Manila: Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino called Carlo Biado "a gem in world pool" for winning the 2025 World Pool 9-Ball Championship in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
According to Philippines News Agency, Biado dethroned Russian-American Fedor Gorst, 15-13, in the final of the event -- the crown jewel of the World Nineball Tour-- held at the iconic Green Halls. Tolentino expressed his admiration for Biado, saying, "This is another great reason to rejoice and celebrate -- Carlo Biado winning in Jeddah and becoming the only player in the world to emerge 9-ball champion twice. Long live Biado and Philippine billiards."
Biado shared his excitement in a report on matchpool.com, stating, "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." He further recalled the intense final against Gorst, acknowledging the skill of his opponent. "This final is something I'll remember forever. Fedor is one of the best in the world -- when I was leading 9-2, I still couldn't relax because he's a monster on the table. But today, I stayed focused, stayed calm, and maybe had a little luck on my side too," said Biado, who made history as the first Filipino to lift the title twice.
Biado first won the championship in 2017 in Doha, joining the ranks of other Filipino greats like Efren 'Bata' Reyes, who won in 1999 in Cardiff, Ronnie Alcano in 2006, and Francisco 'Django' Bustamante in 2010, also in Doha.
The POC has been tasked with administering the obligations and responsibilities of the national sports association of billiards and snookers, the Billiard Sports Confederation of the Philippines (BSCP), since its suspension by the Asian Confederation of Billiard Sport (ACBS) last March. Tolentino emphasized the POC's commitment to supporting national billiard athletes, particularly in their training and competitions abroad, including the upcoming Thailand Southeast Asian Games in December.
Biado's achievements also include gold medals at the Wroclaw World Games (2017) and the SEA Games in Singapore (2015), Kuala Lumpur (2017), and Vietnam (2021).
