Manas settles for second place

AJ Manas settled for a runner-up finish in the CTPBA Pro Tour Grand Finals at the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park in Taipei after a heartbreaking 12-13 loss late Tuesday to home bet Ko Pin Yi.

The 18-year-old Manas, who led Team Asia to its second straight Reyes Cup win last October, lost steam as he fell short on what could have been his first title in 2026.

It was still a job well done for the young Manas as he cashed out with $3,175 (P188,000).

Manas’ run was nothing short of exceptional, winning all of his five games in the group stage last Monday to advance to the final round.

He then narrowly defeated Taiwanese pool player Lu Hui Chan, 10-9, in the quarterfinal before taking down Ko’s brother Ko Ping Han, 11-3, in the semifinals.

Despite the loss, Manas will stay in Taiwan for the  Universal 4th Chinese Taipei Open which will take place from 8 to 11 January.

“Finished as Runner-Up at the 2026 CTPBA Pro Tour. Thank you all for the support!” Manas said in a social media post.

“Next stop- Universal 4th Chinese Taipei Open.”

Other Filipino pool players expected to join the tournament are Carlo Biado and Johann Chua as well as Manas’ Reyes Cup teammates Ko and Aloysius Yapp of Singapore. 

 Fedor Gorst of the United States, who lost to Manas in the Reyes Cup, is also set to join the Taiwanese tilt.