Chua stuns Biado for SEA Games billiard gold
Johann Chua outdueled fellow Filipino Carlo Biado, 9-7, in an all-Filipino finale in the men’s 9-ball pool singles in the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games yesterday 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.
This was the second gold medal of the Philippines in billiards as Filipina Rubilen Amit ruled the 9-ball pool singles on Tuesday night after she defeated Singapore’s Jessica Tan in the finals, 7-2.
The women’s recurve team bucked the odds to capture the country’s first archery medal as they took down Vietnam, 5-4, at the Hanoi National Sports Training Center in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The Philippine women’s recurve squad is composed of Pia Elizabeth Bidaure, Gabrielle Monica Bidaure and Phoebe Nicole Amistoso.
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.
Meanwhile, Eric Cray extended his reign as the SEA Games 400-meter hurdles king after taking the gold with his 50.41 seconds, while Erika Bomogao and Rhichein Yosorez also ruled the muay thai women’s waikru mai muay.
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, 2833./ASC,