Taipei - Taiwan's top billiard player Wu Chia-ching could obtain Singapore citizenship to play there after his salary demands were not met in his home country, a sports official confirmed on Thursday.

"We really regret this, but the pay he requested is too high and we cannot meet his demand," Tu Yung-hui, executive director of the Chinese-Taipei Billiard Association, said by phone.

Wu has not received Singapore's citizenship yet, but flew there Singapore Wednesday after talks with Taiwan sports authorities on pay rise collapsed.

Wu's father said Chia-ching is in Singapore for holiday.

"Wu Chia-ching has not signed the contract with Singapore yet. Singapore has only made the verbal offer to him," Wu Chia-ching's father Wu Chen-chung told cable TV channel FTV.

Wu Chia-ching met with Taiwan's sports minister Tai Hsia-ling and Tu, head of the billiard association, on February 19 to demand a pay rise, a package which also includes retirement fee.

IF that was not met, he would play for Singapore.

"Singapore, eager to attract sports talents, has offered him the equivalent of 4.6 million Taiwan dollars (130,000 US dollars) per year, but we can only raise our pay to
600,000 Taiwan dollars (17,000 US dollars)," he said.

Introduced to Taiwan by US troops who vacationed in Taiwan during the Vietnam War, billiard has since become a popular sport. IAsia, Taiwan ranks only after the Philippines in billiard sport.

Wu, 20, began to play billiard at the age of 10. He won the 2005 World Pool Championship, becoming the youngest champion at age 16.

However, he has complained about the unsound system for sports in Taiwan, which has made life difficult for Taiwan athletes and nothing to rely on after retirement from sports.

For the sport of billiard, a player gets no pay unless he or she has been picked for training for the Asian Games. During training, the player can get 25,000 Taiwan dollars
(700 US dollars) per month.

An Asian Games gold medallist from Taiwan can receive a 3 million Taiwan dollar (85,000 US dollar) award from the nation's sports ministry. (dpa)