Cue artists to hit 4 mints

If luck rolls our way, we might sweep all pool events and win six out of the 10 gold medals at stake.

Filipino cue artists could deliver at least four gold meals when they compete in the 30th Southeast Asian Games from 3 to 10 Dec. at the Manila Hotel Tent City.

Billiards and Snookers Congress of the Philippines secretary general Robert Mananquil said his athletes are in high spirits and are ready to surpass their dismal finish of two gold, one silver and two bronze medals in the previous staging of the Games in Kuala Lumpur in 2017.

Mananquil said they have a deep bench of pool talents led by world no. 3 Rubilen Amit, world No. 4 Carlo Biado, Dennis Orcollo, Johann Chua, Jeffrey Ignacio, Warren Kiamco, Chezka Centeno, Iris Rañola and Floriza Andal.

He said with this lineup, they can easily corner four gold medals in the men and women’s 9-ball competition and men and women’s 10-ball event.

“That’s four gold medals already,” said Mananquil, who is also a board member of the Philippine Olympic Committee.

“We still have 9-ball and 10-ball doubles where we also have fighting chances. Of course, I can’t promise that we would also win the gold there, but if luck rolls our way, we might sweep all pool events and win six out of the 10 gold medals at stake.”

Seeing action in snookers are Alvin Barbero, Michael Angelo Mengorio, Jeffrey Roda and Basil Al-Shajjar while Benjie Guevarra and Luis Saberdo will carry the torch in English Billiards.

Pool great Efren “Bata” Reyes will also see action as he joins Francisco de la Cruz in carom while assuming the responsibility as head coach of the national squad with another legend in Francisco “Django” Bustamante as chef deputy.