Rubilen "Bingkay" Amit (born October 3, 1981) is a Filipino female professional pool player from Mandaue, Cebu. Amit is a two-time WPA Women's World Ten-ball champion and the first Filipina pool player to become WPA Women's World Nine-ball champion in 2024. She is also the second Filipino player behind Carlo Biado to win both ten-ball and nine-ball championships.
 Amit in 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | October 3, 1981 Mandaue, Cebu, Philippines | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport country |  Philippines | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Biography
editRubilen Amit was born in Mandaue, Cebu.
Amit began playing during her teens, often tagging along with her father Bobby at the Super Bowl in Makati. In college, she studied accountancy at the University of Santo Tomas. She participated in and won the 2000 and 2001 College of Commerce and Business Administration's billiards tournaments.[1] After graduating in 2004, Amit worked as a call center agent for a year. In 2005, she was accepted to the Philippine Pool National Team. However, in early 2013, Amit, along with other top Filipino pool players, was removed from the national team due to a controversial reorganization of the national team by the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines.[2][3][4][5]
Career
editIn 2009, Amit became the first Filipina to become a world pool champion after claiming her first WPA Women's World Ten-ball Championship title, outclassing two-time Women’s World Nine-ball champion Liu Hsin-mei of Taiwan, 10–4 at the SM North in Quezon City, Manila Philippines.[6] Also in 2009, Amit partnered Efren "Bata" Reyes to win the inauragral World Mixed Doubles Classic defeating Korean team of Charlie Williams and Eun Ji Park with a 9–7 score held at the Nuvo City Lifestyle Center in Libis, Quezon City.[7] She also won the 2011 event once again partnering Reyes. The pair beat the American pair of Johnny Archer and Jeannette Lee 10–6 in the final at Shopping Center in Hangzhou, China.[8]
In 2013, Amit won her second WPA Women's World Ten-ball Championship, defeating Kelly Fisher of Great Britain 10–7 in the final at Newport Mall in Pasay City, Philippines.[9] She became the first female pool player to win two ten-ball championships after her victory in 2009.[10]
In 2022, the trio of Amit, Carlo Biado and Johann Chua emerged triumphant in the 2022 WPA World Teams Championship after sweeping Great Britain, 3–0, in the final in Klagenfurt, Austria. Great Britain was composed of Kelly Fisher, Jayson Shaw, and Darren Appleton.[11] With the win, they gave the Philippines its first World Team Ten-ball title after runner-up finishes in 2010 and 2014.
In 2024, Amit won the WPA Women's World Nine-ball Championships in Hamilton, New Zealand, defeating Chen Siming of China 3 sets to 1 (1-4), (4-2), (4-2) and (4-3). She took home the top prize of $50,000 (2.9m PHP).[12]
Amit's victory made her the first Filipina pool player to win the women's world nine-ball title and the second Filipino pool player, after Carlo Biado, to win both the ten-ball and nine-ball world championships.[13]
Amit is a multiple-time Sea Games gold medalists, winning 10 golds, 5 silvers and 1 bronze. She also won 1 silver and 1 bronze at Asian Indoor Games.
Titles
edit- 2024 WPA Women's World Nine-ball Championship
- 2022 WPA World Mixed Teams Ten-ball Championship
- 2021 Southeast Asian Games Nine-ball Singles
- 2021 Southeast Asian Games Ten-ball Singles
- 2019 Southeast Asian Games Nine-ball Doubles
- 2019 Southeast Asian Games Nine-ball Singles
- 2015 Queens Cup
- 2013 Southeast Asian Games Ten-ball Singles
- 2013 WPA Women's World Ten-ball Championship
- 2013 Queens Cup
- 2011 World Mixed Doubles Classic (with Efren Reyes)
- 2009 Philippine Sportsman of the Year
- 2009 WPA Women's World Ten-ball Championship
- 2009 Southeast Asian Games Eight-ball Singles
- 2009 Southeast Asian Games Nine-ball Singles
- 2009 World Mixed Doubles Classic (with Efren Reyes)
- 2007 Southeast Asian Games Nine-ball Singles
- 2005 Southeast Asian Games Eight-ball Singles
- 2005 Southeast Asian Games Nine-ball Singles
Recognitions
editIn 2019, Amit was recognized as one of the Top 100 Cebuano personalities by The Freeman, Cebu's longest-running newspaper. She was recognized alongside Tomas Osmeña, Resil Mojares, and Max Surban as part of the centennial anniversary of the local newspaper.[14]
References
edit- ^ "Amit pockets World 10-ball plum at home". University of Santo Tomas – The Varsitarian. November 18, 2013.
- ^ in Billiard (July 29, 2013). "Amit, 1st Pinay world pool champion". Philippine Asian News Today. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
- ^ "A new chapter for Rubilen Amit – INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos". Sports.inquirer.net. April 27, 2009. Archived from the original on August 10, 2009. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
- ^ "Pool's Top Source for News, Views, Tips & More". Billiards Digest. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
- ^ "'Eyebrow-raising move': NSA drops Philippine's top billiard players". Sun.Star. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
- ^ "A new chapter for Rubilen Amit - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos". web.archive.org. August 10, 2009. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
- ^ "Bata, Amit Clinch 1st World Mixed Doubles Classic - News - AZBILLIARDS.COM". AzBilliards. December 3, 2009. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
- ^ "Reyes, Amit Win World Pool Mixed Doubles Championship in China - News - AZBILLIARDS.COM". AzBilliards. December 2, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
- ^ "Rubilen Amit Wins 2nd Gold at Yalin World 10-Ball for the Philippines - News - AZBILLIARDS.COM". AzBilliards. November 4, 2013. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
- ^ "Rubilen Amit regains world 10-ball title after big fightback against Kelly Fisher". Spin.ph. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
- ^ "Team PH wins World Teams 10-ball title". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
- ^ "Rubilen Amit bags first 9-ball world title in New Zealand". Spin.ph. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
- ^ Malgapu, Hans (September 13, 2024). "Accountancy alumna pockets world 9-Ball Championship, becomes first Pinay to win gold". University of Santo Tomas. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
- ^ "Top 100 Cebuano Personalities - Rubilen Amit". The Freeman. July 11, 2019. Retrieved October 16, 2020.