Singapore's Venus Lim claims 10-ball title at Commonwealth Billiards C'ships
Singapore's Venus Lim (left) won the Commonwealth Billiards Championships 10-ball title, while compatriot Audrey Chua was second in the snooker competition.
SINGAPORE – Down 2-5 in a race to seven racks within 100 minutes, Singapore's Venus Lim found herself with a mountain to climb in the Commonwealth Billiards Championships women's 10-ball final against India's two-time world snooker champion Chitra Magimairaj.
But the 22-year-old pulled off a remarkable comeback in Mauritius on July 6 to tie the score at 5-5, before prevailing 4-2 in a shoot-out to score the biggest triumph of her career.
She told The Straits Times: 'I took a timeout at 2-5 down and told myself to cool down, take my chances for each ball and rack, and enjoy the process. I controlled my breathing and tried to concentrate on the game and not on the rack difference.
'But as much as I wanted to fight back, I also thought the three-rack deficit was too much to overcome. Furthermore, she has just the nine and 10-ball to clear in the eighth rack to move within a rack of victory.
'I thought she would pot them, but she left the nine-ball hanging around the pocket. I took my chances well and fought back into the match to take it to the penalty shoot-out.'
After dabbling in bowling and badminton, Lim found a new interest on the baize after being introduced to pool by her older brother when she was 17.
Upon graduating with a diploma in applied chemistry from Republic Polytechnic, she began playing pool full-time in March.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Eligible S'poreans to get up to $850 in GSTV cash, up to $450 in MediSave top-ups in August
Singapore Four golf courses to close by 2035, leaving Singapore with 12 courses
Singapore Fewer marriages in Singapore in 2024; greater marital stability for recent marriages
Singapore Construction starts on Cross Island Line Phase 2; 6 MRT stations in S'pore's west ready by 2032
Asia 72-year-old man on diving trip to Pulau Tioman in Malaysia found dead on the beach
Singapore $1.46b nickel scam: Ng Yu Zhi opts to remain silent after judge calls for his defence
Asia Bali flights nixed after huge Indonesia volcano eruption
Life How to cope with the heat when travelling: 5 expert-backed tips
She said: 'At first, I was just curious about how this sport works, and was not really passionate about pool. But over time, I realised I have some talent and it brings me so much joy when I take my cue out and play.
'To win this final feels unreal, and I feel so happy with my first overseas win and I hope there is more to come.'
Compatriot Audrey Chua also recorded her best result in her budding career, as the 37-year-old reached the snooker final at the same event at The Ravenala Attitude Balaclava, before losing 2-0 to England's world No. 5 Rebecca Kenna.
The Catholic High School primary school teacher played pool when she was an undergraduate, but started snooker only in 2025.
She said: 'I'm still taking it all in, and it feels quite surreal. I honestly didn't expect to reach my first final, especially since I started playing snooker only five months ago. It's definitely a milestone I'll treasure. Although I lost 2–0, the experience was invaluable. Competing with someone of Rebecca's calibre was both humbling and deeply inspiring.
'Snooker is quite different as it required me to relearn many things, like adjusting my stance, changing my stroke, and getting used to the larger table. Balancing training with a full-time teaching job is also challenging, but it's been incredibly rewarding.'
Lim and Chua's breakthrough is a welcome boost for the Singapore women's cuesports scene, as they aim to represent the Republic at more international tournaments.
Cuesports Singapore president Christopher Chuah said: 'While our male athletes like Aloysius Yapp (pool), Peter Gilchrist (English billiards) and Jaden Ong (snooker) are continuing to fly our flag high in the international arena, our ladies have proven that they are also up to the mark.
'Audrey Chua reached the finals and lost out only to a former professional snooker player, while Venus went one step further to clinch gold for Singapore in a nail-biting finish against a top Indian pool player. Their performance augurs well for Singapore and will undoubtedly spur our other female athletes to attain greater heights in the international arena.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
34 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Starbucks is looking to remove canola oil from its food menu
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Starbucks is considering making its egg white and roasted red pepper bites without canola oil. SEATTLE – Starbucks is exploring how to remove canola oil from its food lineup in the United States. In one example, the company is considering making its egg white and roasted red pepper bites without canola oil, a spokesman said in response to an inquiry from Bloomberg News. The company will also add a new egg bite to its menu that is made with avocado oil. The coffee chain is in the midst of a brand revamp as it seeks to reverse a sales slump , and one of its priorities is testing products that appeal to more health-conscious consumers. In June, Starbucks chief executive Brian Niccol pledged in a meeting with US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr to further align the chain's menu with the Trump administration's health priorities. Starbucks' US menu has a number of items that contain canola oil, including a bacon, gouda and egg sandwich, as well as potato bakes. Starbucks did not provide a timeline for the changes to its food lineup. Seed oils, such as soybean and canola, have become a target for Mr Kennedy and his allies, though multiple meta-analyses have indicated they have no significant impact on inflammation or the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World 25% on Japan and Malaysia, 40% on Laos: Trump's tariff letters to Asia add pressure for deals by Aug 1 Singapore Grab to trial driverless shuttle for staff between Media Circle office and one-north MRT station Singapore Ong Beng Seng's new pre-trial conference date set for July 23 Multimedia 'I suspect he's cheating': She finds proof when spouses stray Singapore MRT services resume on 5-station stretch of North-South Line after track fault Asia Thai authorities vow crackdown on cannabis-infused products after toddler hospitalised World Netanyahu says he nominated Trump for Nobel Peace Prize Singapore Fastest charger to be added to Singapore's EV charging network by Q4 in 2025 The health push is showing up in other places on Starbucks' menu. The chain removed sugar from its matcha powder in a move that boosted sales, Mr Niccol said during an April earnings call. It also nixed an upcharge for non-dairy milk, and a recent pilot involves unsweetened protein powder, which can be added to any cold foam flavour. The chain's latest US beverage launch was a limited-time Fourth of July themed Frappuccino. The 16-ounce version contains 59 grams of sugar, according to the chain's website. The American Heart Association recommends that men consume less than 36 grams of added sugar a day and women less than 25 grams. BLOOMBERG
Straits Times
37 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Shenzhen bourse nudges China firms to speed up IPO applications
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Officials seek to boost private enterprise and reignite the economy under threat from rising US tariffs. BEIJING – China's Shenzhen Stock Exchange has urged brokers to speed up applications for companies to list on the ChiNext board as officials seek to boost private enterprise and reignite the economy under threat from rising US tariffs. The exchange, China's second largest after Shanghai, called in a dozen investment banks to a meeting in June to get them to quicken the pace of applications for companies seeking to sell shares on the tech board, according to people familiar with the matter. At the meeting, the bourse indicated it would expedite the approval process and loosen some requirements, the people said. The regulator aims to ensure that all enterprises that have submitted applications can receive a review and feedback this year, the people said. After a years-long clampdown on share sales and tighter scrutiny of private enterprises, Beijing has shifted its stance as economic challenges, including a trade war, have mounted. Earlier in 2025, President Xi Jinping presided over a meeting with key entrepreneurs including Alibaba Group Holding co-founder Jack Ma, underscoring a softer stance. At a forum in June, China Securities Regulatory Commission chairman Wu Qing said that China will accelerate the development of a capital market better suited to supporting technological innovation and more actively cultivate long-term capital for the market. Regulators are also seeking to stoke share sales on the mainland, as listings from Chinese firms have surged in Hong Kong. The Shenzhen exchange late in June also published rules to make it easier for technology firms already listed on the ChiNext board to raise funds to improve their ability to innovate. China's stock exchanges in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing accepted 150 new applications for initial public offering in June, the highest monthly tally this year. The majority was accepted by Beijing, according to exchange data. Listings in Hong Kong hit the highest since December 2022 in June, as a rally in the Asian financial hub's stocks drove a rush for share sales. Listings in China plunged for three straight years, reaching 222 billion yuan (S$39.5 billion) in 2024, down from 1.24 trillion yuan in 2021, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. So far in 2025, China has seen 114 billion yuan in listings. BLOOMBERG
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
US Treasury Secretary Bessent aims to meet with Chinese official in next few weeks
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that he will meet with his Chinese counterpart sometime in the next couple of weeks. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that he expected to meet with his Chinese counterpart in the coming weeks to advance discussions on trade and other issues between the world's two largest economies. While Mr Bessent did not identify his counterpart by name, the Treasury secretary has engaged in the past with Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng, who led his country's delegation for talks in London in June with the US on trade. 'I'm going to be meeting with my Chinese counterpart at sometime in the next couple of weeks,' Mr Bessent said in an interview on July 7 on CNBC. 'I think there are things for us to do together if the Chinese want to do it,' he added. 'So we will discuss whether we are able to move beyond trade into other areas.' China's Ministry of Commerce did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The US and China exchanged crippling tit-for-tat tariffs earlier i n 2025 that threatened to choke off trade, unnerving financial markets fearing the clash would spark a global downturn. Negotiations in Geneva and later in London saw the two nations agree to a truce under which Beijing agreed to ease the export of rare earth minerals critical to a slew of US industries ranging from chips, clean energy and transportation, in exchange for the US lifting some of its restrictions. Those minerals have held an outsized importance in discussions between the countries. Mr Bessent last week cautioned that flows of those critical materials still had not returned to levels seen in April 2025 . Still, the framework between the US and China is far from comprehensive and there remain complicated questions to resolve, including Mr Trump's concerns about fentanyl trafficking and his efforts to secure a deal for the divestiture of the American operations of social media app TikTok from its Chinese parent ByteDance. That deal requires Beijing's sign-off, giving the country a source of leverage to potentially extract concessions from the US on trade and other issues. Mr Trump has said he has a prospective buyer for TikTok – an investor consortium that includes Oracle Corp, Blackstone and the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. BLOOMBERG
