MANILA – Rubilen Amit of the Philippines secured the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) Women's World 9-Ball Championship title by defeating China’s Siming Chen, 3-1 (1-4, 4-2, 4-2, 4-3), in Hamilton, New Zealand on Sunday. Amit, the first Filipino to win the event, earned the top prize of USD50,000 just ahead of her 43rd birthday on October 3. Chen received USD30,000 as the runner-up.

According to Philippines News Agency, a total of 48 players competed in the championship. Amit reached the finals after overcoming a 1-2 sets deficit to defeat Russia's Kristina Tkach in the semifinals with a scoreline of 2-4, 4-3, 2-4, 4-1, 4-1. Siming Chen dominated Japan's Chihiro Kawahara in her semifinal match, winning 4-3, 4-0, 4-0.

Amit, who hails from Mandaue, Cebu, was emotional after sinking the decisive 9-ball, a victory that came 17 years after she finished as runner-up in the same event. Amit is also a two-time World 10-Ball champion (2009 and 2013) and a 10-time gold medalist in the Southeast Asian Games. Fellow Filipino pool player Chezka Centeno, who won the World 10-Ball title last year, was present at the final match to support Amit.

On the men's side, past Filipino winners of the WPA World 9-Ball Championship include Efren "Bata" Reyes (1999), Alex Pagulayan (2004), Ronnie Alcano (2006), Francisco "Django" Bustamante (2010), and Carlo Biado (2017).

Amit, a graduate of the University of Santo Tomas, also established the Amit Cup in 2022 to support female pool enthusiasts. According to the tournament website, the cup aims to foster an inclusive and empowering atmosphere for women in the sport, with a vision to become the leading platform for Filipina pool players.