Ranola, Amit hurdle opener in World 9-Ball

MANILA, Philippines - SEA Games double-gold medalist Iris Ranola and former world 10-ball champion Rubilen Amit hurdled their respective rivals at the start of the Women’s 9-Ball World Championship yesterday in Shenyang, China.

Ranola trounced Nicola Rossouw of Pretoria, South Africa, 7-4, while Amit outclassed China’s Wu Zhiting in a hill-hill battle, 7-6, to kick off their respective bids in the double-elimination format tourney on a bright note.

Ranola will next face China’s Yu Han, who sent her opening-day rival, Japan’s Keiko Yukawa, to the loser’s bracket via a 7-4 verdict.

Amit will meet Japan’s Junko Tsuchiya, who nipped Russia’s Nataliya Seroshtan, 7-5.

The two Pinay bets are competing in the Shenyang event with the support of their long-time sponsor Aristeo Puyat of Puyat Sports.

Their group lamented the lack of government support in their trip, blaming what they described as “total disregard of Billiard Sports Confederation of the Philippines (BSCP) president Arturo Ilagan to the needs of the pool players.”

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richie Garcia said the government agency could not release financial assistance to athletes competing for a prize money.