RUBILEN AMIT

Rubilen Amit, who won the 9-ball and 8-ball pool singles in the last Southeast Asian Games in Laos, doesn’t mind bringing home just P20,000 from the P200,000 she received as cash reward from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

Amit said she’s happy to share her blessings with her teammates.

“Naging arrangement ng buong team na kasi yun bago pa man mag-SEAG dahil lahat din naman kami nagti-training nang husto,” Amit said. “Masarap din yung feeling of sharing my blessings to my teammates.”

Ronnie Alcano, who retained his 8-ball pool singles title, also received P100,000, bringing to P300,000 the total amount of cash incentives won by the 15-man billiards and snooker team.

Alcano, like Amit and the rest of the squad, pocketed P20,000.

Prior to leaving for the SEA Games in Laos, the team agreed to share whatever rewards it will get from the government and the private sector.

PSC chairman Harry Angping handed out an initial amount of P3.8 million to the 38 gold medalists last Tuesday. The rest of the package will be given next month.

Apart from the P100,000 incentive given by the PSC, the gold medalists will also receive P100,000 mandated by law and another P100,000 from the private sector tapped by Angping.

The PSC chief also promised P200,000 each for four athletes who smashed the Games records: Long jumper Marestella Torres, hammer thrower Arniel Ferrera, swimmers Daniel Coakley and Ryan Arabejo.

“I had initially thought of P100,000, but after I talked with Marestella who told me how hard to break records, I readily agreed to double it,” said Angping.

For the first time, the 38 gold medalists received their rewards in cash, according to Angping.

"They were happy to receive their incentives in cold cash. Iba siyempre ‘yung hawak mo na ‘yung pera,” Angping said.

Amit, 28, said she would quickly spend it buying gifts for her friends and loved ones for the holidays.

“Nawalan kasi ako ng time na bumili ng mga regalo dahil busy sa SEAG,” Amit said.

According to Amit, it has been a blessed and fruitful year for her after bringing home victories for the country.

Aside from the SEAG golds, she also won the world women’s 10-ball title last June and the world mixed doubles with cue master Efren “Bata” Reyes early this month.

She hopes to qualify, compete and win the gold medal in the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China in November with an aim of erasing the stigma of a first-round exit on her maiden appearance in Doha three years ago.

“My goal is to win the gold for the country and improve my game. I love the sport and the complexities of the game. Playing it and playing for the country is my fulfillment,” said the University of Santo Tomas accounting graduate.