Carlo Biado will be a busy man following his success in the US Open Pool Championship.
The 37-year-old Filipino is expected to banner the country’s campaign in three major international tournaments next year including the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, the Southeast Asian Games, and the World Games, where he is the defending 9-ball champion.
The AIMAG is set in Bangkok, Thailand on March 10-20, the SEA Games in Vietnam tentatively by late May, and the World Games – a meet sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee, but featuring disciplines not played in the Olympics – in Birmingham, Alabama from July 7 to 22.
And then, there are other events in the pro circuit tour where he’s also expected to see action such as the UK Open and World 10-Ball Championship, making the year 2022 a truly busy one for the newest toast of Philippine sports.
He said being active is better than doing nothing especially at this time of the pandemic, which actually led to his decision to travel to the US four months ago and try competing in various tournaments.
“Nu’ng nasa Pilipinas ako, talagang nasa bahay ka dahil nga nakakatakot dahil sa COVID-19 na ‘yan. Pero hindi ako nagpa-apekto kasi hindi naman puwedeng habang buhay na nasa loob tayo ng bahay. Kaya nag-decide akong umalis, magpunta dito sa Amerika para makapag-practice at makapag-training dahil nga alam kong may darating kaming mga events tulad ng SEA Games at ‘yung AIMAG so hindi ako puwedeng tumigil sa paglalaro,” said Biado straight from New York during his special appearance in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday.
Biado left the country last May and saw action in local US meets such as the Texas Open, Austin Open, Sacramento Open, Big Time Classic Open, Diamond Open, and finally, the US Open where he stamped his class just a few days ago by rallying back from a five-rack deficit in the final and beat Singaporean Aloysius Yapp, 13-8, to win the top prize money worth $50,000.
Billiards and Sports Confederation of the Philippines Secretary-General Robert Mananquil, who appeared with Biado in the online session presented by San Miguel Corporation, MILO, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, said Biado will definitely be at the forefront of the country’s campaign in various international tournaments where it is competing by next year.
For AIMAG though, only one event in billiards will be included in the calendar.
“We are allowed only two players each in men and women’s 9-ball. Alam ni Carlo ‘yan na magkakaroon ng elimination ‘yan, although with his record now, tignan natin,” said the BSCP official in the session powered by Smart and Upstream Media as the official webcast partner.
For the SEA Games, Mananquil said four events have previously been calendared, but he’s not sure now if host Vietnam will cut down the events given the uncertainty of its staging.
Biado said he’s looking forward of competing in the SEA Games anew in order to atone for falling short of making it to the gold medal match during the 2019 edition in Manila, where he only bagged the bronze medal together Johann Chua in the men 9-ball doubles.
“Sana kami ulit ‘yung ipadala sa SEA Games para makabawi kami,” said Biado, whose partnership with Chua lost to the Singaporean duo of Toh Lian Han and Yapp in the semifinals.
Biado, a self-confessed admirer of the legendary Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes, arrives in the country on Sept. 30 and will observe the mandatory 10-day quarantine, a schedule which he said forced him to just skip the US Open International set Oct. 13-18.
The pool champion from La Union said he’ll spent the rest of the year to have a break and spent time with his family given the hectic schedule awaiting him in 2022.
“Pahinga muna kasi siyempre kailangan din nating mga-rest, kasi minsan kapag tuluy-tuloy ang paglalaro mo ng bilyar, nakaka-off din, e,” said Biado. “Kailangan din ma-refresh yung katawan mo, kailangan mo ring mag-relax.”
Biado will set to leave for overseas by January.