Five RP bets headline 107 entries in WTBC

A TOTAL of 107 players, including five Filipinos, have booked spots for themselves in the main draw of the 2008 WPA World Ten Ball Championship which opens on September 29 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila.

The players hail from 40 countries. Of the batch, four are women. Europe leads the field with 47 representatives, followed by Asia with 36, and America (North and South) with 19.

The European contingent is bannered by the three reigning world champions (men's division) in three pool disciplines; 8-ball titlist Ralf Souquet of Germany , 9-ball champion Daryl Peach of Great Britain , and straight pool champion Neils Feijen of the Netherlands . Former World 9-Ball pool champion Thorsten Hohmann of Germany was the latest European player to enter the field.

The other reigning world champion in the list is 23-year-old Lin Yuan-Chun of Chinese Taipei, winner last March of the women's World 9-Ball Championship.

Host Philippines has booked five players -- Antonio Gabica, the reigning Asian Games 9-ball gold medalist, Philippine Open champion, and winner of the Mandaluyong Cup (a ten ball event). The other Filipinos who made it to the WTBC are newly-crowned National Open champion Marlon Manalo, Jeffrey de Luna, Elmer Kalaquian and Elvis Calasang. Other Filipinos are also likely to be named on the basis of their rankings in the ongoing Philippine Pool Tour.

Possession of a world title, however, is no guarantee or even an advantage in the WTBC. Ten Ball is a new pool discipline with its own challenges and tests for players. Under the new rules set by the World Pool-Billiard Association, it is a call-shot game. Luck as a factor has been reduced to a minimum.

The challengers from America and Asia will be formidable.

From America , the top bets are Shane Van Boening, winner of several ten ball tournaments in the US , Corey Deuel, Johnny Archer and Jeremy Jones. Two top US players – Tony Chohan and Stevie Moore -- will also be seeing action in Manila for the first time.
And then there is Asia , the new hotbed of international pool.

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KIAMCO OUTS ALCANO; GALLEGO STUNS ASIAN 8-BALL GOLD MEDALLIST

WARREN "Warrior" Kiamco survived a tough stand from compatriot and double world champion Ronato "Volcano" Alcano to win, 11-7, Thursday and advance to the Final 16 of the on-going $150,000 total pot prize Qatar Open 9-Ball tournament at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation in Al Muntazah Road in Doha, Qatar.

With the tremendous win, the 36-year-old Pasil, Cebu native Kiamco, one of the top players of Jonathan Sy's Negros Billiard Stable will meet another Bugsy Promotion bet World No.1 Dennis "Robocop" Orcollo, winner over another World 9-ball titlist Oliver "The Machine" Ortmann of Germany, 11-6.

Another NBS stalwart Japan based Ramil "Bebeng" Gallego, meanwhile continues his superb performance here by beating 2006 Doha Asian Games 8-ball gold medallist Satoshi "Dynamite" Kawabata of Japan, 11-7. The Bacolod City pride Gallego, former Asian 9-ball tour champion and five-time Japan Champion will square off countryman Francisco "Django" Bustamante in the next round, who eliminated Antonio "Ga-Ga" Gabica, 11-2.



The winner of the match between Kiamco versus Orcollo will face the survivor of Gallego versus Bustamante tussle's for the quarter-final round.

But the limelight fell on Jeffrey "The Bull" De Luna, who ousted 2001 World 9-ball champion Mika "The Iceman" Immonen of Finland, 11-7. His next round assignment is Naoyuki Ooi of Japan, who beat reigning national champion Lee Vann "The Slayer" Corteza, 11-9.

Joining them in the "Sweet 16" were 2004 World 9-ball kingpin Alex "The Lion" Pagulayan, and 2007 World 9-ball finalist Roberto "Pinoy Superman" Gomez who toppled their respective rivals.

Pagulayan bested fellow World 9-ball ruler Wu Chia-ching of Taiwan, 11-10, while Gomez nipped three-time world junior champion Vilmos Foldes of Hungray, 11-3.

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CHINA SQUAD, CONQUEROR OF BATA AND DJANGO IS THIS YEARS WORLD CUP OF POOL CHAMPION

AFTER crushing the pairs of last year's titlist Filipino dynamic duo Efren "Bata" Reyes and Francisco "Django" Bustamante, 9-6, in the quarter-final round, eventual champion of the tandem of Li He –wen and Fu Jianbo of China continues their upset wins by trouncing team Japan of Satoshi Kawabata and Naoyuki Oi, 9-4, then nipped Finland headed by Mika Immonen and Markus Juva, 11-10, in the finals to pocket the top prize of $60,000 and won the championships trophy of 2007 PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool Sunday at the Outland Nightclub in Rotterdam, Holland.According to official website yesterday, it was a close match at the start of the game between China and Finland with a 3 all deadlock before the former (China) take a one rack advantage for a 4-3 lead after Juva suffered scratch in the 7 th frame.China moved two ahead at 6-4 for the first time since the early stages of the match before the Finnish cut the lead at 6-5 after another dry break of China. With Immonen later lost to position gave China another two rack advantage then regained control of the lead winning the next two racks for 9-5. On the way to the finals, China beat South Africa, 8-1, and France, 8-1, before crushing Philippines, 9-6, Japan, 9-4, and Finland, 11-10. While Finland, who was contented at runner-up prize of $30,000 on the road to the finals by demolishing Qatar, 8-5, England 8-5, Switzerland, 8-4, then blasted Canada, 9-0, before yielding to China, 11-10.

by:(MARLON BERNARDINO).

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MARK MENDOZA RULE INAUGURAL RP JUNIOR POOL

Mark Aristotle Mendoza lift his cue stick after his triumphFinal pay outs: rankings (64 player's field)Champion: Mark Aristotle Mendoza (P50,000)2nd place: Jordan Legaspi (P25,000)3rd place: John Carlo Cerna (P15,000)4th place: Johann Chua (P7,500)5th/6th place: Alvin Punzalan (P4,000) and Sean Mark Malayan (P4,000)7th/8th place: Michael Angelo Mengorio (P2,000) and Patrick Gonzales (P2,000)MANILA, PHILIPPINES---MARK ARISTOTLE "MAC-MAC" MENDOZA added another feather to his cap after winning the inauguration of Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP)-Magnolia Health Tea Philippine Junior Pool Championship late Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Billiards Center in Malate, Manila.The 18-year-old Jolo, Mandaluyong City resident Mendoza, who teaming up with Carlo Biado in the country's first-ever SMC Doubles 10-ball settled for a runner-up finish late Friday at the Metro Walk in Pasig City, needed one and half hours to beat Jordan Legaspi of Bocaue, Bulacan, 11-3, in the finals to capture the top prize of P50,000. Legaspi on the other hand, received the runner-up place of P25,000 for his effort.Mendoza joins outright seeded player Renemar "Revo" David to represent the country's tricolors in the forthcoming 2007 World Junior Pool Championship on November 27 to 29 in Willington, Germany. The Barangay Botocan, Quezon City David, make it to the round-of-8 in the last year's World Junior Sydney edition.

The three-day Magnolia Health Tea and e-aji-dip snax sponsored event is open to all Male 19-year-old and below which attracted 64 cue artists jointly organized by Raya Sports and Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) headed by its president Ernesto Fajardo and chairman Yen Makabenta.After winning the opening lag, Mendoza took advantage of his powerful break to jump out to quick 2-1, 6-2 to 10-2 lead in the race-to-11 finals using the winners break format. "Nagpapasalamat po ako sa Poong Maykapal kasi natupad ang dasal ko po. S'yempre kasama na din nagbunga 'yung paghahanda ko dito," said the young and amiable Mendoza, who inspired to play because the presence of his father Ferdinand Mendoza, who work Nurse in Libya watching the sideline.

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by: Marlon bernardino

BUBWIT CHUA GAINS QUARTER-FINAL SEAT IN RP JUNIOR POOL

Photo and caption by Marlon Bernardino: Standing (L-R)Johann Chua, Jomel Sultan, Patrick Gonzales, BSCP president Ernie Fajardo, Mario Aquino, Bennie Dayrit, Tournament Director Sol Gueco of Raya Sports

sitting down: Sean Mark Malayan and youngest participant 11-year-old Hans Juris Pablo

MANILA, PHILIPPINES---UNDEFEATED JOHANN "BUBWIT" CHUA clustered three consecutive racks in the end became the first player to enter the quarter-final round in the ongoing 64 man field first BSCP Philippine Junior Pool Championship yesterday at the Rizal Memorial Billiards Center in Malate, Manila.The 15-year-old Chua, playing under the banner of Puyat Sports stop the Cinderella run's of "giant killer" Patrick Gonzales, 9-6, in the "sweet 16" in this double elimination format Magnolia Health Tea and E-aji-dip snax sponsored event and jointly organized by Raya Sports and Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) headed by it's president Ernesto Fajardo."Kala ko matatalo na ako kasi naka una agad si Patrick (Gonzales) eh," the 2006 Philippine Olympic Festival silver medalist Chua referring the hot start of Gonzales who took a 3-0 commanding lead before the former (Chua) up by a rack in the 7th frame after clustering four consecutive racks.Chua, who earlier beat Biondi Te, 9-5, Rio Bagaipo, 9-0, and Raymund Eborda, 9-7, will clash Rocketman Enterprises bet Sean Mark Malayan in the round-of-8, winner over Rainier Gatapia, 9-5, Mark Joseph Jabile, 9-4, Edison Dollente, 9-8, and Romeo Silvano, 9-4, in order.Alvin Punzalan and John Carlo Cerna hurdle their respective rivals to dispute each other in the round-of-8.Punzalan, the son of veteran pro-pool Fidel Punzalan downed Arsenio Senina, 9-6, in the round-of-16 yesterday while Cerna trounced Michael Angelo Mengorio, 9-7,

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by: Marlon Bernardino

VALLE-MILLARES DUO WINS INAUGURAL SMC SCOTCH DOUBLES 10-BALL

Champion pairs: Gandy Valle and Jay Jay Millares (P140,000)
Runner-up pairs: Carlo Biado and Mark Mendoza (P80,000)
Losing Semi-finalists pairs: Jech Jech Limen and Roberto Dy (P40,000) and Victor Arpilleda and Fidel Punzalan (P40,000)
MANILA, PHILIPPINES---GANDY VALLE and Jay Jay Millares were both good and lucky late Friday as the two billiard warriors claimed the inaugural San Miguel Corporation (SMC) Scotch Doubles 10-ball crown over the pairs of Carlo Biado and Mark Mendoza with a 13-10 victory in the final was held in Metrowalk, Pasig City.
With Bugsy Promotion ace Valle making superb performance and Millares helping took the lead in the 15 th frame taking a 9-6 commanding lead to claim the P140,000 top prize.
Biado and Mendoza settled for a runner-up place finish to bring home P80,000 purse.
"This is a very important tournament and, we are happy and very proud to win the first SMC Scotch Doubles 10-ball," said a delighted Davao City pride Valle, a member of the star-studded Bugsy Promotion who teaming up Millares, a habitué of the Escoda Billiard Hall in Manila.
"In the beginning of the match there was a lot of pressure on us, but when we went three games ahead it all lifted." added Valle, the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games gold medallist and SMB 9-Ball Tour Singapore leg winner in this three-day event (September 19, 20 and 21) sanctioned by the Billiard and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) headed by it's president Ernesto Fajardo.
The pairs of Valle and Millares beat Jech Jech Limen and Roberto Dy with a thrashing 11-1 victory Friday night, gains first final seat.
After the game was tied at 1 all in the 2nd frame, Valle and Millares never looked back after clustering 10 consecutive racks.
In another night cap, Biado and Mendoza scored a come from behind 11-10 wins over former Southeast Asian Games medalist Victor Arpilleda and Fidel Punzalan.
Infact the game was tied at 3 all before Arpilleda and Punzalan surge a 7-4, 9-6 to 10-9 lead going to the final rack.
However, Biado and Mendoza's fighting spirit never give up and rallied in the end game took the last two racks to nailed an 11-10 decision wins and arranged a titular showdown with Valle and Millares in the race-to-13 championships' round.

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SULTAN, CHUA, TAKAYAMA, DAVID TAKE CHARGE IN RP POOL JUNIOR

JOMEL "BATA" SULTAN took three of the four racks to beat Mark Perez, 9-4, at the start of 64 man field of the first BSCP Philippine Junior Pool Championship gets underway yesterday at the Rizal Memorial Billiards Center in Malate, Manila. The 16-year-old Sultan, playing under the banner of rising Negros Billiard Stable (NBS) surge a 5-0 commanding lead going to the final phase of 8-3 advantage in this race-to-9, winner's break format, double elimination system. "Malaking bagay 'yung nakaposte tayo ng 5-0 sa pagsisimula ng laro," added the Jaro, Iloilo native Sultan, a habitué of One Side Billiard hall in Malate, Manila whose consistent practice with 2006 Doha Asian games 9-ball silver medalist Jeffrey de Luna and 2007 Oslo, Norway Battle of Scandinavia 9-ball champion Roberto Gomez. With the win, Sultan who fondly called Vandolph or Jomel Bata in the local pool set up a second clash with Alex Aquino, a similar 9-4 winner over Angel Adriano in this Magnolia Health Tea sponsored event and jointly organized by the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) and Raya Sports.BSCP president Ernesto Fajardo, who personal visit the venue and grace the opening rite yesterday added, "Itong mga bata ang susunod na future world class player natin," Fajardo added that the winner in this event will carry the country's color when the 2007 World Junior 9-Ball Championship gets going on Nov. 26-29 in Willington , Germany.

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by: Marlon Bernardino