Francisco “Django” Bustamante shared why legendary Pinoy cue masters will not be competing in the upcoming Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Philippines will not be fielding its powerhouse household names for billiards in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games as organizers in Thailand have excluded pool from the cue sports events, leaving only snooker in the competition.
Legendary cue artist Francisco “Django” Bustamante confirmed the development, saying that the decision by the host country’s billiards federation effectively sidelines the Philippines’ top pool stars, including Efren “Bata” Reyes, Carlo Biado, and Johann Chua.
“So wala tayong pool doon [kasi] puro snooker lang ang binigay. Eh kaya hindi maglalaro ang pool, inalis ng Thailand Federation. Kaya walang pupuntang pool player doon. Puro snooker lang,” Bustamante explained.
“Pati sina Carlo, sila hindi pupunta. Puro snooker lang natin. Eh ‘yun ang laro nila, ayaw nila ng pool. Kaya 'yun 'yung nilagay nila, 'yung snooker.”
Django Bustamante, Carlo Biado, and Johann Chua are currently competing in the Reyes Cup 2025. | Photo: RM Chua/One Sports
The removal of pool from the SEA Games program is a significant blow to Philippine cue sports, which have long been a source of national pride and international recognition.
Over the years, Filipino pool players have consistently dominated the region, winning multiple gold medals across various events, including 8-ball, 9-ball, and 10-ball.
Carlo Biado captured the gold medal in the men’s 10-ball singles at the 2021 SEA Games in Hanoi, while Johann Chua was the 9-ball gold medalist that same year.
In the women's division, Chezka Centeno (2015 & 2017) and Rubilen Amit (2019 & 2021) have won the last four gold medals in 9-ball, facing off in the finale three times in that span. The pair also split the last two 10-ball singles titles, playing for the gold medal against each other both times.
Snooker requires a different set of skills and is not the primary discipline of most Filipino cue masters.
Recent SEA Games medals for snooker include a men's doubles silver in 2019, and another silver by Jeffrey Roda for 6-red singles in 2021.
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
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