Amit, Centeno chase World 9-Ball crown

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine pool queen Rubilen Amit resumes her pursuit for the one hardware that has eluded her for more than a decade now as she plunges into action in the Kamui Women’s World 9-Ball Championship set Jan. 19 to 22 in Atlantic City.

The 41-year-old Amit left the country less than a week ago alongside countrywoman and fellow Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Chezka Centeno to continue her quest for that evasive World 9-Ball crown.

Amit and Centeno will be among the cream of the crop of the sport vying for the top purse worth $30,000, or a whopping P1.6 million, and the glory as the best of them all.

Among the 64 stars participating in the event that is making a much-awaited return after a four-year absence is Brit Kelly Fisher, who trounced Austrian Jasmin Ouschan in ruling the last staging in Sanya, China in 2019.

Interestingly, Amit made it as far as the semifinals in that same edition only to succumb to a steadier Ouschan, 9-2.

The closest Amit got in claiming her breakthrough World 9-Ball title was 16 years ago in Taipei where she wound up as runner up to eventual winner Pan Xiaoting of China.

The tournament will implement a double-elimination format of race-to-7, winner-breaks matches down to the final-16 where a knockout, race-to-9 system will be in play.

Both Amit and Centeno have an equal shot at glory being ranked fifth and eighth in the world, respectively.

But it will be more significant for Amit as that World 9-Ball silverware will complete her massive collection of triumphs that include two World 10-Ball crowns, 10 Southeast Asian Games gold medals and a World 10-Ball team title last year when she joined forces with Carlo Biado and Johann Chua in Klagenfurt, Austria.