FILE – Johann Chua during the men’s 9-ball billiards final in the 31st SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam. SEA GAMES POOL
MANILA, Philippines—Despite being favorites to go far in the 9-ball billiards event, Filipino bets Johann Chua and Carlo Biado made early exits in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games at Aeon 2 Sen Seok, Cambodia, on Tuesday.
Chua, the reigning 9-ball singles champion, kissed his title retention bid goodbye after a 9-8 heartbreak at the hands of Myanmar’s Maung Maung Phone Myint Kyaw.
FILE – Carlo Biado during the men’s 9-ball billiards final in the 31st SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam. SEA GAMES POOL
Biado, the losing finalist in the Hanoi Games, faced the same fate when he fell to Feri Satriyadi of Indonesia, 9-7.
It has been a tough campaign for the Philippines’ cue artists so far.
On Sunday, bemedaled Rubilen Amit and Chezka Centeno also bowed out of contention in the three-cushion carom event.
The luck of the country could change later, however, when the legendary Efren “Bata” Reyes begins his men’s three-cushion carom campaign against home bet Woo Dong Hoon.