Iris Ranola scored the Philippines' first double gold in the 26th Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia. Photo by Romy Homillada.
PALEMBANG, Indonesia—Cue artist Iris Ranola achieved a golden double as Team Philippines scrounged for four gold medals Thursday at the 26th Southeast Asian Games here.
Also contributing in the Filipinos’ bid to crawl out of a deep pit were judoka Nancy Quillotes, the men’s archery compound team of Earl Yap, Rosendo Sombrio and Dean Adriano, and bridge players Francisco Sainz Alquiros and Gemma Mariano.
The 26-year-old Rañola downed pal Rubilen Amit, 7-2, in the women’s 9-ball of billiards, replicating her earlier triumph in the women’s 8-ball at the Opih Convention Hall in Jakabaring.
Bucking the odds, Alquiros and Mariano took the mixed butler pair gold at the expense of teammates George Soo and Mylene Tolentino and the region’s more heralded tandems.
Duplicating her triumph in the 2009 Laos SEA Games, Quillotes easily topped the women’s 45kg division.
Facing strong opposition on all fronts, the Philippines barely raised its gold-silver-bronze tally to 19-34-39 as of 7:30 p.m. (8:30 p.m. in Manila) and remained at sixth place overall.
Indonesia has a virtual lock on its fourth general championship with a 100-75-75 hoard even as Vietnam (66-64-63) surprisingly overtook reigning overall titlist Thailand (63-54-69) for second place.
Showing no effects of a bout with dehydration which caused her to faint in her hotel room last week, Rañola dumped Vietnamese Huyn Thi Ngoc Huyen, 7-3, while Amit bested Singaporean Hoe Shu Wang, 7-4, in the morning semifinals.
Though elated by the victory that is worth another P100,000 as incentive, Rañola said she felt sorry for Amit, a former world champion and five-time SEA Games champion who was looking for vindication after settling for the bronze in 8-ball.
Rañola eliminated Thai Chonticha Chitchom in the quarterfinals, 7-2, while Amit routed another Thai, Amornrat Uamduang, 7-0.
“When I led at 6-1, I knew it’s hard for (Amit) to come back. But I know she’ll bounce back in the coming days,” said Rañola.
Amit dominated both events in Laos two years ago.
Silver medals were delivered by Jul Omar Abdulhakim in the class B 50-55 kg division of combat sport pencak silat, and the rowing tandem of veterans Benjie Tolentino and Jose Rodriguez in the M2X class.
Cyclist Mark Galedo picked up another silver in the massed start event and so did fencers Michelle Bruzola, Harlene Orendain, Cristine Almas and Maria del Carmen Galves in the women’s epee team event.
The Filipino clouters blanked the Indonesians to complete a four-game sweep of the qualifying round and barge into the final game on Sunday, where they will again tangle with the host squad.
Also gunning for the gold on Saturday are the men’s and women’s softball teams.
Wrestling failed to raise its two-gold haul after Jason Balabal and Jimmy Angana faltered.
Balabal, winner of the Greco-Roman 84 kg division, trounced Phachanxay Phonexa of Laos in his opening freestyle match but dropped his next two bouts.
A points win over Indonesian Fahriansyah enabled Balabal to snatch the bronze in the same category he ruled in the 2009 Laos SEA Games.
It was the reverse route for Angana as he dropped his first two matches before subduing Myanmar’s Win Hlaing Htwe and salvaging the bronze.
In billiards, Jundel Mazon trounced Ahmad Taufiq Murni of Brunei, 9-4, and barged into the men’s 9-ball quarterfinals where he will face Indonesian Irsal Nasution on Friday.
Former world champion Djanggo Bustamante also lined himself for a medal with a 9-3 win over Ooi Fook Yuen of Malaysia in the 9-ball quarterfinals.
As expected, Rodolfo Lordan and Alvin Barbero bowed out early in the snooker singles. Lordan lost to Singaporean Lim Chun Kiat, 4-0, while Barbero yielded to Vietnamese Phan Hoan, 4-3.
Asian Games champion exacted revenge over Xayyaphone Chganthasone of Laos, 14-6, in their flyweight encounter as six Filipino boxers entered the semifinals.
Light welterweight Dennis Galvan nipped Malaysian Azmi Khirakyazlan, 12-11, and also advanced.
In West Java, the heralded Filipino golfers settled for a lone bronze through Dottie Ardina in women’s individual play. With a report from Recah Trinidad