Iraq’s Ameer Ali captured the 2026 RBC Bali International 9-Ball Open championship after defeating the Philippines’ Jerico Bonus, 11–9, in the final held Friday, October 9, at Hall RBC Renon in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia.
Ali earned the Rp200,000,000 top prize (approximately US$11,310), while Bonus received Rp100,000,000 (approximately US$5,655) as runner-up. The tournament featured 128 players competing for a total prize fund of Rp598,000,000.
Ali’s victory capped an impressive campaign that included a dramatic comeback against former world champion Alex Pagulayan and a commanding semifinal performance against rising Filipino star AJ Manas.
Ameer Ali’s Road to the RBC Bali Championship
Ali’s path to the championship featured several difficult opponents, including four Filipino players in the knockout stages.
After eliminating Jonas Magpantay in the Last 16, the Iraqi faced one of his toughest challenges in the quarterfinals against Alex Pagulayan, the 2004 World 9-Ball Champion.
A Remarkable Comeback Against Alex Pagulayan
Trailing 1–6 against Pagulayan, Ali appeared to be heading toward elimination. However, he mounted an impressive recovery, overcoming the five-rack deficit to eventually secure a narrow 9–8 victory.
The comeback was one of the defining moments of Ali’s championship campaign. Against an experienced former world champion, he managed to reverse a seemingly difficult situation and advance to the final four.
A Commanding Semifinal Against AJ Manas
Ali followed his quarterfinal escape with a dominant semifinal victory over AJ Manas, another member of the Philippines’ emerging generation of international pool players.
Manas had put together an impressive run of his own, defeating James Aranas 9–6 and Kyle Amoroto 9–7 before encountering Ali.
Ali’s semifinal victory secured his place in the championship match, where another Filipino opponent awaited.
Jerico Bonus Pushes Ali in the Final
Jerico Bonus advanced to the championship round after defeating Jeffrey De Luna 11–8 in the other semifinal.
Unlike Ali’s commanding semifinal performance, the final proved to be a much closer contest. Bonus kept the match competitive, but Ali ultimately prevailed 11–9 to secure the championship.
Speaking to Indonesian media after his victory, Ali acknowledged the challenge presented by his Filipino opponent.
“I’m happy to win here in Bali and beat Jerico. He’s good and wasn’t easy to defeat.”
Ali’s comments were reported by Bali Post, translated from Indonesian.
Bonus, meanwhile, acknowledged that fatigue had affected his performance. Having battled through several demanding matches since the Last 64, the Filipino admitted that the accumulated physical exhaustion made it difficult to maintain his concentration in the final.
Despite falling short of the championship, Bonus finished with a runner-up result and another notable appearance in an international final.
From FargoRate World No. 2 to International Tournament Champion
For those familiar with Ali’s emergence on the international pool scene, his victory in Bali adds another chapter to an unusual career trajectory.
In December 2024, Ali attracted considerable attention when he appeared at No. 2 in FargoRate’s published world top 100, with a rating of approximately 850. He was positioned behind Joshua Filler and ahead of established stars such as Fedor Gorst.
What made the ranking particularly intriguing was Ali’s relatively limited recorded match data compared with many of the world’s established elite players. His rating was based on just over 300 recorded racks, raising questions about how accurately it reflected his level of play.
In April 2025, 77.Billiards published a profile titled “Meet Ameer Ali – Pool’s Lesser-Known Elite Player”, exploring his surprising FargoRate position and asking whether the Iraqi was an overlooked world-class talent.
Since then, Ali has continued to produce notable performances against international opposition.
At the 2025 World Pool Championship in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, he defeated Filipino contender Anton Raga 11–6 in the Last 16 before narrowly losing 11–9 to Albania’s Kledio Kaçi in the quarterfinals.
His earlier achievements also include a bronze medal at the 2024 Asian 10-Ball Championship, a quarterfinal finish at the 2024 Qatar World Cup 10-Ball, and a West Asian championship title in 2025.
While his former FargoRate position should not be confused with the official World Nineball Tour or WPA rankings, his recent tournament results provide further evidence of his ability to compete against strong international fields.
The RBC Bali championship adds another significant result to that record.
RBC Bali International 9-Ball Open 2026 Prize Money
The tournament featured a reported total prize fund of Rp598,000,000, distributed among players advancing through the competition.
| Placement | Prize Per Player |
|---|---|
| Champion | Rp200,000,000 |
| Runner-up | Rp100,000,000 |
| Semifinalists | Rp35,000,000 |
| Quarterfinalists | Rp13,000,000 |
| Last 16 | Rp8,000,000 |
| Last 32 | Rp4,000,000 |
| Last 64 | Rp1,500,000 |
Organized by Rumah Biliar and Cafe (RBC) in cooperation with POBSI Bali, the tournament marked the organizers’ first fully open international edition, following previous events conducted under handicap formats.
According to Koranjuri, RBC owner Edward Sandjaja Ikhwan has expressed interest in staging a larger tournament in 2027, potentially increasing the prize fund to Rp1 billion. The proposed increase remains an organizational target rather than a confirmed prize structure.
What You Need to Know
- Champion: Ameer Ali (Iraq).
- Runner-up: Jerico Bonus (Philippines).
- Final result: Ameer Ali defeated Jerico Bonus 11–9.
- Championship date: October 9, 2026.
- Venue: Hall RBC Renon, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia.
- Prize money: Rp200 million for the champion from a Rp598 million total prize fund.
- Key performance: Ali recovered from a 1–6 deficit to defeat Alex Pagulayan 9–8 in the quarterfinals.
For Ali, the championship represents another step in establishing his credentials on the international stage. Once considered a relatively unfamiliar name despite his extraordinary FargoRate position, the Iraqi continues to build a competitive record through performances against experienced and accomplished opponents.