SEA Games: 2 more golds secured as Filipinos clash in 10-ball events

FILE – Chezka Centeno and Rubilen Amit of the FILE – The Philippines celebrate after winning the gold and silver medals, respectively, in the women’s 9-ball singles event of the 29th Southeast Asian Games billiards competition Sunday at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center. SEA GAMES POOL

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines will get to keep its titles in both 10-ball events at the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam.

In the women’s 10-ball singles category, Chezka Centeno and Rubilen Amit clash in the final for the second straight time.

Centeno beat Amit, 7-3, to win the gold in the 2019 SEA Games in Manila.

The two took contrasting paths to the finals on Friday with Amit blanking Pennipa Nakjui of Thailand, 7-0, in the semis while Centeno fought off Xuan Vang Bui of Vietnam, 7-5.

Carlo Biado and Johann Chua, meanwhile, meet again in the gold medal round in men’s singles just two days after they faced each other for the 9-ball crown.

Chua upset the reigning US Open champion Biado, 9-6, to win the 9-ball gold.

Chua handily beat world number one Aloysius Yapp of Singapore, 9-2, in the 10-ball semis while Biado breezed past another Singapore bet in Sharik Aslam Sayed, 9-3, in the other semis matchup.

Dennis Orcollo won the 10-ball singles event in 2019.

It’s been another fruitful SEA Games campaign for the Filipino cue artists with Amit also retaining her 9-ball singles title on Tuesday.