03/11/2025
DESTINY. 🫡
𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐘 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐉𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃
Destiny is an overused word in sports. But after what happened this weekend, there’s simply no better way to describe it — it felt destined for 🇵🇭 Jonas Magpantay to become the Qatar World Cup 10-Ball 2025 Champion.
Magpantay joined the grueling five-day qualifiers, where players had four chances in separate single-elimination events to earn a spot in the main stage. He joined every single one of them.
On his first attempt, he lost in the Last 32 to 🇹🇼 Lu Hui Chan, 3–7. On his second, he came just one win away from qualifying but lost to fellow Filipino 🇵🇭 Christian Gariando, 6–7. On his third try, he again fell in the Last 32, this time to 🇵🇭 Jesson Marabi, 6–7. And on his fourth and final chance, he was one win away once more, but again fell to 🇹🇼 Lu Hui Chan, 2–7.
After four heartbreaks, it looked like his dream had ended. But fate wasn’t finished. There was one more way in — an extra qualifier spot through the points system. All points from the qualifiers were tallied, and that final slot went to 🇱🇧 Habib El Hussain, who had the best finishes among non-qualifiers.
Then, as luck — or destiny — would have it, a player reportedly backed out, opening one last spot. That place went to Jonas Magpantay, who had the second-highest points total among all players. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Another remarkable facet to this story was that Magpantay defeated 🇵🇭 Carlo Biado for the very first time, as confirmed by Filipino referee Emil Cuevas. It happened on Biado’s birthday — a day when his wish was simple: “I hope a Filipino will be crowned champion in Qatar.” In a poetic way, that wish came true, just not in the way anyone expected.
It’s also worth remembering that just two months earlier, Magpantay competed in the World 10-Ball Championship in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, where he also came from the qualifiers and lost in the Last 16 — to none other than Carlo Biado. After that match, he posted this on his page:
“Alam kong hindi pa natatapos ang lahat dito. Balang araw makukuha din kita. Hintayin mo lang ako. Hindi kita susukuan. Kapag dumating ang takdang oras para sa ating dalawa, maangkin din kita — World 10-Ball Champion.”
(“I know this isn’t the end. One day, I’ll get you. Wait for me. I won’t give up. When the right time comes for the two of us, I’ll claim you — the World 10-Ball Champion title.”)
That “right time” came in Qatar.
His sister Laura, shared where Jonas’s determination truly comes from — their late father:
“Siya pong nagpapatibay sa kanyang determinasyon para lumaban at subukang balang araw ay masungkit ang world champion title. Bagay na pinangarap para sa kanya ng aming yumaong tatay na siyang nagturo sa aming magkakapatid ng bilyar. Sayang at pumanaw agad siya… sana tuwang-tuwa siya ngayon na makita ang bunso niyang lumalaban sa pambansang tournament.
Isang bagay lang po ang itinuro niya kay Jonas noong bata pa — at hanggang ngayon ay pinanghahawakan niya: Lumaban ka ng malinis, wag ibebenta ang laban kahit bilyong salapi pa yan. Ang dangal ng manlalaro ay di kayang bayaran ng pera. Labanan mo ng patas at walang inaagrabyado. Maging mapagpakumbaba at respetado sa lahat. Sa tamang oras ng Diyos, darating din ang gantimpala.”
Those were the words his father left him — and now, standing at the top of the world, Jonas Magpantay has proven them true.
Jonas Magpantay didn’t just win a title in Qatar. He fulfilled a dream written years ago, lived by heart, and passed down by blood.
Maybe destiny isn’t overused after all. Maybe it’s just rare to see it realized so beautifully.
