Chonburi: Rom Surin, a veteran billiards player for the Thai national team, admits facing Singapore will be a tough task in the 2025 SEA Games, but hopes to win the gold medal.

According to Thai News Agency, the SEA Games sports competition has outlined the team category draws for all cue sports, with 10 gold medals available from events such as 15-red snooker, 6-red snooker, and billiards. The competition is to be held in Chonburi Province. In men’s billiards, four countries have advanced to the semi-finals: Thailand, Singapore, Myanmar, and Indonesia.

Thailand’s team includes athletes Praprut Chaithanasakul (Rom Surin), Thawat Sucharitthurakan (Watch Hat Yai), and Yutthaphop Phakphot (Nook Chan). They face a challenging semi-final match against Singapore, which boasts veteran player Peter Gilchrist, the reigning SEA Games gold medalist. The other semi-final features Myanmar against Indonesia, considered the weaker team.

Rom Surin has acknowledged the difficulty of the upcoming match, recalling their previous loss to Singapore in the finals during the last SEA Games in Myanmar, particularly against Peter Gilchrist. He expressed optimism, however, noting that with practiced preparation and home advantage, Thailand’s chances of clinching the gold medal are more than 50%.