SEA Games 2025: Singapore’s Peter Gilchrist reclaims English billiards men’s singles title

BANGKOK – On the perimeter of the billiards table in Bangkok’s Thunder Dome sat two chairs, their ornate gold trimmings giving the appearance of thrones.

Ironically, in the SEA Games’ English billiards competition, players do not want to be sitting in them, for the longer one is seated, the further he is away from the action and being crowned champion.

But on Dec 12, time and again Singapore’s Peter Gilchrist and Myanmar’s Pauk Sa found themselves in those chairs, as uncharacteristic mistakes crept into their game in a nervy men’s singles final.

Ultimately, it was Gilchrist who pulled through with a 3-0 (101-48, 102-59, 100-40) victory to avenge his title losses to the veteran Myanmar player in 2022 and 2023.

The 57-year-old Middlesbrough native, who became a Singapore citizen in 2006, told The Straits Times: “It wasn’t easy, but a win is a win. I managed to win 3-0, and I’m happy with that.

“I don’t want to say too much about the conditions, but the table rolled off a little bit and I was a little bit cautious of it and started second-guessing myself. Luckily it all came right in the end, but it was an ugly finish.”

Agreeing, 66-year-old Pauk Sa said: “The tables for the semi-final and final played differently. I did not have luck with the ball and was nervous... I will be back to try again in Malaysia in 2027.”

Gilchrist had swept Indonesia’s Marlando Sihombing 3-0 in the last eight, before beating Thailand’s Praprut Chaithanasakun 3-2 in the semi-final.

His rival Pauk Sa accounted for another Singaporean Karthik Ramaswamy with a 3-2 win in the quarter-finals, before requiring another decider to overcome Thailand’s Yuttapop Pakpoj in the final four.

Played on a table with the same dimensions as snooker, English billiards features three balls – white and yellow, one of which serves as a cue ball for one player and an object ball for the opponent and vice versa, and the red ball that is a common object ball.

Points can be scored through cannons and potting balls and, in the current SEA Games format, the first player to reach 100 points wins the frame, and the first to secure three frames wins the match.

But on a surface that appeared uneven, the best in the business struggled as none of them managed a break of over 70 points, as they kept giving the other a chance back at the table.

Gilchrist found trouble potting the red in the first frame, but capitalised on his opponent’s failed cannon. In the second frame, he found himself out of position, but once again profited from Pauk Sa’s misses.

Then, with just six points to victory, he missed a routine red. Fortunately, the Burmese could not string together a big break and blinked first after a few safety exchanges, allowing Gilchrist to tumble over the line for his eighth singles gold medal – and ninth overall – in his 10th SEA Games since his debut in Thailand in 2007.

He said: “It’s not a bad record, is it? Ten SEA Games just means I’m old, but it would be great to win gold again in Singapore in 2029.

“Sometimes it can be really hard... but when everything goes to play, you think you can do anything on the table. I’m still in love with it, so I’ll keep on playing until my wife tells me to stop.”

Gilchrist will next play in the English billiards men’s team semi-finals alongside Ramaswamy against Thailand on Dec 13, when he is also hoping to pick up another gold.

Paying tribute to Gilchrist, Cuesports Singapore president Christopher Chuah said: “We are truly happy because this was in a way sweet revenge. More importantly, he demonstrated pure class and held his nerves so well, especially in the last frame to close it out.

“English billiards is something that features very much in our curriculum as a key discipline in cue sports. Peter also serves as a very important role model for our younger athletes who look up to him and (pool star) Aloysius Yapp for their style, integrity, perseverance and determination, for they are in a class of their own.”

Earlier in the day, Charlene Chai and Audrey Chua secured a joint-bronze with Malaysia after losing 3-0 (45-24, 69-16, 35-31) to Indonesia’s Emilia Rahmanda and Annabella Yohana in the women’s snooker six-red team semi-finals. The Indonesians will meet Thailand in the final on Dec 13.