The Southeast Asian team wins the billiards championship where Vietnam was eliminated in the quarterfinals.

The Philippines squad emerged victorious in the world team billiards championship following a thrilling final match against Poland, capping off an eventful competition where Vietnam's team exited in the quarterfinal round.

Philippines wins world 10-ball team championship

The final witnessed a tense battle of wits between the Philippines and Poland—the team that caused a major upset by defeating powerhouses like the USA, Spain, England, and Austria to reach the last match. Wojciech Szewczyk and Daniel Maciol started dreamily, helping Poland take a 2-0 lead after two racks with scores of 4-3 and 4-1.

However, the Philippines' composure spoke at the right moment. In the pivotal third rack, the duo Roda and Chezka Centeno performed brilliantly to win 4-2, narrowing the gap to 1-2. Centeno was a crucial anchor in the women's position, creating a clear advantage for the Southeast Asian representative.

In the fourth rack, Carlo Biado—a two-time world 10-ball champion—displayed his class by coming from behind against Maciol with a 4-3 score, despite trailing 0-2. The match was leveled at 2-2, forcing both teams to decide the winner through a risky penalty shootout.

The first three shots from both sides were perfect. A surprise occurred in the final shot of round 1, as both Biado and Szewczyk failed to succeed. Moving to round 2 with increased difficulty, Maciol made a mistake, opening a golden opportunity for the Philippines. After Biado and Centeno completed their tasks, the pressure fell on Roda. The player calmly waited nearly 20 seconds before delivering the decisive shot, securing a 3-2 victory (3-4, 1-4, 4-2, 4-3, 4-3) and bringing the world championship title to the Philippines.

This title affirms the growing stature of Southeast Asian billiards on the world map.