NEWLY-CROWNED US Open champion will be a very busy man in 2022 when he heads the country’s pool contingent in three major international competitions.
Carlo Biado, 37, is expected to banner the country’s campaign in the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Thailand (March 10 to 20), Hanoi 31st Southeast Asian Games (tentatively in May) and the World Games, where he is the defending 9-ball champion, in Birmingham, Alabama (July 7 to 22).
And then, there’s the professional pool tour such as the UK Open and World 10-Ball Championship.
“Being active is better than doing nothing especially at this time of the pandemic,” Biado told Tuesday’s online Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum, adding he decided to go on a four-month sortie in the US to keep himself in the loop.
“I was stuck at home during the pandemic because I fear of contracting Covid-19,” he told the forum from his Times Square Hotel room in New York City. “I made sure I wasn’t affected by the lockdown by deciding to fly to the US to compete in the circuit there.”
Biado left the country last May and saw action in the Texas Open, Austin Open, Sacramento Open, Big Time Classic Open, Diamond Open and finally the prestigious US Open where he rallied from five racks down and strung 10 straight wins to beat Singaporean Aloysius Yapp, 13-8, and bag the top prize money of $50,000.
Billiards Sports Confederation of the Philippines Secretary General Robert Mananquil also appeared in the online session presented by San Miguel Corp., Milo, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. He said Biado will definitely lead the country’s campaign in various international tournaments next year.
The Philippines will only send one male and one female bet in pool in the AIMAG, according to Mananquil.
“We are allowed only two players—one each in men and women 9-ball. And Carlo knows there will be eliminations, although with his record now, let’s see,” Mananquil told the forum powered by Smart with Upstream Media as official webcast partner.
Mananquil said four events were programmed for pool in the Hanoi SEA Games.
“But we’re not sure now if host Vietnam will cut down the events given the uncertainty of its staging,” he said.
Biado said he’s looking forward to the SEA Games after falling short of making the gold medal match in the 2019 edition in Manila, where he bagged the men’s 9-ball doubles bronze medal with Johann Chua.
“I hope I’ll be partnering with Johann again for the SEA Games so we can redeem ourselves,” he said. They lost to Yapp and Toh Lian Han in the semifinals.
Biado, a self-confessed admirer of the legendary Efren “Bata” Reyes, arrives in the country on Tuesday and will observe a mandatory 10-day hotel quarantine, forcing him to skip the US Open International set from October 13 to 18.
The pool champion from Rosario (La Union) who now resides in Muntinlupa, said that he will take a vacation from competition for the rest of the year and devote his time with his family.