Amit hopes win will inspire Pinays

MANILA, Philippines - Rubilen Amit hopes her victory in the world 10-ball championship will inspire other female players the way pool legend Efren “Bata” Reyes did exactly a decade ago.

Reyes put the country on the world pool stage by winning the world 9-ball crown in Cardiff, Wales in 1999, his amazing feat generating keen interest in the sport and sparking the emergence of billiards talents nationwide.

Amit, 27, also wants to achieve it in women’s billiards.

“I also want to help women’s billiards in the country just like what my idol Efren (Reyes) did many years ago for the sport,” said Amit moments after her conquest of the 2009 JBETpoker.net Women’s World 10-Ball Championship at the SM City North over the weekend.

“I hope my win will help inspire other Filipino women players to strive harder,” said the diminutive Mandaue-born, Taguig-based Filipina.

Amit bucked overwhelming odds, including two-time world pool champion Liu Shin Mei of Chinese Taipei, 10-4, in a tense-filled finale to become the inaugural 10-Ball champion.

She thus joined Reyes, Fil-Canadian Alex Pagulayan and Ronnie Alcano, who won a combined three 9-Ball and two 8-Ball world titles, as Filipino world champions.

On her way to the championship, Amit upstaged 2000 world 9-ball queen Julie Kelly of Ireland and crowd favorite Jeanette “The Black Widow” Lee of the United States.

Her lone loss came at the hands of World No. 1 Kelly Fisher of England, 1-5, in the opening day match.

From there, Amit went all the way.

“I’m really a slow starter,” said Amit, who also had a shaky start in the 2007 Amway World 9-Ball Championship in Taiwan where she rallied to finish runner-up.

For Amit, it was all hardwork, perseverance and prayers.

“I guess one needs to work hard, persevere and pray a lot to succeed,” said Amit, now looking forward to vie for world 9-ball and 8-ball titles.

“Of course I also want to be champion there but it’s going to take more hard work to achieve it,” said Amit, who reached only the Last 16 last year and Last 24 last month in the Amway event after her runner-up finish two years back.

Amit is also eyeing a spot in the national team competing in the Laos Southeast Asian Games, which will feature 9-ball and 8-ball singles events for women.