Billiards village suddenly in turmoil, Hoang Sao: 'Don't drag me into gossip and distort the truth'

Hoang Sao: "I lost because of my shortcomings, not because of anything shady."

Immediately after losing 10-11 to Jeffrey Roda (Philippines) in the round of 16 of the 2025 World Pool Championship, player Duong Quoc Hoang (Hoang Sao), the best representative of Vietnam, was named in a series of controversies surrounding the suspicion that some Filipino players cheated on technical skills.

Not wanting to let the gossip go too far, Duong Quoc Hoang took the stage with a decisive statement, defending the transparency of the match and affirming that he was not involved in any suspicions. He emphasized: "I would like to make it clear once and for all. The match between Roda and I took place fairly, transparently and openly, as it should be. We both played our best. I lost not because of anything shady, but because of my own shortcomings: being too perfectionist, too tense and I had to pay the price. That was my fault. As for Roda, he played like a true warrior. Calm, precise and courageous at the right time, his performance was truly excellent. He deserved that victory."

And finally, Hoang did not forget to send a clear message to those who are intentionally dragging him into scandals: "This is a warning for those who are trying to exaggerate things, that is, do not drag me into any scandals. I have nothing to do with any other people's stories. So, do not distort the truth."

PHOTO: VNP

Filipino players under suspicion?

The incident arose after many world billiards stars, including world number 2 Aloysius Yapp (Singapore), raised questions about the unusual movement of the cue ball in matches involving Filipino players. After losing and being eliminated, Aloysius hinted that Jeffrey Ignacio (Philippines) may have used tricks to change the cue ball's reaction in the round of 64 knockout match.

Yapp's public sharing on social media quickly spread and received agreement from many other famous players such as Denis Grabe, Tyler Styer, Oscar Dominguez... Some people think that the cue ball in matches with Filipinos often shows unusual signs.

Spanish player Jonas Souto also warned about a similar phenomenon at the 2024 World Pool Championship. The accusations this time are said to be more well-founded as many videos have been circulated showing the referee wiping the ball multiple times with his glove, an action suspected of not following technical standards.