use statistics software, even simple ones, to record detailed results of each match. Third, clubs should proactively store data about their players, from training history to match performances, creating a rich proprietary database. Sports analysts, including journalists like us, also need to change the way we work. We must patiently build our own datasets from available sources, no matter how small. Gradually, the community will have a clearer picture of this sport. But even then, we must honestly admit: when data is missing, our analyses are mere questions, never answers. A typical example of the impact of missing data on media coverage is articles about national championship matches. Usually, we only see the score and sometimes the name of the highest scorer. There is no information about pot success rate, high breaks, safety success, or other standard metrics that international fans regard as the norm. Therefore, in-depth analyzes of Vietnamese billiards hardly exist, and if they do, they are mostly based on subjective feelings. This leads to a consequence: the analytical level of Vietnamese sports media on billiards cannot improve because of a lack of catalyst. While football has dozens of websites providing data, from expected goals to pressing metrics, billiards is almost extremely poor. We need a revolution in awareness among the organizing units themselves. Speaking of revolution, it is impossible not to mention the rise of technological platforms supporting match tracking. Some domestic companies have begun developing electronic scoring applications, but their use is still limited. Many clubs still score on traditional chalk boards, and results are only entered into the computer at the organizer's office. Clearly, more initiatives are needed to digitize the entire process. For writers, the important thing is to recognize the boundary between hypothesis and fact. In an analytic piece, we can present hypothetical scenarios, but we must clearly distinguish between facts and speculation. When data is missing, refraining from giving an opinion is also an option because it shows respect for the truth. Thus, a responsible journalist will acknowledge information gaps instead of fabricating them. Finally, if Vietnamese billiards wants to go further, it must start by recording more data. Every match, every shot can be valuable data. Once sufficient data is gathered, we will see patterns and trends that were previously invisible. From there, tactics and strategies will become clearer. Consider this a long-term investment for the future. Looking back, we will no longer say 'data not available' but proudly say that we created the data. One day in the future, Vietnamese sports analysts will have enough data to write sharp analyses, enabling fans to understand billiards better. But for now, while data remains a blank, we can only stand before a series of question marks. Hopefully, this will be a motivation to start building a stronger foundation for the future. Only when data speaks can we analyze with solid ground. Then, every question mark will gradually be replaced by persuasive answers. In the context where professional sports increasingly rely on big data, lagging behind will mean losing competitive advantage. Let Vietnamese billiards take the lead in open data, turning current disadvantages into momentum for innovation. We cannot change history, but we can change the way we approach the future. A transparent and accurate data platform will serve as a launchpad for young talents and new miracles of Vietnamese billiards internationally. That is a long journey, but every journey starts with a first step. That step may be a club voluntarily publishing transfer data, or an organizer investing in sensor systems. These seemingly small actions will create a domino effect that drives the whole system. In the short term, fans will feel satisfied with access to quality information; in the long run, the entire sports industry of the country will benefit. It is time to ask questions, not about the result of a match, but about how we record and use information. Let us begin there.