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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider 'Starboy' Manas runner-up in Taiwan tilt

'Starboy' Manas runner-up in Taiwan tilt

Published Jan 7, 2026 02:14 pm

At A Glance

  • Rising billiards star AJ Manas waxed hot early but lost his momentum before falling to hometown bet Ko Pin Yi, 12-13, to settle for a runner-up finish in the 2026 CTPBA Pro Tour Grand Finals in Taipei, Taiwan Tuesday night, Jan. 6.
(AJ Manas FB post)
(AJ Manas FB post)
Rising billiards star AJ Manas waxed hot early but lost his momentum before falling to hometown bet Ko Pin Yi, 12-13, to settle for a runner-up finish in the 2026 CTPBA Pro Tour Grand Finals in Taipei, Taiwan Tuesday night, Jan. 6.
With top Asian bets, including top Filipino bets Carlo Biado and Johann Chua, fielded in the two-day joust, the 18-year-old Manas found ways to enter the finale where he immediately burst out of the gates after seizing an early 3-0 lead which he eventually hiked to a 12-9 advantage.
Unfortunately, the 2025 Reyes Cup MVP couldn’t hold the momentum as the Taiwanese bet banked on his experience and stormed back to hoist the crown.
Despite his finals setback, Manas was set to take home $3,175 (₱188,266) and a trophy, while the former world No. 1 and king of the 2015 9-ball and 10-ball world championships bagged $6,350 (₱376,532).
“Finished as Runner-Up at the 2026 CTPBA Pro Tour. Thank you all for the support!” Manas wrote on his social media post.
Next for the Antipolo City native is the Universal 4th Chinese Taipei 9-Ball Open slated Jan. 8 to 11 still in Taiwan.
There, top ranked cue artists in the likes of Biado, Spaniard Francisco Sanchez Ruiz and Singaporean Aloysius Yapp, the 2025 WNT’s Player of the Year awardee, are expected to join the fray.
Before booking his finals ticket, Manas overcame Taiwanese cueists Lu Hui Chan (10-9) and Ko Ping Han (11-3) in the knockout rounds.
He was bracketed in Group D with Yi, Jefrey Roda, and other Taiwanese contenders before he barged into the playoffs.
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