Historic win: Carlo Biado defeats Gorst to reclaim world title

Carlo Biado has made history once again, becoming the first Filipino to win a second World Pool Championship title after dethroning defending champion Fedor Gorst in a thrilling 15-13 final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, yesterday morning, July 27 (Philippine time).

Biado, who first captured the World Nineball crown in 2017 in Doha, Qatar, is now the only Filipino to lift the prestigious trophy twice. In the final, Gorst raced to a quick 2-0 lead, but Biado responded with a dominant 9-2 run. Gorst clawed his way back, capitalizing on Biado’s errors to tie the match at 9-all and again at 13-all.

"I'm over the moon—I still can't believe I'm a two-time world champion. It means everything to me. I'm so proud to bring this trophy home to the Philippines," Biado said.

Undeterred, the 41-year-old showed poise under pressure, taking the last two racks to seal the victory and the title.

"This final is something I'll remember forever. Fedor is one of the best in the world," he added.

With this feat, Biado joins Filipino pool legends Efren “Bata” Reyes (1999), Ronnie Alcano (2006), and Francisco “Django” Bustamante (2010) as World Pool champions.

Meanwhile, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino lauded Biado for upholding the country’s winning legacy in billiards.

“This is another great reason to rejoice and celebrate. Carlo Biado becoming the only player in the world to win the 9-ball championship twice is remarkable. Long live Biado and Philippine billiards,” he said.

The POC, which currently oversees the Billiard Sports Confederation of the Philippines (BSCP) following its suspension by the Asian Confederation of Billiard Sport, reaffirmed its commitment to support the country’s billiards athletes in training and international competitions, including the upcoming Southeast Asian Games in Thailand this December.

"We will continue to work, guide and help our national billiards athletes in their training and competitions abroad, including the Thailand SEA Games this December," Tolentino added.