Centeno stuns veteran Amit for back-to-back women’s 9-ball pool gold

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Chezka Centeno came back from a 2-5 deficit to stun her veteran rival and compatriot Rubilen Amit, 7-6, in the women’s 9-ball pool singles final in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games on Sunday, August 27 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

Centeno, 18, defeated Amit for the second straight SEA Games for two consecutive gold medals.

The 35-year-old Amit won two silvers in a row as well, in what has been a Philippines vs Philippines final since the 2015 Games in Singapore for the 1-2 finish.

Amit controlled the match early with a 3-0 lead but in the final inning, with the match tied at 6-all, Amit committed a scratch on the 7-ball, giving Centeno the ball in hand and a golden opportunity to close out the match for the gold.

“Sobrang sarap po sa pakiramdam,” said the soft-spoken Centeno of Zamboanga City. “Akala ko hindi ko na maaabutan kasi lamang na siya.” (It feels good. I thought I’d never catch up to her lead.)

Centeno took the lead at 6-5 before Amit rallied to tie the match – even going over to Centeno for a fist bump as their rivarly took on an exciting turn.

Centeno’s mother, who was watching from the stands, swiftly broke down in tears after her daughter’s victory, saying she was very proud of Chezka. – Rappler.com