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As far as Carlo Biado is concerned, the Philippines will never run out of future world pool champions like him.
The newly crowned two-time world titlist is confident that more Filipino cue artists will follow in his footsteps, pointing to the strong showing of Filipino participants in the recent tournament held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
This year, 18 Filipinos competed in the 128-player field, with 12 advancing to the 64-player knockout stage.
Among them were rising stars Bernie Regalario and AJ Manas, touted as the “future of Philippine billiards.”
Regalario, 20, delivered a career-defining performance this year with a semifinal finish where he lost to Biado, 11-3. He made heads turn in the 2023 Hanoi Open after reaching the Last 32 in a stacked international field.
Manas, 18, for his part, is slowly making his mark, winning the inaugural Hanoi Junior Open in 2023 and clinching the runner-up honors in the TE Capital Nineball Open in the same year.
He finished in the Round of 64 in the recent world pool event.
“Baka next world champion natin yang mga yan kasi nakikita ko na yung potential nila sa paglalaro,” said Biado, who himself began playing the sport at the age of 13
“Tingin ko sila yung next generation natin ng bilyar,” he added.
Efren “Bata” Reyes echoed the sentiment, and even added that the country does not have any shortages of talented pool players.
“Marami tayong magagaling na kabataan ngayon. Mga 13 (years old) pa lang, magaling na. Nasa probinsya nga lang sila, pero nakita na namin sila,” said Reyes, the country’s first world pool champion after winning the title in 1999.
“Marami pa sigurong mananalong Pilipino dito sa world pool. Baka sila na rin susunod,” the billiards icon added.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) honored Biado with a plaque of recognition for his exploits on the world stage on Friday, Aug. 1, at the Philsports Complex in Pasig City.
“Si Carlo Biado ang halimbawa ng kasabihan na ‘Sports is a great equalizer.’ Nagsumikap, nangarap, nagtagumpay, naging world champion,” PSC Chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio said.
The government sports agency is also giving Biado a billiards table with his name engraved in it.
