Luck was definitely not on the side of Ahmad Taufiq Murni.
The national cueist was handed a tough draw in both the 9-ball and 10-ball events at the 27th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Myanmar.
The 25-year-old will open his campaign against Thailand's No 1, Tanut Makkamontee, in the first round of the 9-ball event on Sunday.
He was drawn against Dennis Orcollo of the Philippines, who is the current World No 10 according to the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) rankings, in the opening round of the 10-ball event on Dec 19.
Despite the difficult draw, Taufiq is not thinking about his opponents and is focused on his game.
The Bruneian remains optimistic and is in a confident mood ahead of the competition.
"I just have to play my own game like I did in Korea (for the 4th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games). Play to my own rhythm and hopefully perform to my best," said Taufiq in an interview with The Brunei Times yesterday.
"I haven't had training for the past four days since arriving (in Myanmar). We are only allowed to train for two days (Dec 11-12). So for now only visual training at the hotel by watching videos," he explained.
Professional cueist, Roberto Gomez of the Philippines, was brought in to the Sultanate for a 21-day stint to assist the Bruneian with sparring and training purposes prior to departure to Naypyidaw.
Taufiq felt the extra help was much needed and it has helped him improve his overall game.
"So far everything is good. He (Gomez) has helped a lot especially on my decision making and mindset," said Taufiq, who finished fifth out of 48 players at the 4th Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games in South Korea in July.
"I feel confident at the moment but not over confident," he added.
National cue sports coach Lim Tat Hwe believes in his athlete and knows exactly what is needed to secure victory.
"The chance is there for the 9-ball event. He (Taufiq) just needs to play his usual game and remain focused as well as stay relaxed to enjoy the game," said Lim.
"As for 10-ball, it is a bit tough because Taufiq will need a good break to win against Dennis. He will also require a good mindset," he added.
This is the second time that Taufiq is representing the Sultanate at the SEA Games having made his debut at the 2011 edition in Indonesia where he failed to advance out of the first round in both the 8-ball and 9-ball singles events.
