MANILA – Johann Chua pulled off a stunner against fellow Filipino Carlo Biado, 9-7, to annex the men’s 9-ball pool singles in the 31st Southeast Asian Games on Wednesday at the Ha Dong Gymnasium in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The 29-year-old Chua took advantage of a miscue by Biado to surge ahead at 7-5 and from there just rolled on with the alternate break format working in his favor.
Biado had an opportunity to tie the score in the final rack after a series of good shots. But a miss on the eight-ball allowed Chua to finish the game and capture his first SEA Games gold.
“Sobra ang kaba ko. First time ko lumaban sa finals dito sa SEA Games. Hindi ako maka-get over. Iba talaga pag flag and country,” said Chua. “Sobra ang nginig ng kamay ko. Pero gustong-gusto ko makuha ‘yung gold.”
This was the second gold medal of the Philippines in billiards. Filipina Rubilen Amit ruled the 9-ball pool singles on Tuesday night. She defeated Singapore’s Jessica Tan in the finals, 7-2.
Veteran cue master Efren “Bata” Reyes settled for a bronze medal finish in the men’s 1-cushion carom after absorbing a 100-55 defeat to Vietnam’s Tran Thanh Tan Nguyen in the semifinals.
Jefrey Roda bagged the silver in men’s snooker 6-red singles, while Francisco dela Cruz clinched the bronze medal in the same event after losing his semifinals game.
The women’s recurve team of Pia Elizabeth Bidaure, Gabrielle Monica Bidaure and Phoebe Nicole Amistoso notched a gold medal after stunning Vietnam, 5-4.
Kurt Barbosa, meanwhile, successfully retained his men’s -54 kyorugi gold medal with a huge 16-7 win over Thailand’s Panachai Jaijulla on Tuesday evening.
The team of Samantha Catantan, Maxine Esteban, Wilhelmina Lozada, and Justine Gail Tinio fell short of the gold in women’s foil team event after bowing to Singapore in the finals, 28-33.
Filipino swimmers Chloe Isleta and Jessica Joy Geriane finished with silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the women’s 100m backstroke event.
In fencing, the womens sabre team of Jylyn Nicanor, Queen Denise Dalmacio, Allaine Nicole Cortey, and Kemberly Camahalan and men’s foil team of Nathaniel Perez, Sammuel Tranquilan, Michael Nicanor, and Francis Felipe claimed bronzes.
Jamie Lim settled for a bronze medal finish in kumite individual women’s 61-kg event, while golfers Lois Kaye Go, Rianne Malixi, and Mafy Singson also claimed a bronze in the women’s team event./PN
