Gold on a borrowed cue stick

NAYPYITAW—Thanks to a borrowed cue stick, Dennis Orcollo will be bringing home his third billiards gold in the Southeast Asian Games.

“It worked wonders for me,” said Orcollo of the equipment he borrowed from reigning Women’s World 10-Ball champ Rubilen Amit on his way to the men’s 10-ball gold Wednesday night at Wunna Theikdi Stadium here.

The former world No.1 pool player lost his bid for the 9-ball gold early this week and pointed to his own cue stick as the culprit.

“The stick I brought here is new; I’m not yet used to it,” said Orcollo, who plays for Bugsy Promotions billiards stable of Perry Mariano.

Orcollo, the Philippines’ money-game king, lost to Thailand’s Nitiwat Kanjanasri, 8-9, in the 9-ball singles quarterfinals.

But the 2013 World of Pool titlist flashed his old form in the 10-ball where he beat compatriot Carlo Biado, 9-7, in an all-Filipino finals.

Aside from two SEA Games golds in 2005 (9-ball) and 2011 (8-ball), Orcollo ruled the 9-ball in the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games.

Biado was ahead by two games after 12 racks before Orcollo cleaned the table in the 13th and exploited a Biado dry break in the next.

After taking the driver’s seat at 8-7, Orcollo pounced on Biado’s 3-ball miss at the corner and cleaned up to secure the country’s first pool gold of the 2013 competition.

“I want my children to see my name in the record books years from now, so we really fought it out,” said Orcollo, who has two kids.