SEA Games: Pinoys Orcollo and Biado snare gold-silver finish in 10 Ball
At last, Pinoy Pool prominence in cue sports was restored in the 27th SEA Games.
Surigao's former 8 Ball world champ Dennis Orcollo picked up the Men's 10 Ball gold on Wednesday after defeating fellow Pinoy Carlo Biado 9-7 in the final match at the Wunna Theikdi Billiards Hall in Naypyitaw, Myanmar.
The gold was the first for the Philippine Billiards team after they stumbled in Mens and Women's 9 Ball and in One Cushion Billiards.
Orcollo, nicknamed “Robocop” ended the game with a flourish, drilling home a difficult 5-10 combination to seal victory in the last rack.
Both Filipinos disposed of Vietnamese opponents in the semifinals. Biado took out Thanh Kien while Orocllo eliminated Anh Tuan. In the quarters, Orcollo defeated Nitiwat Kanjanasri, the Thai who had just a few days earlier booted him out of the 9 Ball competition.
The gold wraps up a terrific year for Orcollo, the 2011 SEA Games 9 Ball champ. Earlier in the year Orcollo teamed up with Lee Vann Corteza to win the World Cup of Pool for the Philippines. Orcollo also won the US Open One Pocket title last July.
Biado will settle for a silver medal and also helps cement his status as perhaps the next big thing in Philippine Pool. The La Union-born shooter reached the final four in the World 9 Ball championship a few months ago.
Both players have been supported by Bugsy Promotions of Perry and Verna Mariano.
On Thursday the Philippines will attempt to go for gold again in the Women's 10 Ball competition with Iris Ranola and Rubilen Amit. Amit, the reigning world 10 Ball champ, won silver in 9 Ball while Ranola, who lost her father to cancer on the day she flew to Myanmar, is trying to put aside her personal grief in the hopes of bringing joy to the nation.
Special thanks to Lim T Hwe of Brunei for his invaluable help in this article.
Follow Bob on Twitter @PassionateFanPH.
