Jonas Magpantay, a.k.a. Silent Killer in pool circles, proved there is more to Philippine billiards than familiar names like Carlo Biado as he captured the 2026 Universal Open Pool Championship held at the Pluit Village Mall in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Sunday.
Magpantay defeated Taiwanese Chang Sheng Yi, 13-5, in the final to claim his first-ever world nine-ball title and the $15,000 cash prize. He is now seeking the Philippine Sports Commission’s endorsement to play in Stage 2 of the Asian Pool Championship alongside compatriots Biado and AJ Manas. The Asian Pool Championship is scheduled for July 10-15 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
This championship comes seven months after Jonas Magpantay won his very first world title after a dramatic run at the 2025 Qatar 10-Ball World Cup in November.
Jonas Magpantay Bucks Slow Start
The Filipino started slowly, falling behind 0-2 early. But he reeled off six straight racks to seize control at 6-2 and never looked back, winning seven of the next twelve racks to secure the championship.
Chang had his moments and some opportunities to close the gap. However, he missed a couple of crucial shots that derailed his comeback and scratched on one break, killing any momentum.
“I would like to dedicate my victory to my family, my friends, my sponsors, my country, and to God,” said Magpantay after his breakthrough win.
Beating Compatriots En Route to Championship
Impressively, the Silent Killer was never pushed to the limit on his road to the championship. He defeated Japan’s Kouki Sugiyama and Indonesia’s Irsal Nasution by identical 10-6 scores. He then overcame fellow Filipinos James Aranas (10-6), Bernie Regalario (11-3), and Jefrey Roda to set up the title match with Chang.
With his first-ever world nine-ball championship in sight, Jonas Magpantay went for the kill early—and now he is a champ at nine ball.
