Orcollo cops bronze in World Games

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino pool ace Dennis “Robocop” Orcollo delivered the Philippines’ first medal in the ninth World Games 2013 as he snared a bronze in the billiards competitions last Monday in Cali, Colombia.

Orcollo nipped China’s Liu Haitao, 11-5, in their battle for the men’s pool bronze to put the country in the medal standings of the event featuring 98 nations competing in 36 sports. 

British Darren Appleton took the gold medal as he edged Taiwanese Chang Jung-Lin, 11-10, in the finale.

Fresh from capturing the US Open One Pocket title, the 34-year-old Orcollo started his campaign on a fiery note, trouncing  Chilean Enrique Leopold Rojas Contreras in the round of 16, 11-3, then trampling Swedish Marcus Chamat in the quarterfinals, 11-2, to cruise to the semis.

However, Appleton got the better of Orcollo in the Last-4, 11-9, denying the former world champion of a spot in the gold medal match.

Orcollo’s podium finish made up for the failed campaign of Phl on other fronts. Mirasol Abad wound up 17th overall in women’s duathlon with her time of 2:08:19, a good 10:20 behind the eventual champion, Japanese Ai Ueda (1:57:59). Men’s bet Carlo Pedregoza bombed out after the first transition of the race.

Only two Pinoy bets are left to vie for the mints, bowlers Liza del Rosario and Kenneth Chua, who plunge into action starting today.  

Meanwhile, the Philippine Olympic Committee will open its doors to “developmental” athletes to participate in the coming Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar.

POC chairman Tom Carrasco said national sports associations will be given the chance to send token bets from the developmental pool – one male and one female – who had otherwise not qualified under the original “gold medal potential” criteria.

He said the “token athletes” should be “strongly, preferably young” and that their inclusion has to be “justified” before the task force, which will conduct one-on-one meetings with NSAs from Aug. 5-7. Carrasco also suggested that criteria for selection should cover the athletes’ performance from the end of 2011 until present time.

As for NSAs looking to send teams to Myanmar, such as the Philippine Football Federation, the POC has advised them to submit records and documentations that could prove their respective squads’ worth.