The 2026 Indonesia International Open (IIO) officially concluded, placing Indonesian billiards player Irsal Nasution as the host nation's sole representative to advance to the semifinals. Although unable to claim the title, the achievement received positive appreciation from the Executive Board of the Indonesian Billiards Sports Association (PB POBSI) as valuable capital to enhance the quality of national athletes.
Secretary General of PB POBSI, Achmad Fadil Nasution, stated that athlete involvement in international-scale tournaments such as the 2026 IIO is vital for mental and technical development. According to him, the experience of facing elite foreign players serves as an effective learning tool to adapt global play standards into the domestic billiards ecosystem.
The championship title at the tournament held at the Pro Billiard Center was ultimately won by Filipino player Carlo Biado. In a tight final match, he managed to edge out his compatriot, Paolo Gallito, with a narrow score of 10-9. The success of the tournament, which featured 128 athletes from 21 countries, further solidifies Indonesia's position as a host of prestigious billiards competitions with a total prize pool reaching IDR 1.7 billion.
Looking to the future, PB POBSI does not want to settle for just reaching the semifinals. Fadil emphasized the federation's commitment to continuing to push Indonesian athletes to reach the finals and bring home the trophy in the next edition. Consistency in hosting international tournaments is expected to act as a catalyst for national billiards to become more competitive and respected on the global stage.
Irsal Nasution expressed his satisfaction with competing at the highest level. For him, reaching the top four was a proud achievement in his debut at a tournament as grand as the IIO. This valuable experience is expected to spark motivation for himself and other athletes to keep improving their performance towards higher achievement goals in the future.
