NAY PYI TAW – The plane carrying the billiards and snooker team landed at the Yangon International Airport yesterday morning, and hardly had they taken the bus to this city when they heard of the news that the father of Iris Rañola had died the day before.
“Her father was bed-ridden with cancer and she had asked her father after the World 10-Ball in Manila if she could go to the SEA Games,†recalled team manager Robert Mananquil.
“Her father encouraged her to go and Iris came here hoping she could go back to Manila to see her father,†said Mananquil. “She is still in a trauma.â€
Sports psychologist Rey Canlas provided counseling for Rañola, who won the 2011 SEA Games 9-ball crown over Rubilen Amit in an all-Filipino final in Indonesia.
“She’s still recovering from the tragedy, but she’s competing,†said Mananquil.
Amit and Rañola are vying in the 9-Ball and 10-Ball events where they bid to take a gold-silver medal finish.
Amit, the world 9-Ball and 10-Ball champion, is the top seed, while Rañola is in the lower half of the draw as second seed, in both events starting tomorrow.
The opening ceremonies will be held today, with action to start tomorrow at the billiards gym of the Wunnum Theikdi National Sports Complex.
Rañola and Amit drew a bye into the second round of the 14-player 9-ball event.
Also bidding for an all-Filipino final are Dennis Orcollo and Carlo Biado in 9-Ball and 10-Ball. Django Bustamante and Efren “Bata†Reyes are in the Carom (one cushion) but they are given a remote chance to win the event expected to be dominated by Thailand and Malaysia.