World number six Eklent Kaci has called for any player caught cheating to be banned for a long time after the cue ball behaved in a strange fashion at the World Pool Championship.
Kaci, who was beaten in the final in Saudi Arabia last time around at the hands of world number one Fedor Gorst, exited the tournament in the last 32 at the hands of world number 61 Patric Gonzales.
Gonzales was amongst seven Filipino players to book their places into the World Championship last 16, joining the likes of Carlo Biado, Anton Raga, Jefrey Roda and James Aranas at the business end.
However, Albania’s Kaci raised his concerns via social media following his abrupt exit and fuelled the strong rumours that certain Filipino players have been waxing the cue ball in some manner.
“I lost in the last 32 against one of the 30 Filipinos in the tournament,” Kaci began. “[There was a] weird cue ball, it was all over the place.
“I think the cue ball was waxed real bad, and I think whoever gets caught doing it should get banned for enough time for their gloves, towel and whatever to get real dry.”
Kaci later added: “I’m not complaining because I lost. It’s not my first time and it’s not going to be my last time losing that’s for sure.
“My mind says that the cue ball was playing different, compared to my previous three matches, where the start of the match plays just fine, and then mid-match until the end tables and balls play tougher and tougher.
“Last match I had too many over-draw shots, playing a safe shot, aiming half of the ball with english, and didn’t even hit the ball, missed lots of shots by a mile where english was needed, out of position totally sometimes.
“Even if nothing wrong was with that cue ball, I still think that the authorities in charge about this stuff should take this seriously. It has happened many times in many tournaments, where lots of players have complained about it and no one has gotten punished. It will keep happening from one or another.”
Kaci’s concerns come following the cue ball behaving oddly in Jeffrey Ignacio’s 11-10 win over Aloysius Yapp, with world number two Yapp putting ‘wax on, wax off’ on his Instagram story post-match.
Yapp has since apologised for that quip and who it may have affected. But he also said: “We players are letting the relevant authorities handle it now. Whatever the verdict may be, we players we accept it.”
Yapp added: “It’s basically impossible for a cue ball to be slicker at the end than at the start after 21 racks of play, with the refs sweaty palms and humidity in the room too.”
27 Comments
just accept.the fact and be a good sport…
You simply cannot accept defeat. Just simply be humble in accepting the filipinos are world power in billiard!
maybe there is maybe there isn’t cheating…but it’s a proven fact that Filipinos are good at pool and the best ever did not cheat
Wow! this is the kind of players that will ruin the gentleman’s game and it’s clear based on the articles caption that it’s an attack on Filipino players, it’s sad to hear players questioning the integrity of the game after losing.
…that’s how it is really in any contest, winners celebrates, and losers always complain…
You play with the same cue ball, right? Expect any condition as there is no rule on the matter. And uhh, complain at the earliest opportunity and not at the time you lost.
Don’t be a cry baby. Prove yourself by coming to the Philippines and beat them in a prestigious money game. I’d bet you’ll still lose.
Sore loser. They’re both using the cue ball right? What kind of logic was that? stfu
Do Filipinos use a different cue ball? So if you claim you were playing with “waxed” cue ball, isn’t this true with the Filipino player?
First and foremost, i don’t think they cheated, but if they practice with a waxed ball, then that is in clearly an advantage when both using a waxed ball. Obviously if one had experience with a waxed ball then they have an advantage. Wierd that its so hard to wrap ur mind around the fact that it would in fact be an advantage.
As if Filipinos use different cue ball other than what’s on the table. What a beautiful excuse by this gentleman.
if the cue ball is waxed, it will affect both players unless they change the cue ball everytime the other player hits
yea but one can be used to playing with a waxed ball , and the other is not used to playing with a waxed ball. That means it’s the same advantage? I dont think they cheated, but just pointing out that it would be an advantage if true. Not the same for both If one is used to using a waxed ball.
it would affect both players yes, but one is used to practicing with a waxed ball then it obviously would be an advantage…but I really doubt they cheated.
not true, if one player knows something the other doesn’t, they can adjust there game. If you practice cheating enough, you would know what you can or can not do, or so on. I hope its not true, but I’ve never heard of a game where no one tried to cheat.
Good Karma for all Filipino players. We are the World Pool Champs 2025 against world no. 1 no less! Eat that loser Kaci and super slow Yapp 😂
one cannot win unless one learns how to lose!
Really, the Filipino players are incredibly talented. Why would they risk doing something like that. Be careful attacking someone’s integrity. As others have mentioned, you’re both playing with the same cue ball.
Sore Loser! As if Filipinos aren’t known for having Legendary players in the world of Pool.
Well, what wax did they use.. beeswax? Hair wax, floor wax, maybe olive oil? Avocado oil? Maybe a lotion. Will anyone dare taste that cue ball please?
Misplaced logic or No logic at all.
(1) you complained after lossing why not during when you noticed or felt the cue ball is becoming weird that is the reason why there are referees and officials present in every game.
(2) are Filipinos using a different cue ball? You are in the same in-time game so if that is the case then the Filipinos also are experiencing the same predicament then why correlate your losing and the supposedly weird or “waxed” cue ball with the word Filipino.
(3) many Filipinos are inherently and naturally talented and very good in playing billiards there is no doubt. Number one is the “magician” Efren Reyes. Some don’t have the ways and means to showcase their talent internationally. Those you’ve met and lost to are the best among so many best in-country. If you come to the Philippines and play with some local best who were not given the chance to compete abroad, you may also lost your top world ranking even without that alledged so called weird “waxed” cue ball.
(4) is there cheating? Question: are you in a different table and using a different set of balls with your opponent as he plays in another table with another set of balls? Let’s try to use logic and reasonable circumstance to view this particular point of contention.
that’s magic.
HUMIDITY affects the playing condition of the TABLE, not the CUEBALL because the cue ball is not porous and absorbent to foreign materials, solid or liquid. This is where some pool players, topnotch or not, find it hard to adjust; how the table not the cue ball plays differently as the game progresses. And besides, both players are using the same cue ball; referees are wiping the cue ball clean at the start of every rack and players can request the referee to clean the cue ball at any time during the match.
Hard-losers do always complain. Accept the fact that you lost to a low ranking Filipino. Your ranking is a garbage.
Next time this guy will complain Filipino players are using magic…or
Witchcraft?
Since it happened in many tournaments, prepare for the best defense . One might eed to practice with waxed balls pa ✌️ Peace ✌️
Why didn’t Kaci complain about the waxing issue during the Reyes Cup event, especially since he targeted all the Filipino players and the event was held in the Philippines? They just want to tarnish the names of all Filipino players.