Ranola bags 9-ball title in 26th Southeast Asian Games but PH still at sixth place overall

Jakarta—Iris Ranola became the first double gold medal winner in what has so far been a lean week for the Philippines in the 26th Southeast Asian Games after turning back celebrated countrywoman Rubilen Amit in the 9-ball women’s final yesterday.

The Philippine Men’s archery team was also on target, winning the compound division championship as Earl Yap, Dean Adriano and Tonton Sombrio combined for 225 points to beat a Malaysian trio by four points and win the country’s fourth gold for the day.

Ranola took control of her match with the former world champion Amit, prevailing, 7-2, as the Philippines’ gold haul rose to 19 as of 7:45 p.m. in Manila.

Ranola, a frequent campaigner in big-money billiards events all over the world, also won the 8-Ball title a couple of days back.

The Philippines’ other medals are 33 silver and 39 bronze medals.

Nancy Quillotes won the 45kg-under division of women’s kata in judo, winning in the tiebreak over Indonesia’s Terry Kosumawartani by scoring on a Yuko.

Francisco Sainz Alquiros also became a double gold winner after partnering with Gemma Mariano to win the mixed butler event of bridge at the expense of countrymen George Sy Soo and Mylene Urriquia. Alquiros partnered with Soo to win the buttler event.

Those victories come as a whiff of fresh air after rowing bets Benjie Tolentino and Jose Rodriguez fell short in the 2,000-meter doubles sculls finals and the men’s team sputtered in the final day of golf action to wind up without a medal in West Java.

The Filipino archers barely scrapped past Singapore in the semifinals, winning in a shootout, 26-25, after regulation had ended in a 217-all tie.

In the finals, the Filipinos were in control right from the start and had to hold off a late charge by Malaysia after Yap hit four straight 10s. Inquirer with Marlon Bernardino