Pool was, once again, another source of Filipino sporting pride in the past year.
There was another bumper crop of incredible billiards achievements in 2025 for our pool shooters. Here are some of the top stories. Special thanks to 77 Billiards for their assistance in this article.
Carlo Biado, two-time world champ and Hall of Famer
Last July, Biado prevailed 15-13 against Fedor Gorst in the final in Riyadh to annex his second world 9 ball title and the US$250,000 purse that comes with it. Months later he would be inducted into the Billiards Congress of America Hall of Fame.
Biado has now ensconced himself into the Mount Rushmore of Philippine pool along with Efren Reyes and Francisco Bustamante. He is one of only a handful of shooters who have won both world titles and a US Open. He has also captured both world 10-ball and 9-ball crowns in a glittering career.
Biado is also a class act and he showed it in a superb speech at his HOF induction. In it he spoke about being dirt-poor in the province, likely La Union, picking corn and packing it in sacks, and how he never thought he would achieve what he did coming from there. Biado also related how he used to need a handicap to beat Efren Reyes in challenge matches, but that when he finally did beat him without a handicap, he decided out of respect, never to play him again.
Biado is more than just a top pool player, he is also a true role model, and still very much in his prime.
Chezka Centeno becomes a double world champion
The Zamboanga legend upended friend and mentor Rubilen Amit to lift her second world championship trophy last October in Bali, Indonesia. The 3-2 victory in sets at the Women’s World 10 ball means Centeno is on her way to challenging Amit as the country’s finest female shooter of all time.
Centeno also won a ladies event in Indonesia, defeating rising Pinay Denden Santos in the final, won a mixed doubles event in Indonesia with Jeff de Luna, and picked up a World Games silver medal to boot.
AJ Manas leads the youth movement
The 18-year old served up a sensational MVP performance as he and his Asian buddies routed the Rest of the World in the second Reyes Cup, 11-3. Manas also won the WWW Championship in Indonesia and is poised to grow into a top Filipino cueist with his incredible talent and calm demeanor at the table.
Wax-gate was the biggest controversy of the pool world in 2025
Both Eklent Kaci and Aloysius Yapp seemed to hint that cue ball waxing was rampant in the game on their social media after losses to Pinoys. Filipino pool fans leapt to the defense of their Pinoy heroes, who were obliquely accused of the practice that makes cue ball control difficult.
The back-and-forth devolved into a series of challenges between Kaci and some Filipino pros for matches, none of which seemed to materialize.
Yapp eventually walked back some of his comments, but even Fedor Gorst admitted that it was going on at the pro level. There were no top players directly accused of it and the issue died down. Yes, it did indeed wax and wane.
Jonas Magpantay upends a quality field to win in Qatar
The depth of Filipino pool was plain to see when Jonas Magpantay won the lucrative Qatar World Cup 10 Ball in early November. The veteran rose from the qualifiers to defeat leading players like Naoyuki Oi, Carlo Biado, Moritz Neuhausen and Niels Feijen before downing Szymon Kural 13-9 in the final. The US$100,000 first prize, nearly six million pesos, made the triumph even sweeter for the Sharks league player.
Johann Chua keeps on winning
Chua snapped off a US Open tune-up, the Battle of the Bull, against a tough field last August. He disposed of Duong Quoc Hoang 11-5 in the semis then outdueled Shane Van Boening 13-8 in the final in Roanoke, Virginia. Earlier in the year he bested Gorst 13-6 in the final to capture the Knight Shot Open in Dubai. New players are bubbling up for the Philippines but Chua is still a threat to win any tournament he enters.
Kyle Amoroto is a rising force
The 23-year old racked up the titles in 2025, most notably the prestigious All-Japan Championship, where he defeated Johann Chua 11-5 in the final. Apart from snapping off four events in Indonesia, he also captured the Taytay Open. This is one shooter we all have to keep an eye on.
The All-Japan was also a moment of pride for the nation, as Antonio Lining and Rommel Santos rounded out an all-Filipino final four.
David Alcaide crowned champion in Cubao
The Philippines Open, held in October in Gateway Mall, was a notable flop in terms of Pinoy participation, with the home players shut out of the semifinal cast. But Spain’s David Alcaide proved himself a worthy winner by overwhelming Arseni Sevastyanov 13-3 in the final.
Unheralded Paolo Gallito wins Reyes Yalin 10 Ball
Paolo who? The shooter topped a tough field to bank the P1M first prize after edging Lee Vann Corteza in the final at Pacman Cue Club last August.
Alexis Ferrer wins his first WNT ranking title
The Tarlac shooter captured the Universal CPBA 99 Open in July, beating Chang Yu Lung 13-10 in Hanoi, Vietnam. He is yet another young Filipino picking up steam in his billiards career. Other Marboys stable players who won internationally this year were Jefrey Roda, and Sean Mark Malayan.
Marboys continues to support Filipino pool
The Paranaque-based Marboys group held a national championship won by Marvin Asis while Bernie Regalario won the Marboys Shootout in June, defeating Roda in the final. This is one organization fully committed to growing the sport in many different ways, from tournaments to player management to venues. In fact, they just opened another poolroom in Batangas City.
Sharks Billiards Association is growing from strength to strength
The first season was a success, with Taguig winning the league title. They held a Philippine Open that produced a champ in Anthony Raga last April. The second season of the league saw the addition of two new teams to bring the total to six teams. The Association is adding a new twist to the game while also bringing sustainability and regular employment to billiards players. What’s not to like?
The next generation of Filipina pool heroines is coming
The likes of Rhaki Constantino and Denden Santos are starting to gain experience abroad and grow in confidence. There is also an emerging star in Shayne Acebar, a Gingoog City native with a following of 337,000 on Facebook. The “Lady Cobra” has defeated Constantino in challenge matches and seems to have the game to go global.
Acebar seems to be following in the footsteps of Jaybee Sucal by building up a fan base on social media with regular content. Hopefully this can be a springboard to greater heights, because Acebar has real game.
Banner images from Matchroom Pool
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