ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan – Rubilen Amit claimed a spot in the Final Four of the women’s 10-ball pool singles after humbling Parisa Mangli of Iran, 7-1, Monday in the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) at the Ashgabat Olympic Complex here.
Amit, a former two-time world champion, won the first five racks to set up the rout. She will face Wei Tzu-Chien of Taiwan.
Wei defeated South Korea’s Lim Yunmi, 7-2, in the other quarterfinal game.
The other semifinal match pits China’s Chen Siming and Taiwan’s Chou Chieh-Yu.
The win assured Amit of at least the bronze medal, matching her accomplishment in the same event in 2013 in Incheon, South Korea.
“Hopefully maka-pasok sa finals, sa gold medal game para madagdagan yung collection ng Philippine Team ng ginto galling sa billiards,” said Amit, who won the world 10-ball title in 2009 and 2013.
“But it’s not going to be easy. Magaling din talaga yung Korean na makaka-harap natin sa semifinals. Kung makaka-lusot, magagaling din yung nasa kabilang bracket. So sana makuha natin,” she added.
The victory of the 35-year-old Amit gave the national team something to look forward to in billiards after the pair of Warren Kiamco and Johann Chua lost in the men’s 9-Ball Pool Scotch doubles semifinal versus China’s LV Haotian and Liu Haitao, 9-4, Sunday night.
Kiamco and Chua settled for a bronze medal, which increased the number of bronze of the Philippines to 11 to go with the gold medals of Ochoa and Ramirez, and 10 silver medals here.
Aside from Amit, there is still an opportunity for the country to add to the medal count in Dance Sports which gets under way Monday with reigning Latin Jive pair winner Gerald Jamili and Cherry Claire Parcon leading the country’s bid.
The other Filipino dancers in the competition are German Enriquez, Ma. Daniella Renee Publico, Sean Mischa Aranar, Ana Leonila Nualla, Michael Angelo Marquez and Stephanie Sabalo.