In a thrilling clash at the Aeon Sen Sok Mall, Keen Hoo was out of sorts initially finding himself 3-0 down to Sitthideth Sabieng of Laos before regaining his composure to draw level at 3-3.

With his confidence boosted, the 36-year-old then went on to seal a 5-3 win.

The win allowed Keen Hoo to make amends for winning just the bronze medal in the same event at the previous edition in Hanoi, Vietnam, where compatriot Lim Kok Leong shone by taking the gold medal.

Kok Leong failed to defend his title when he lost 5-2 to Sitthideth in the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, Keen Hoo admitted that he failed to raise his game in the early stages of the match due to pressure.

“Initially, there was pressure on me because after Kok Leong lost (in the last eight), all eyes were on me to get the gold medal. But after finding myself trailing 3-0, I managed to regroup and thankfully level the score.

“After that, he (Sitthideth) started missing his shots and that was when I regained my confidence to romp home,” said Keen Hoo, who is making his ninth appearance in the biennial Games.

Keen Hoo’s gold medal is the country’s 15th.