Francisco dela Cruz gave the Philippines its first medal in billiard sport after a bronze medal finish in the men's 3-carom event of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Dela Cruz was assured of a podium finish after reaching the semifinals where he eventually lost to Duc Anh Chien Nguyen of Vietnam, 40-10, Thursday at Aeon 2 Sen Sok in the Cambodian capital. Nguyen would go on to lose to fellow Vietnamese Nguyen Tran Thanh Tu for the gold. It was a rare bronze for Dela Cruz in 3-carom, a form of billiards played in a pocket-less table with the objective of using the cue ball to contact the first object ball and the rail at least three times before hitting the second ball.

https://sports.inquirer.net/509698/sea-games-2023-francisco-dela-cruz-salvages-carom-bronze-for-ph

#inquirer