Chuan Leong makes history with Asian Six-Red snooker crown

New Straits Times

20 hours ago

KUALA LUMPUR: National snooker ace Thor Chuan Leong delivered a career-defining performance to win the Asian Six-Red Championship in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Wednesday, becoming the first Malaysian to clinch the prestigious title.
The 37-year-old capped a dominant campaign by overpowering India's Paras Gupta 6-2 (50-5, 44-2, 8-62, 42-12, 47-40, 1-51, 36-24, 48-2) in the final of the best-of-eleven contest.
Chuan Leong's triumph surpasses the previous national best of a runner-up finish achieved by Moh Keen Ho in 2016 and adds to his continental honours following his 2014 Asian Snooker Championship win.
"It's really touching, and I'm super happy. It's been a long time since I last won a tournament - I honestly forgot what it felt like to win," said Chuan Leong.
"This time, I managed to hold myself together and truly believed I could do it. That's what made this title so special for me."
The Penang-born cueist was in sublime form throughout the knockout rounds, brushing aside Singapore's Jaden Ong (5-1), Hong Kong's Man Ming Wa (5-0) and 2013 champion Mohammed Asif of Pakistan (5-2) en route to the final.
His success in Colombo comes as a welcome boost after a challenging year, having recently lost his place on the World Snooker Tour following the conclusion of the 2024-25 season.
Chuan Leong, who earned a two-year tour card through the Asia-Oceania Q-School in 2023, was unable to reclaim it in either of the two qualifying legs in Bangkok last month.
The Asian Six-Red crown marks a timely resurgence for Chuan Leong, who had only previously made the quarter-finals of the same tournament in 2023.
Chuan Leong hopes the victory will serve as a springboard for the rest of the year, including the six-red discipline at the Sea Games, which he last won in 2013.
"This win gives me a lot of confidence, not just for the Sea Games, but for any upcoming tournament," he said.
Meanwhile, compatriot Lim Kok Leong also put up a commendable display, reaching the quarter-finals before falling 5-3 to Asif.
Kok Leong was a semi-finalist in 2022.
Chuan Leong and Kok Leong will now shift their focus to the Asian Team Championship, which gets underway on Thursday at the same venue.
"This win lifts me up, and Kok Leong is also a very strong player. We support each other well, so I believe we can do something together as a team," said Chuan Leong.
As for his future, Chuan Leong is keeping an open mind.
"I'm not sure about Q-School yet. Maybe I'll try out Chinese eight-ball or even nine-ball and just see how things go from here."