THE Billiard Sports Confederation of the Philippines hailed the victory of Carlo Biado in the 2021 US Open Pool Championship which officials hope will spark a resurgence for a sport that has been a source of pride for the country in the past.
The BSCP said Biado’s win in the US Open was a product of the hardwork and sacrifice of a cue artist who trained on his own at home after the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown shut down all of the billiard halls in the country.
The BSCP hopes Biado's victory - only the second by a Filipino in the US Open after Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes in 1994 - will rekindle interest in the sport in the country.
“Hardly had Biado the time to practice during the lockdown. In 2020 because of global lockdown, he practiced by himself in his pool table at home," said the BSCP in a statement sent by president Robert Mananquil.
Boost to Philippine billiards
“His triumph, after Efren in 1994, should encourage Filipinos to bring out their cue sticks again. And it’s a boost to billiard sports in the country,” said the BSCP.
The Philippines has produced a long line of world-class pool players led by Reyes and pal Django Bustamante. But interest in the sport has declined over the years as the two pool legends competed less overseas.
Biado fought gallantly to claim the $50,000 top prize. The Filipino cue artist was trailing 8-3 in the championship match against Aloysius Yapp of Singapore but won 10 consecutive racks to take the crown.
Biado also had two hill-hill wins as well as a nail-biting 11-9 win over Naoyuki Oi of Japan in the semifinals. He also had to work his way back from the losers’ bracket just to earn a spot in the knockout phase.
Dennis Orcollo lost to Yapp in the semifinals which prevented an all-Filipino finale.
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