World 10-Ball King Carlo Biado of the Philipinnes is February 2024’s Athlete of the Month.
It was 2 March 2024 (3 March in Manilla) when Biado ticked off another item from his bucket list and secured the 2024 WPA Predator World 10-Ball Championship at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Upon return to his wife and dream home, the Pool maestro reflected back and, in a true champion style, told the IWGA about his next ambition and how important discipline and consistency is.
Interview
IWGA: Well done for your latest achievement in Las Vegas, what’s coming up next for this year?
CB: I will be aiming for the WPA World 8-Ball Championship, which is the one title that I do not have yet. If God blesses me.
How do you finetune your technique for major tournaments such as this one in Vegas?
CB: I work very hard and am trying to avoid stress and too many worries. Time adjustment is obviously of importance, since this will affect everything, both mentally and physically.
What does your weekly training/ practice look like?
CB: Normally I work-out four times per week physically and then practicing Pool every day, playing around 50 racks of break and run, sometimes as much as 70 to 100 racks.
Are there any key other elements you add to your training schedule that are non-related to playing snooker Pool? For example, any physical training at the gym or precision practice?
CB: Yes, as already stated, playing in a tournament is very hard so your body and mind must be in good shape and well prepared for the task ahead. I am also regularly having my eyes checked - Pool is a precision sport.
What is the best part about competing?
CB: Winning provides me with confidence playing and sparks me to continue. What emotions do you feel when you play? I am excited, I feel the pressure to perform my best, happiness and my love for the sport.
What are the reasons that, in your opinion, make you so successful in your sport?
CB: I am very disciplined. I know what I am aiming for and why I have made Pool my sport. There will be no success if there is no hard work!
The best advice ever received from a coach or a fellow pool professional?
CB: The best advice stems from my wife - to continue dreaming even at moments when I am down losing, because this is what will give you hope and the strength needed to fight for what you really want out of life. She is not only my wife, she is my mentor and my manager.
With an impressive record such as yours, what more can we expect from you in the future?
CB: I will continue striving to do my best. It is not easy to stay on top at all times, but I will continue to work very hard until I can.
You clinched the men’s 9-Ball in Poland back in 2017, and settled for fourth position in Birmingham in 2022, what can we expect at The World Games 2025 in Chengdu (CHN)?
CB: Winning The World Games in 2017 was my first world title. Playing in that final gave me confidence to fight under pressure, and this was also why I managed to win the WPA World 9-Ball Championship in Qatar later on in the same year.
You can expect witnessing the «Black Tiger» to show what I got! If God blesses me I will be aiming at winning The World Games again.
Why should young people take on Billiards? How did this sport impact your life?
CB: It really did change my life! I have a beautiful home that I was dreaming about. God gave it to me, and I am trying to help others to find joy and hope. To all of you young people out there - if I could do it, you can do it too! Success is not an accident, it is the result of hard work!
The International World Games Association (IWGA) is a non-profit-making international sports organisation recognised and supported by the International Olympic Committee. The IWGA comprises 38 International Member Sports Federations. It administers and promotes The World Games (TWG), a multi-sport event held every four years that features around 35 sports on its programme. The next edition of TWG will be in Chengdu (CHN) from 7-17 August 2025. 5,000 participants from more than 100 countries are expected to take part in this 12th edition. The latest Games were hosted by Birmingham, Alabama (USA).
.
For more information, please contact the IWGA Media and Communication team: [email protected], Tel: +41 21 311 12 97, or visit our website.
