‘Black Tiger’ roars, leads July achievers

Carlo Biado pulled off a masterstroke as he won the World Pool Championship for the second time and led Philippine aces to a roaring start to the second half of 2025.

Eight years after ruling the most prestigious 9-ball tournament on the planet, Biado reclaimed his spot at the summit with a smashing run in this year’s edition in Jeddah capped by a 15-13 dispatching of American Fedor Gorst in the thrilling finale.

The cue master known as “Black Tiger” etched his name in history as the first Filipino to win the coveted 9-ball crown twice, moving ahead of legends Efren “Bata” Reyes (1999), Ronnie Alcano (2006), and Francisco “Django” Bustamante (2010) in the all-time tally.

Biado’s feat earned him the Philippine Sportswriters Association’s nod as the top achiever for July.

It was a banner month for the country overall as boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, Strong Group Athletics (SGA), the Philippine women’s football team Filipinas, and the Philippine rugby squad Volcanoes delivered shining performances in other fronts.

Now 46, Pacquiao came out of retirement and challenged WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios in Las Vegas. The fight ended in a majority draw, allowing the American to regain the belt but still, it left a positive impression on the Pacman’s ring return after four years of inactivity.

The SGA basketball team coached by Charles Tiu completed a clean sweep of the William Jones Cup in Taiwan, duplicating its golden shutout in 2024 and taking the distinction as the first Philippine team to grab back-to-back titles in the tournament’s 44-year history.

The Filipinas also brought out the broom in Group G of the AFC Asian Women’s Cup Qualifiers in Cambodia. They beat Saudi Arabia (3-0), host Cambodia (6-0) and Hong Kong (1-0) to qualify for the Continental meet for the third straight time and stay in the hunt for the FIFA Women’s World Cup tickets up for grabs there.

The Volcanoes declared they’re back in international 15-a-side rugby by reigning supreme in the 2025 Unions Cup in Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei. They first dethroned Singapore, 37-20, then walloped Thailand, 23-6, en route to the trophy in their comeback appearance after a six-year hiatus.

The youth brigade, likewise, sparkled for Philippine sports in the month.

Weightlifters bagged two gold medals, seven silvers and seven bronzes in the AWF Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, while taekwondo jins had a two-gold, five-silver, 13-bronze haul from the Asian Junior Taekwondo Championships in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.