Chezka Centeno of Zamboanga City makes a shot during her final match against Chinese Yu Han in the World Games women’s 10-ball event at the Civil Aviation Flight University of China-Tianfu Campus Gymnasium in Chengdu, China on Wednesday (Aug. 13, 2025). She lost, 6-7, to settle for the silver medal. (Photo courtesy of Philippine Sports Commission)
In the charged silence of the Civil Aviation Flight University of China – Tianfu Campus Gymnasium, all eyes were locked on a single table. The cue stick in Chezka Centeno’s hands wasn’t just wood and chalk — it was the weight of Zamboanga City, the hopes of a nation, and the heartbeat of a final that refused to let go.
She was down 0-3 against China’s Yu Han in the women’s 10-ball final of the World Games. For most players, that gap is a cliff too steep. But Centeno is not most players. With the calm precision of a surgeon and the grit of a street fighter, she clawed her way back, rack by rack, until the scoreboard read 6-6. One rack to glory. One rack to gold.
And then — disaster.
Lining up a delicate safety on the first ball, Centeno’s shot went astray. The cue ball rolled, kissed the edge, and dropped into the pocket. The crowd gasped. The silence that followed was heavier than the roar that came before it. Yu Han pounced, running the table and snatching away what had seemed like Centeno’s destined victory. Final score: 7-6.
“I did not expect that mistake,” Centeno said later, her smile hiding the sting. “But I’m still happy. This medal is for our country. I hope I still made you all proud.”
Her journey to that stage was a masterclass in resilience: ousting Spain’s Mayte Ropero in the quarterfinals, dismantling China’s Shasha Lui in the semis, and showing her mettle in the preliminaries with a win over American Savannah Easton — though she had already crossed cues with Yu Han once before, and lost.
Centeno’s silver joins the growing treasure chest for Team Philippines in Chengdu, alongside Kaila Napolis’ silver in women’s 52kg ju-jitsu and Carlos Baylon Jr.’s bronze in men’s wushu sanda 56kg.
It wasn’t the ending she dreamed of, but in the theater of sport, not all heroes win gold. Some earn their legend in the fire of the fight — and for Chezka Centeno, the fire still burns.