After US Open Pool success, Carlo Biado sets sights on AIMAG, SEA Games

Filipino cue artist Carlo Biado will now gear up for two major competitions following his historic success at the 2021 US Open Pool Championship.

Billiards chief Robert Mananquil on Tuesday bared that Biado could see action in the 6th Asian Indoor and MArtial Arts Games (AIMAG) in March 2022 in Bangkok and Chonburi, Thailand as well as the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Vietnam.

Mananquil, though, stressed that representatives to be sent to AIMAG will be determined through elimination among national team members.

"As of now, our next events are first, the 9-ball in AIMAG in March in Thailand. I was told by Bambol [Tolentino] that we were only given two players each [for] men and women and we will have eliminations for that," said Mananquil in the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum.

"But with his records, let's see. And then of course, the SEA Games in Vietnam."

Mananquil also said that Biado could also be seeing action in the 2021 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama---a quadrennial tournament where the Filipino pool player is the defending champion after he topped the 2017 edition in Poland.

"I'm not yet sure if Carlo has been given an invitation for the World Games. Carlo is the defending champion in the 9-ball World Games, which is sanctioned by the IOC."

Biado said he will first take a break and will return to the United States around January 2022 to join a couple of local tournaments as part of his preparation for the AIMAG and SEA Games.

"I think I'll return to America by January and join local tournaments in order to prepare for the AIMAG," he shared.

"But for now, I will first take a break because doing billiards non-stop will really wear you out. I need to refresh my body."

—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA News