Amit reveals how Philippines stole Teams 10-Ball world title from 0-2 down
- Rodolfo Dacleson II
- Mar 1
- 2 min read
Down 0-2 and on the brink of a runner-up finish, Filipino cue artists clawed their way back to stun Poland, 3-2, and capture the 2026 Predator WPA Teams 10-Ball World Championship at the Westgate Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, Feb. 28 (Manila time).
It was the Philippines' second Teams 10-Ball crown to become the winningest nation in the tournament since its inception in 2010.
Rubilen Amit, Chezka Centeno, Carlo Biado, and Jefrey Roda completed the revenge arc against Poland’s Katarzyna Wesolowska, Wojciech Szewczyk, and Daniel Maciol — the same squad that handed them an opening-day defeat.
That early loss sent the Filipinos tumbling into the loser’s bracket, where every match became a do-or-die test. They edged Puerto Rico and the Netherlands by identical 3-1 scores, swept Chinese Taipei, 3-0, then knocked out Great Britain in the quarterfinals and USA-A — the host nation’s top team — in the semifinals to set a rematch with the Poles.
Poland struck first in the best-of-five finale, seizing a 2-0 lead and pushing the Filipinos to the edge. But just as quickly, the momentum shifted.
Amit, who sat out the finals as teams were limited to three players per match, joked that her absence may have sparked the turnaround.
“So when we were down 2-0, I just went somewhere. And when I was coming back, they were also crawling back into the game. And then my partner [Jazz] told me: ‘Don’t come back. They’re crawling in, and you’re not here, so let’s make it stay that way,’” the three-time women’s world champion said in a postgame interview. “So I just waited until the end. And then everybody celebrated.”
She also had nothing but praise for tournament first-timer Roda, who pocketed the game-winning ball in the decisive fifth-set shootout.
“I’m just so proud of the team. It was an amazing, amazing, amazing job. Especially this guy over here, for a first-timer to actually win the game,” said Amit.
At a loss for words, Roda admitted that embracing the magnitude of the moment steadied his nerves.
“I just think that this is my first world title. If I make it, we’re going to be the champions. So great experience. It’s like a great gift for my birthday this coming March 1,” said the 25-year-old, who broke through in 2024 by clinching his first World 9-Ball Tour crown at the 3rd Universal Chinese Taipei Open.
Biado, meanwhile, celebrated his second world teams title. In 2022, he, Amit, and Johann Chua delivered the Philippines’ maiden championship.
“We worked so hard. I told my team to just enjoy the game. Don’t put the pressure on your shoulders. We did our best, and I’m so happy that we won again,” said the reigning world nine-ball champion.
Comments