SEA Games: Amit exacts revenge, grabs 10 Ball gold for Philippines
Rubilen Amit came into the tournament as the best women's 10 Ball player in the planet. Now you can call her the top women's 10 ball shooter in South East Asia as well.
Amit vanquished Angeline Ticoalu of Indonesia, 7-2 to grab the Women's 10 Ball gold in the 27th SEA Games in the Wunna Theikdi Billiards Hall in Naypyitaw, Myanmar on Friday.
The Mandaue City-born UST grad added another glittering achievement to a standout year and also avenged her loss to the Indonesian in the 9 Ball gold medal match, where she was upset by the same 7-2 score. It's also redemption for Amit since she failed to strike gold in Indonesia two years ago in the 26th SEA Games.
Amit now has five gold medals in SEA Games action, winning two each in 2005 in Manila and in 2009 in Vientiane, Laos.
It's the second gold medal for the Philippines in cue sports this week after Dennis Orcollo won the gold in the same discipline for the men.
Amit dominated proceedings in the final from the get-go, amassing a 6-1 lead. The Pinay faced a makeable table in rack eight but played poor shape in running out the seven ball, had to play safe, and lost the rack.
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After a scratch from Ticoalu in the next rack, Amit got right back on the table, but left herself a jump shot on the four after a positional error on the three. Amazingly, Amit nailed the jump shot and ran the remaining balls for the country's 26th gold of the SEA Games campaign.
Amit had earlier defeated Nywe Nywe Hlaing of Myanmar 7-1 in the quarters and Vietnam's Thi Ngoc Huyen Huynh in the semis by the same score to reach the gold medal match. Amit had started off the campaign with a 7-4 win over Shu Wah Hoe of Singapore. That was the closest anyone got to Amit in the entire competition.
Sadly, hopes of an all-Filipina final were dashed when Iris Ranola was beaten by Ticoalu in the semis, 7-2. Ranola settles for a bronze medal.
The Billiards campaign of the Philippines finally gets two golds after earlier setbacks in Men's 9 Ball and Women's 9 Ball.
Yahoo! Philippines sports thanks TJ Manotoc for his invaluable help in this article as well as Lim T Hwe for the photographs. We also thank the folks in the Team Philippines Facebook page for their updates.
Follow Bob on Twitter @PassionateFanPH.
