At A Glance
- Bernie Regalario and Marvin Asis emerged as top finishers from the Philippines after sharing third place in the 2026 Carabao International 9-Ball Open at the NICE PIK 2 in Jakarta, Indonesia last weekend.
(Bernie Regalario FB post)
Bernie Regalario and Marvin Asis emerged as top finishers from the Philippines after sharing third place in the 2026 Carabao International 9-Ball Open at the NICE PIK 2 in Jakarta, Indonesia last weekend.
Stepping out of the shadows of Carlo Biado and Johann Chua in the 128-man field, Regalario and Asis showed promise but succumbed to hometown bet Irsal Nasution (11-7) and eventual champion Naoyuki Oi (11-3) of Japan in the semis, respectively.
Oi turned back Nasution, 13-3, to wrest the crown and net the grand winner’s purse of P1.1 million in the tournament that presented a $100,000 prize pool.
Both Regalario and Asis bested the outings of several Filipino favorites, especially four-time world champion Biado who recently reigned supreme in the Asian Men’s 10-Ball Championship held in the same Indonesian city.
Biado, 42, was sent packing by his fellow countryman Ronel Nalaunan, 8-10, in Round of 64.
Despite falling short for a title shot, the two pool stars took home $5,000 (P29,2022) each for reaching the semis.
“Fought hard for the comeback, but it was too late. Still grateful to finish 3rd place — amazing experience, lots learned, and I’ll be back stronger!” said Regalario on his social media post.
The 21-year-old Regalario outshone foreign and local rivals, highlighted by his 10-3 quarters win over Chua.
Asis, on the other hand, outlasted compatriots Jeffrey Ignacio (10-8) and Raymund Faraon (10-6) in the Last 16 and quarters, respectively.