A sport where age is not a factor

In my view, billiards is one sport where age does not matter in order for one to excel.

As a matter of fact, several former winners of the prestigious World 9-Ball Pool Championship, like Americans Earl Strickland and Johnny Archer, Chinese Taipei’s Chao Fong-pan, Germany’s Ralf Souquet and local idols Efren “Bata” Reyes, Alex Pagulayan and Ronnie Alcano, may be considered old for an athlete, yet they are good for some more years.

While it is true that there are other sports such as chess and marathon where age does not also matter, it is on record that a Filipino is yet to become a world champion in these sports. In billiards, the Philippines has already produced three world champions.

Hall of Famer Reyes was already 45 when he captured the world crown in Cardiff, Wales, in 1999. He is now 54.

Supported by brothers former Assemblyman Jose “Popit” Puyat and Aristeo “Putch” Puyat, the toothless “Magician” is an original member of the powerhouse Puyat Sports stable that includes the 58-year-old Jose “Amang” Parica, Francisco “Django” Bustamante, 44; and 50-year-old Rodolfo “Boy Samson” Luat, who topped the recent Sen. Manny Villar Cup in Bacolod City.

Pagulayan, the 2004 world champion and 2005 US Open winner, is the latest addition to the team.

“His (Reyes) style is so drastically different,” once said the legendary Nick Varner, a two-time Billiards Digest Player of the Year. “He attracts a lot of attention. And he has a big impact on the way we Americans play the game.”

On the other hand, double world champion Alcano, who bagged the 2006 world 9-ball crown and the 2007 world 8-ball title, is now 35. Pagulayan, who won the 2004 world 9-ball and 2005 US Open crowns, is pushing 29.

Veteran internationalist Strickland is now 47, but still going strong. He won the world 9-ball title three times, in 1990, 1991 and 2002. Archer, 40, captured the championships twice, in 1992 and 1997.

On the other hand, two-time champion Chao, a contemporary of Reyes, took the crown in 1993 and 2000, while Souquet won it in 1996. Both are nearing 60, yet they are still capable of punishing young talents with their arsenals of flawless breaks, silk-smooth runs and merciless safeties.

-by Manolo Iñigo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

‘Biggies’ in Villar Cup

Expect an even more exciting and more competitive pool action as the First Senate President Manny Villar Cup goes international for its fifth leg slated from November 13 to 16 at the Garden Royal Function Hall of Goldenfields Commercial Complex in Bacolod City.

After four highly successful stops, where the cream of the country’s billiards’ crop battled for supremacy, the island-hopping series, presented by Villards: Tulong sa Pagsulong ng Philippine Sports, has opened its door for some of the world’s top cue artists.

“We want to make this tournament even more competitive, more challenging to our top players, while giving our young players the experience of playing in the international level,” said Senate President Manny Villar during the press launch Wednesday at the Bacolod Goldenfields’ Garden Royal.

“This is part of my commitment of helping sports, especially those where we Filipinos can excel in and dominate, like billiards,” added Villar, now considered as the biggest benefactor of Philippine billiards.

Former World Cup of Pool titlist Fu Jianbo of China leads the visiting forces, who will mix it up with 24 local bets for the coveted title and the $15,000 top prize at stake in this four-day event, organized by the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines in cooperation with the city government of Bacolod, led by Mayor Evelio Leonardia, and the Negros Billiards Stable of businessman Jonathan Sy and sponsored by Camella Communities.

Besides Fu, the other foreign entries in this tournament, also dubbed as “the Bacolod International VILLARDS Festival,” are former Asian Games gold medalist Satoshi Kawabata of Japan and Christian Johannessen of Norway, among others.

“Mas mabigat nga ang laban ngayon, pero tingin ko kami-kami pa rin ang magkikita sa finals,” said pool icon Efren “Bata” Reyes, reprising one of his famous lines.

Reyes will once again lead the local charge, along with fellow former world champions Alex Pagulayan and Ronnie Alcano, reigning world No. 1 Dennis Orcollo, Francisco “Django” Bustamante, Lee Van Corteza and previous Villar Cup leg winners Kiamco (Alabang), Gandy Valle (Cebu), Ramil Gallego (Bulacan) and Roberto Gomez (Davao).

Also in the 32-man field are Carlo Biado and Ricky Zerna. The rest of the slot will be filled through wild-card entries and a series of qualifying tournaments slated from November 8 to 11 at the Celebrity Billiards and Bar in Bacolod City.

Besides the international invitational division, there will also be the Executive Class and Amateur divisions for both men and women, where almost half-a-million pesos cash prize is at stake.

RP’s best pool players team up in battle vs. Best of the World

Philippines best cue masters will join forces to keep the nation’s status as the best billiards playing country.

Former world champions Alex Pagulayan, Efren “Bata” Reyes and Ronnie Alcano, current world No.1 Dennis Orcollo, Francisco “Django” Bustamante, 2007 World Pool runnerup Roberto “Superman” Gomez, and Southeast Asian Games gold medalists Warren Kiamco and Lee Van Corteza are drawn together to form Team Quezon City-Philippines.

They will be cueing up against the collection of the best players who will be suiting up for the World Team; composed of newly-crowned US Open champion Mika Immonen of Finland, Thorsten Hohmann of Germany, Wu Chia Ching of Chinese-Taipei and Shane Van Boening of the United States.

Other members of Team World are World Cup of Pool winner Rodney Morris and Charlie Williams of the US and Jianbo Fu of China, and newly-crowned Guinness 9-Ball Tour Grand Finals champion Ching Shun Yang of Chinese Taipei.

The two teams will play for the $40,000 top prize of the Q.C. Invasion: Quezon City-Philippines vs. the World Grand Billiards Showdown on Dec. 2 to 4 at the Trinoma Mall in Quezon City.

The two teams will play singles, doubles and team events patterned after the famous Mosconi Cup, an annual contest between the best pool players of the US and Europe.

Pool top guns vs world best

The country’s top pool players, still winless after the US 9-ball Open, try to close out the season with a victory when they slug it out with a select group of international players in the Q.C. Invasion: Quezon City-Philippines vs the World Grand Billiards Showdown on Dec. 2-4 at the Trinoma Mall in Quezon City.

“We may not have a reigning world champion now, but we, still, are the best in the sport, and that we will prove in this tournament,” said Alex Pagulayan, one of the eight hometown bets in the event organized by Quezon City Council Majority Floor Leader Ariel Inton and backed by the Quezon City government led by Mayor Sonny Belmonte.

“Though we know that it’s going to be a tough fight for us with the lineup they have on the other side, we are confident that we’ll be able to pull it through and end the Philippine billards’ year with a bang,” said Pagulayan.

Joining Pagulayan in the Team Quezon City-Philippines are fellow former world champions Efren “Bata” Reyes and Ronnie Alcano, along with current world No.1 Dennis Orcollo, Francisco “Django” Bustamante, 2007 World Pool runner-up Roberto Gomez, and Southeast Asian Games multi-gold medalists Warren Kiamco and Lee Van Corteza.

They will go up against the Team World led by newly crowned US Open champion Mika Immonen of Finland with fellow former world titlists Thorsten Hohmann of Germany, Wu Chia-ching of Chinese-Taipei and Shane van Boening of the United States, as well as World Cup of Pool winner American Rodney Morris and compatriot Charlie Williams, and Fu Jianbo of China. Newly crowned Guinness 9-Ball Tour Grand Finals champion Yang Ching-shun is being eyed as the eighth member of the squad.

The two teams will slug it out in singles, doubles and team events similar to that of the famed Mosconi Cup with the winning side taking the $40,000 top prize at stake in this event supported by the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines, the Quezon City Tourism Council and Senate President Manny Villar’s Villards with Solar Sports, RPN-9, The Philippine STAR and Business Mirror as media partners.

RP is making waves in world billiards

Filipino cue artists once again proved that you win in billiards not only through inborn grace and intelligence, but most of all through experience.

Former double world champion Ronnie Alcano, lead player of Bugsy Promotions, and battle-scarred Warren Kiamco made the Final Four against former world champions Mika Immonen of Finland and Johnny Archer of the United States, respectively, in the star-studded 33rd US Open 9-Ball Championship in Chesapeake, Virginia. (This piece was submitted before the event’s final two stages—Ed)

Whether or not they win the US Open title and the champion’s paycheck of $40,000, the Filipino pair will make history. The mere fact that they stormed into the magic four shows that Filipinos can hold their own even against the world’s best and toughest pros.

Over in Jakarta, world No. 1 Dennis Orcollo, also of Bugsy Promotions, and 2004 World Pool 9-Ball champion Alex Pagulayan of Puyat Sports, likewise landed in the elite four in this year’s Guinness Tour Grand Finals, the culmination of the Asian Tour.

All four players—Alcano, Kiamco, Orcollo and Alex Pagulayan—are mainstays of the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines, a group of professionals whose main objective is to promote the game of pool nationwide and to look after the well-being of its members.

In my view, local billiards is already the real winner here. The mere fact that the country’s present crop of veteran cue artists is now a force to reckon with in the international pool scene speaks well of the people running the sport.

During the 1970s and 1980s, the Americans were the most dominant billiards players in the world. Among their top pool pros were Nick Varner, Mike Lebron, Jimmy Rempe, Jay Helfert, Kim Davenport, Buddy Hall and, much later in the 1990s and 2000s, Earl Strickland, Johnny Archer, Corey Deuel, Rodney Morris and Shane Van Boening.

In the 1980s, Filipino players entered the picture. Ageless Jose “Amang” Parica, now United States-based, led the Philippine invasion of the American circuit in mid-1984.

Humble and simple Efren “Bata” Reyes, playing under the name of Cesar Morales, started to build a reputation that would make him the most dangerous and finest player on the planet.

In 1985, Reyes, then 29, won his first US title—the Red’s 9-Ball Open in Houston, Texas. He earned the moniker “The Magician” because of his smooth motion and subtle touch.

In 1994, Reyes captured the US Open to become the first non-American to win the crown. A native of Pampanga, Reyes capped his achievements by winning the World Pool Championship in Cardiff, Wales, in 1999 at age 45. Reyes, who is now 54, skipped the 2008 US Open due to health reasons.

Many-time world champion Strickland, the flamboyant American cue artist who is also Reyes’ bitterest rival, said: “In my book, Reyes is the greatest player in the world. What else can you say? He plays you and he beats you.”

Pagulayan, Orcollo enter semis

JAKARTA, Indonesia - The Philippines’ Alex Pagulayan and Dennis Orcollo booked semifinal seats after finishing as the top two Group A players in the preliminary round of the Guinness 9 Ball Tour 2008 Grand Final on Saturday at the Mal Taman Anggrek.

The two wound up with identical 3–1 win-loss records, but Pagulayan, the 2004 World 9-Ball champion, earned the top spot since he lost fewer racks.

Pagulayan, who won the Singapore leg, will face Wu Chia-ching of Chinese Taipei in the first sem-final match today at 12 noon (Manila time) while Orcollo, who topped the Guangzhou leg, will tangle with longtime rival Yang Ching-shun of Chinese Taipei in the other encounter at 1:30 p.m.

The semifinal winners will meet in the finals later Sunday.

Antonio Gabica also had a chance to join compatriots Pagulayan and Orcollo in the Final Four but ran out of steam and lost his last two matches in Group B.

The former Asian Games gold medalist started strong as he won his first three assignments, beating fellow Filipino Joven Bustamante, 9–5, Malaysia’s Ibrahim Bin Amir, 9–5, and Wu, 9-7.

But the player known as “Gaga” faltered down the stretch, losing to hometown bet Ricky Yang, 8–9, and Yang, 6–9.

Gabica, who played four straight matches in nearly seven hours Saturday, ended up tied in second place with Wu, but got the boot in the tiebreak.

Bustamante was also eliminated after coming up with only two victories in five matches over in Group B.

Pagulayan actually dropped his opening match to Orcollo, 7-9, but bounced back to win his next three assignments. He beat last year’s Grand Final winner Chang Jung Lin of Chinese Taipei, 9–5, late Friday evening then downed Chinese Taipei’s Wang Hung Hsiang, 9–8, and routed Korea’s Ryu Seung Woo, 9–2, on Saturday.

Orcollo, who is the current WPA world No. 1, swept all three of his assignments on Friday. He started his campaign with the victory over Pagulayan then followed it up with triumphs over Wang, 9–8, and Ryu, 9–5.

The player known as “Robocop” dropped a no-bearing match to Chang, 7–9, on Saturday.

Chang, who won the Grand Final in Bali last year, was eliminated after winning only two matches and suffering two defeats in Group A.

The champion will earn the top prize of $36,000.

Pagulayan, Orcollo in Asian 9-Ball Tour 'group of death'

MANILA, Philippines - Alex Pagulayan and Dennis Orcollo will have to beat one another - if one of them wants to reach the final round.

The Filipino pool heavyweights were bracketed in one group after the players' draw for the Guinness 9-Ball Tour Grand Final was held Thursday in Jakarta, Indonesia.

But that was half of the RP duo's ill luck; they would have to contend with Chang Jung-lin of Chinese-Taipei, the defending Grand Final champion and winner of the first three Tour legs.

The Taiwanese were undefeated in the Tour until Pagulayan won in Singapore and Orcollo took the title in Guangzhou.

"You can't do anything about the draw," Pagulayan, a former world 9-ball champion, said. "Dennis and I were bound to meet anyway. It just so happened that we were going to meet a bit earlier than expected."

Ryu Seung Woo of Korea completes Group A.

In Group B, Joven Bustamante and Asian Games champion Antonio Gabica will be bunched with hometown bet Ricky Yang, Ibrahim bin-Amir of Malaysia, Yang Ching-shun and Wu Chia-ching of Chinese-Taipei.

The tournament, which offers a champion's purse worth $36,000 (P1.72 million), begins Friday.

Orcollo And Pagulayan Reach Guangzhou Semis

2004 World Pool champion Alex Pagulayan and current WPA World No. 1 Dennis Orcollo remain on track for another possible finals encounter as the two Filipinos breezed through to the semifinals after a scoring easy victories over their respective opponents in the quarterfinals of the penultimate leg of the Guinness 9 Ball Tour 2008 yesterday here at the Garden Hotel in Guangzhou, China.

Pagulayan overwhelmed Satoshi Kawabata of Japan, 9 – 3, while Orcollo manhandled Toh Lian Han of Singapore, 9 – 1.
The two met in the finals of the Singapore leg, where Pagulayan claimed the crown over Orcollo.  The two are already assured of at least $3,500 (P164,500) for reaching the semifinals and have a shot at winning the top prize of $15,000 (P705,000) in the event organized by ESPN STAR Sports.

Clinging on to a 4 – 3 advantage, Pagulayan turned his match into a rout as he won five consecutive racks after capitalizing on several easy misses by Kawabata.

The Japanese missed a shot on the one-ball in the eighth rack and an attempt at the eight-ball in the 10th rack and his Filipino foe easily cleaned up those racks.

With Pagulayan on the hill at 8 – 3, Kawabata failed to put pressure on his opponent as the Japanese’s shot on the two-ball rimmed out of the right corner pocket. The player known as the “Lion” then went for the jugular as he formalized his entry to the semifinals for the second consecutive leg.

“I kind of feel sorry for him (Kawabata) since he’s my friend and he made a lot of mistakes, but when you’re playing against each other you forget about friendships and I just went for the kill,” said Pagulayan.

Pagulayan will meet Hung Hsiang Wang of Chinese Taipei in the semifinals today at 12 noon. The match will be aired live on STAR Sports,

Wang became the first man to earn a ticket to the final four after he upset compatriot and defending Grand Final champion Jung Lin Chang, 9 – 4.

Meanwhile, there was little drama in Orcollo’s match as he claimed the first eight racks and had a golden opportunity to score a whitewash in the ninth rack.

However, the Filipino native flubbed a shot on the four-ball in the ninth rack, allowing the Singaporean to win the rack and avoid being shut out in the match.

Breaking in the 10th rack, Toh had a chance to claim another rack, but the 35 – year old committed a foul on the one-ball and Orcollo closed out the match with a 5 – 9 combination.

“I was very confident and well-conditioned heading into this match. My break was very good this time around and my shots were very precise,” said Orcollo, who needed only 50 minutes to eliminate Toh in the fifth leg of this six-city tour organized by ESPN STAR Sports.    

Orcollo was simply unforgiving as he ran out the table in the first, third and seventh racks and capitalized on Toh’s scratches in the second, fourth and eighth racks and misses in the fifth and sixth racks.

Orcollo will meet Ching Shun Yang of Chinese Taipei in the other semifinals today at 1:30 p.m.
Yang defeated Ryu Seung Woo of Korea, 9 – 5.

Pagulayan and Orcollo’s quarterfinal victories guaranteed them spots in the Grand Final in Jakarta, Indonesia next month. Pagulayan was ranked 6th while Orcollo was 10th in the Tour’s Order of Merit heading into the Guangzhou leg.
Only the top ten players in the Tour’s Order of Merit list will qualify for the lucrative Grand Final and a qualifying spot in the WPA World Pool Championship.

Lion, Robocop lead Pinoys in Guinness 9-Ball in Guangzhou

Singapore leg winner and former World Pool champion Alex "The Lion" Pagulayan and reigning world number one Dennis "Robocop" Orcollo are set to lead a five-man Filipino contingent at the penultimate of the Guinness 9-Ball Tour in Guangzhou, China.

A report on BilliardPhilippines.com said that aside from Pagulayan and Orcollo, other Filipino cue masters joining the tournament are Joven Bustamante, Jeffrey de Luna and newcomer Elvis Calasang.

The tour’s second to the last tournament will take place at Guangzhou’s Garden Hotel from September 19 to 21.

The top 10 players in the overall Order of Merit following the Guangzhou leg will earn a trip to Jakarta, Indonesia where the tournament grand finals is slated to take place.

Bustamante is currently ranked fourth while Pagulayan leaped to sixth place following his win in Singapore. Antonio Gabica is ranked seventh, while Orcollo is hanging on to the 10th spot in the Tour's Order of Merit.

Pagulayan earlier emerged victorious in Singapore after beating compatriot Orcollo, 11-6, in the finals of the six-city event. His win in the Lion City marked the first time a Filipino won in the Asian 9-Ball circuit since Efren "Bata" Reyes triumphed in 2006.

The Filipino cue masters are expected to meet tough challenges in China as Chinese Taipei will parade defending Tour champion Chang Jung Lin, 2005 WPA champion Wu Chia Ching, Yang Ching Shun, and Wang Hung Hsiang.

Chang, who topped the year's first three legs, is already assured of the number one spot while Yang and Wu are currently in second and third, respectively. Wang presently ranks fifth.

The rest of the top ten is composed of Korea's Ryu Seung Woo and Malaysia's Ibrahim Bin Amir, who are ranked eighth and ninth, respectively.

Orcollo, Pagulayan battle Taiwan bets in Guinness Tour semis

World no.1 Dennis Orcollo and former world champion Alex Pagulayan will try to arrange another finals showdown when they face separate opponents in the final leg of the Guinness 9-Ball Tour in Guangzhou, China.

The semifinal matches will be played Sunday with Orcollo and Pagulayan facing Chinese-Taipei’s Yang Chin Shun and Wang Hung Hsiang.

Orcollo coasted to a 9-1 win over Singapore’s Toh Lian Han in Saturday’s quarterfinal at the Garden Hotel while Pagulayan, the Singapore leg champion, scored a 9-3 triumph against Satoshi Kawabata of Japan in the other quarterfinal match.

“I was very confident and well-conditioned heading into this match. My break was very good this time around and my shots were very precise," said Orcollo after the 50-minute match.

There is now possible rematch between the Filipinos, who competed for the Singapore leg title won by Pagulayan.

“I kind of feel sorry for him (Kawabata) since he’s my friend and he made a lot of mistakes, but when you’re playing against each other you forget about friendships and I just went for the kill," said Pagulayan after clinching his spot into the next round.

Wang pulled off an upset against compatriot and defending Grand Final champion Chang Jung Lin, 9-4, to earn the first quarterfinal match. Yang earned his right to face Orcollo by downing Ryu Seung Woo of Korea, 9-5.

The entry of Pagulayan and Orcollo into the semifinals earned them guaranteed seats to the Grand Final next month in Jakarta, Indonesia. Pagulayan and Orcollo occupies sixth and 10th places in the Order of Merit going into the Guangzhou leg.

Only the Top 10 players in the Order of Merit are heading to Indonesia.

Three other Filipinos – Joven Bustamante, Jeffrey De Luna and Elvis Calasang – were all eliminated in the group stages on Friday.

Merry Mix in Guangzhou Quarterfinals

It won't be a battle between just two countries anymore as five different nations will be represented when the quarterfinals of the penultimate leg of the Guinness 9 Ball Tour 2008 take place tomorrow at the Garden Hotel in Guangzhou, China.

Three Taiwanese, two Filipinos, a Singaporean, a Korean and a Japanese make up the quarterfinal cast following today's group stages.

Defending Grand Final champion Jung Lin Chang of Chinese Taipei made his way back to the quarterfinals. Chang, who was unceremoniously booted out by Dennis Orcollo of the Philippines in the group stages of the Singapore leg, topped Group A after victories over China's Dang Jin Hu and Indonesia's Nurdin Abuba.

In a rematch of the Penang leg final, Chang will face countryman Hung Hsiang Wang in the next round at 12 noon tomorrow. Wang ruled Group B after beating local bet Mei Yi Fei and Hong Kong's Han Hao Xiang.

Toh Lian Han gave Singapore fans a lot to cheer about as he barged into the quarterfinals after sweeping his matches in today's group stages  The 35-year old gave Singapore a much - needed breakthrough victory as none of its players reached the quarterfinals in the previous four legs this year.

Up next for Toh's in the quarterfinals is current WPA World No. 1 Orcollo who overcame Chinese-Taipei's Chia-Ching Wu in a nail-biting match. Orcollo rallied down 2 – 5 to prevail over the 2005 WPA world champion 9 – 6 as he capitalized on a number of errors committed by Wu to top Group E. Wu suffered a dry break on the ninth rack, a scratch on the 14th rack and a uncharacteristic miss on the 9 ball in the 15th rack.

Orcollo's fellow Filipino, Alex Pagulayan, also made it past the group stages as he won Group C. Pagulayan, who claimed the Singapore leg, will square off against Satoshi Kawabata of Japan at 4:30 p.m. Kawabata was the winner in Group D.

The final quarterfinal encounter will pit Korea's Ryu Seung Woo against Chinese Taipei's Ching Shun Yang. Ryu ruled Group G while Yang won Group H.

The hometown representatives were not fortunate as the quartet of Mei, Dang, He Wen Li and Jian Bo Fu all failed to advance to the round of eight.

Only the top ten players in the Tour's Order of Merit list will qualify for the lucrative Grand Final in Jakarta next month and a qualifying spot in the WPA World Pool Championship.

Merry Mix in Guangzhou Quarterfinals

It won't be a battle between just two countries anymore as five different nations will be represented when the quarterfinals of the penultimate leg of the Guinness 9 Ball Tour 2008 take place tomorrow at the Garden Hotel in Guangzhou, China.

Three Taiwanese, two Filipinos, a Singaporean, a Korean and a Japanese make up the quarterfinal cast following today's group stages.

Defending Grand Final champion Jung Lin Chang of Chinese Taipei made his way back to the quarterfinals. Chang, who was unceremoniously booted out by Dennis Orcollo of the Philippines in the group stages of the Singapore leg, topped Group A after victories over China's Dang Jin Hu and Indonesia's Nurdin Abuba.

In a rematch of the Penang leg final, Chang will face countryman Hung Hsiang Wang in the next round at 12 noon tomorrow. Wang ruled Group B after beating local bet Mei Yi Fei and Hong Kong's Han Hao Xiang.

Toh Lian Han gave Singapore fans a lot to cheer about as he barged into the quarterfinals after sweeping his matches in today's group stages  The 35-year old gave Singapore a much - needed breakthrough victory as none of its players reached the quarterfinals in the previous four legs this year.

Up next for Toh's in the quarterfinals is current WPA World No. 1 Orcollo who overcame Chinese-Taipei's Chia-Ching Wu in a nail-biting match. Orcollo rallied down 2 – 5 to prevail over the 2005 WPA world champion 9 – 6 as he capitalized on a number of errors committed by Wu to top Group E. Wu suffered a dry break on the ninth rack, a scratch on the 14th rack and a uncharacteristic miss on the 9 ball in the 15th rack.

Orcollo's fellow Filipino, Alex Pagulayan, also made it past the group stages as he won Group C. Pagulayan, who claimed the Singapore leg, will square off against Satoshi Kawabata of Japan at 4:30 p.m. Kawabata was the winner in Group D.

The final quarterfinal encounter will pit Korea's Ryu Seung Woo against Chinese Taipei's Ching Shun Yang. Ryu ruled Group G while Yang won Group H.

The hometown representatives were not fortunate as the quartet of Mei, Dang, He Wen Li and Jian Bo Fu all failed to advance to the round of eight.

Only the top ten players in the Tour's Order of Merit list will qualify for the lucrative Grand Final in Jakarta next month and a qualifying spot in the WPA World Pool Championship.

ACKDO Supports QC Vs The World Grand Billiards Showdown

The QC-Philippines vs the World Grand Billiards Showdown received another boost with the Association of Clubs, Karaoke and Disco Operators (ACKDO) throwing its all-out support to the much-anticipated event slated December 2 to 4 at the Trinoma Mall in Quezon City .

With promoting Quezon City as the country’s sports tourism capital, ACKDO did not think twice in backing the project when approached by its chief proponent, City Council Majority Floor Leader Ariel Inton.

“We are very happy to be part of this big event. Entertainment is one of the premier tourist attractions here in Quezon City, so we in the industry are giving our all-out support to this project, which in more than one way will also benefit us,” said ACKDO secretary-general Amil Yap.

ACKDO has been supporting a number of sports events, including the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP)'s Search for the New Billiards Idol series.

Also known as the “City of Stars ”, Quezon City boasts of having the biggest and liveliest entertainment spots in the country.

Already home to major television broadcasting networks, including giants ABS-CBN and GMA-7, Quezon City also houses dozens of restaurants, bars, night clubs, massage parlors, KTVs and the likes.

Pool icon Efren “Bata” Reyes banners the eight-man Team Q.C.-Philippines, which will pit prowess against a selection of topnotch cue artists from other countries in this three-day competition supported by the Quezon City Government led by Mayor Sonny Belmonte, QC Tourism Council headed by chairman Raffy Chico, and BMPAP with Solar Sports, RPN and the Philippine Star as media partners.

Besides Reyes, the other members of the Team QC Philippines are fellow former world champions Alex Pagulayan and Ronnie Alcano, reigning world no.1 Dennis Orcollo, Francisco “Django” Bustamante, 2007 World Pool runner-up Roberto Gomez, Lee Van Corteza and Warren Kiamco.

They will go up against a foreign team also led by three former world titlists in Chia-Ching Wu of Chinese-Taipei, Mika Immonen of Finland and Thorsten Hohmann of Germany. The other players of Team World are 2006 Asian Games gold medalist Satoshi Kawabata of Japan , Ching-Shun Yang of Chinese-Taipei, and Charlie William and Rodney Morris of the United States and another top European player.

Pagulayan leads RP campaign in Guangzhou leg of 9-ball Tour

Alex Pagulayan will lead a five-member Philippine team that hopes to secure final slots in the Guinness 9-Ball Tour when the penultimate round of the five-city qualifying tournament takes place in Guangzhou, China from September 19 to 21.

Pagulayan will be joined by world no.1 Dennis Orcollo and world no.6 Joven Bustamante, Jeffrey De Luna and Tour newcomer Elvis Calasang as they try to claim enough points in order to earn spots in the Tour’s grand finale to be held next month in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Pagulayan won the Singapore leg in July beating Orcollo, 11-6, in the finals. His victory marked the first time a Filipino won in the Asian 9-Ball Tour since Efren “Bata" Reyes’ triumph in 2006.

Up for grabs in the Guangzhou leg is a total prize purse of US$50,000 (PhP2.25M) as well as points to qualify for the Jakarta finals, which will feature the Top 10 players in the Order of Merit. The winners of each leg will get to earn US$15,000 (PhP0.67M) while the Grand Final Champion will pocket US$36,000 (PhP1.62M).

Only the Top 10 players after the Guangzhou leg will earn tickets for the Grand Finals.

Currently, Bustamante is the highest ranked Filipino player in the Order of Merit at fourth place while Pagulayan is at sixth after winning in Singapore. Antonio Gabica is at seventh while Orcollo is at 10th spot.

Pagulayan and Orcollo barged into the lower half of the top 10 after a 1-2 finish in Singapore. That victory by a Filipino ended the Philippines' title drought.

Players from Chinese-Taipei are the biggest obstacle for the Filipinos with defending Tour champion Chang Jung Lin, 2005 champion Wu Chia Ching, Yang Ching Shun and Wang Hung Hsiang providing the challenge.

Chang, who bagged the year’s first three legs, is already assured of the number one spot while Yang and Wu are in second and third with Wang at fifth.

The rest of the top ten is composed of Korea’s Ryu Seung Woo and Malaysia's Ibrahim Bin Amir at eighth and ninth respectively.

In addition, the Tour’s Top 10 players will also automatically qualify for pool’s most prestigious event, the 2008 World Pool Championships later this year. The Guinness 9-Ball Tour remains the only ranking tour in Asia for players to qualify for the World Pool Championship.

Tough task ahead for RP cue artists in Guinness 9Ball Tour

Manila, Philippines - The road to the Guinness 9-Ball Billiards Tour grand finals gets tougher for five Filipino campaigners when the tournament resumes in the final leg in Guangzhou, China from September 19 to 21 at the Garden Hotel.

The Guangzhou leg will be the toughest of the six-city Tour for the Filipinos since perennial contenders Chinese-Taipei will be fielding players composed of defending champion Chang Jung Lin, 2005 World Pool-Billiards Association titlist Wu Chia Ching, 2007 three-leg winner Yang Ching Shun and the dangerous Wang Hung Hsiang.

Chang, who topped the year’s first three legs, is already assured of the number one spot in the Tour’s Order of Merit while Yang and Wu are currently in second and third, respectively. Wang presently ranks fifth.

The Top 10 players in the overall Order of Merit after the Guangzhou leg will earn spots in the finals set in Jakarta, Indonesia from October 24 to 26.

Joven Bustamante is ranked highest among the five Filipinos at fourth in the Order of Merit while Alex Pagulayan jumped to sixth after winning the Singapore leg in July. While 2006 Doha Asian Games silver medalist Antonio Gabica placed seventh with WPA world no.1 Dennis Orcollo clinging on at 10th place.

Korea’s Ryu Seung Woo and Ibrahim Bin Amir of Malaysia rounded up the Top 10 after placing eighth and ninth respectively.

Hometown bets Fu Jian Bo and Li He Wen will make a final push for the Top 10 in the Guangzhou leg. The two are considered top contenders for a spot in the finals after occupying 11th and 12th places after four stages.

Helping Fu and Li make their final push are the hometown Chinese fans that came out in droves to support their athletes in last months Beijing Olympics.

Other players aiming for a spot in the finals are Indonesia’s Ricky Yang, Han Hao Xiang of Hong Kong, Thailand's Nitiwat Kajanasri and Sumit Talwar of India.

Players from Japan, Singapore and Vietnam are also expected to give their all in order to shore up their respective bids of earning valuable ranking points for the finals.

World 9-Ball tourney won't happen in Manila in November

Matchroom Sport has told world pool officials that it will not stage the World 9-Ball Pool Championship (WPC) in Manila this November since it failed to get sponsors for the event, information reaching abs-cbnNEWS.com said Wednesday.

"The Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) claim that the WPC would be held in Manila was just talk," the text message said.

According to Matchroom, it hopes to revive the WPC early next year. A check on the Matchroom Web site (http://matchroomsport.com) provided a November 1-9 date for the WPC. However, it said that the venue was "to be confirmed."

In a related development, Manila-based sports analyst Ronnie Nathanielsz was able get a reaction from Matchroom media director Luke Riches regarding the event's postponement. “The WPC is not dead yet. But most likely it will be early 2009 [when it will be staged again]," Nathanielsz quoted Riches as saying.

Reached for comment, Perry Mariano, one of the founders of the BMPAP, said that he has yet to be informed of Riches' statement. He clarified that as of last report, the WPC merely lost its venue after Senate President Manuel Villar backed out as one of the event's main sponsors. "We got 50 percent but the other 50 percent, was supposed to come from Senator Villar. So nawala ang 50 percent," Mariano told abs-cbnNEWS.com.

Mariano, however, clarified that they are doing everything they can to follow-up the pledges from potential sponsors so that the WPC will take place as scheduled.

Despite Villar's withdrawal of support, Mariano said nothing is final yet. "We're still trying to convince the senator pero siyempre hindi na kamukha noon," he said, adding that politics may have been the main reason behind Villar's withdrawal. At any rate, Mariano said, "it's still Villar's money." "Pera niya 'yon. Wala pa siyang pinipirmahan. Hanggang walang dokumentong pirmado, everything is in limbo," Mariano said.

The WPC held in Manila last year saw England's Daryl Peach beating hometown hero Roberto Gomez, 17-15, in the finals.

Previous Filipino winners of the WPC were Efren “Bata” Reyes (1994), Alex “The Lion” Pagulayan (2005) and Ronnie "The Volcano" Alcano (2006).

Filipino cue artists eye Guinness 9-Ball Tour spots

Four Filipino cue artists will be aiming for a spot in the finals of the 2008 Guinness 9-Ball Asian Tour when they see action in the final leg in Guangzhou, China next week.

Dennis Orcollo, Joven Bustamante, Jeffrey de Luna and Tour rookie Elvis Calasang will be aiming for another Filipino win—and possibly a spot in the Grand Finals next month in the three-day China stop that begins September 19.

The four will be using Alex Pagulayan’s victory in the Singapore leg of the Guinness Tour as inspiration when they clash with Asia’s finest pool players.

Pagulayan’s victory in the Lion City ended Chinese-Taipei’s domination in the Tour. Before Pagulayan’s win, the last time a Filipino won a leg in the Asian 9-Ball circuit was in 2006 when Efren “Bata" Reyes won in Jakarta.

Guangzhou will be the Tour’s last stop before the Grand Finals in Jakarta next month. The top 10 players in the overall Order of Merit after the Guangzhou leg will meet in the Indonesian capital.

Bustamante currently ranks fourth in the Tour’s Order of Merit, while Pagulayan leaped into sixth place following his Singapore victory over Orcollo in the title match.

Another Filipino Antonio Gabica is at seventh while Orcollo is hanging on to the 10th spot.

Check Listings: Fox Sports to Air World Pool Masters

Fox Sports Network will air matches from the 2008 World Pool Masters — won in dramatic, come-from-behind fashion by Alex Pagulayan of the Philippines — every week during the month of September.

FSN is divided into regional networks across the U.S. (such as FSN Midwest and FSN Rocky Mountain), so you need to check your local listings for airdates and times. A lion’s share of the networks are slating the programming for either 11 a.m. or 3 p.m.

The airings come as part of the continuing relationship between FSN for U.K.-based Matchroom Sport, producer of the World Pool Masters as well as such highly regarded fare as the Mosconi Cup and World Pool Championship. Matchroom has been providing FSN with pool programming steadily since 2003.

The World Pool Masters took place in May at the Riviera Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. In the final against Mika Immonen, Pagulayan fell behind, 6-3, before winning five consecutive racks for the title-clinching victory.

Comcast New England and Comcast Philadelphia also will air programming from the World Pool Masters.

Villar Cup Davao Leg

DAVAO CITY – The biggest names in Philippine billiards – and in the world as well – invade the country’s largest city when the First Senate President Manny Villar Cup, now the nation’s leading pool series, holds its fourth leg on August 21 to 23 at the Atrium of Gaisano Mall here.

Led by no less than the sport’s icon Efren “Bata” Reyes, the who’s who in the local pool circuit will showcase their wizardry before the Davaoenos, who will be celebrating their much-anticipated Kadayawan Festival.

“I’m very honored to bring here in Davao our world-class cue artists and take part in your celebration of life and thanksgiving to the Almighty,” said Senate President Manny Villar during the tournament’s press launch Thursday at Gerry’s Grill in Gaisano Mall.

“Again, this is part of my commitment to help promote the sport, which we Filipinos are the no.1 in the world. I hope that by bringing the Villar Cup here, it would encourage our people, especially the youth, not only here in Davao but in the entire Mindanao as well, to take the sport and stay out of trouble,” he added.

Villar was joined in the special forum of the Davao Sportswriters Association by Reyes, along with fellow former world champions Alex Pagulayan and Ronnie Alcano, 2007 World Pool runner-up Roberto Gomez, former Asian Games gold medalist Gandy Valle and three-time Southeast Asian Games titlist Warren Kiamco.

All of them, along with other established and up-and-coming pool stars, are seeing action in the tournament presented by Villards: Tulong sa Pagsulong ng Philippine Sports in cooperation with the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) and sponsored by Camella Communities.

Valle and Kiamco are two of the previous Villar Cup winners with the former winning the Cebu leg last June and the latter ruling the inaugural Alabang leg in May. Ramil Gallego bagged the Bulacan edition last month and will be defending the crown here.

Besides the Pro Elite division, the Villar Cup Davao leg will also have the Sipag at Tiyaga category and the “Villards sa Barangay” edition.

The Sipag at Tiyaga division, which will be held on August 18 and 19 at the B3 Billiards Center of the NCCC Mall, is open to all non-elite professional players from all over the country, while the Villards sa Barangay, slated on August 17 at the same venue, is a tournament exclusive for Davaoeno amateur players.

Sanctioned by the Games and Amusements Board (GAB), the Villar Cup is also supported by Puyat Sports, Bugsy Promotions and Negros Billiards Stable.

Pool Players Welcome NBL

The soon-to-be-launched National Billiards League (NBL) has received an overwhelming support from the local pool community, particularly the players who are all excited to begin what they call “the new era of Philippine billiards.”

“We’re all very happy with this development as we know that having this professional league will really lift (Philippine) billiards to new heights, and this will be the start of a new era of Philippine billiards,” said former world champion Alex Pagulayan.

After finding a television partner – Solar Sports – that would broadcast the games for the league’s inaugural season, NBL’s main proponents Philippine billiards godfather Aristeo “Putch” Puyat and fellow managers Perry Mariano and Jonathan Sy are now negotiating with several companies for sponsorship to the teams to be formed.

Last Saturday, they met with the players from the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) to formally inform them of the development and invite them to join the league. They also introduced the newly-appointed NBL commissioner in businessman Martin Misa.

“We’re formally inviting you to join the NBL, a dream that we all share for a long time, which is now coming into reality,” said Puyat during the gathering attended by the country top cue artists, led by Efren “Bata” Reyes, as well as the sport’s up-and-coming stars.

“NBL will be exclusive for you BMPAP members, who have been with us in our crusade to put out sport in the right direction,” added Puyat.

The NBL is slated to start late this year with eight teams of six players each in the fold.

Meanwhile, the players present in the meeting reiterated their stand of not joining any event “that has anything to do with Mr. Yen Makabenta” and his Raya Sports, including the planned World 10-Ball Championship, until all the issues that caused them to break away from the groups affiliated with him are resolved.

“The main reason why BMPAP bolted away from the groups affiliated with Mr. Makabenta is because of his dual role as chairman of the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) and President of Raya Sports, which clearly constitutes conflict of interest,” the players said in a statement.

Besides Reyes and Pagulayan, also in the meeting were former double world champion Ronnie Alcano, 2007 World Pool runner-up Roberto Gomez, Warren Kiamco, Rodolfo Luat and Joven Bustamante, among others. Reigning world no.1 Dennis Orcollo and Francisco “Django” Bustamante, who are campaigning in the United States, sent their representatives.

They said that having nothing against BSCP and they are willing to reestablish their ties with the association “if all the issues are resolved.

P800T up for grabs in Villar Cup

A Guaranteed total cash prize of P800,000 will be up for grabs in the star-studded First Senate President Manny Villar Cup 9-Ball Open Davao leg set August 21 to 23 at the Gaisano Mall of Davao Atrium.

Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) secretary-general Gandy Valle made the announcement during the Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) Forum at the Tower Inn.

Valle, who guested with Davao Billiards Association (DBA) president Menlee Migellano, said the office of Senator Villar has yet to send a breakdown of the prizes, although he revealed that the champion will take home not less than P300,000. The runner-up and the next top players will also receive huge prizes.

Valle said they will also hold an inter-barangay competition on August 17 for all-Davao players and a qualifying tournament on August 18 and 19 at the NCCC Mall B3 Center. The qualifying tournament is open for those who want to earn a slot to the main event to be held at the Gaisano Mall.

Migellano said the inter-barangay champion will pocket P10,000 while the qualifying champion will bag P20,000 and book a slot in the Villar Cup Open along with the runner-up who will get P9,000. The qualifying third and fourth placers, meanwhile, will go home with P3,000 each.

Valle, a former Bangkok Asian Games doubles gold medallist, confirmed the participation of pool sharks Efren "Bata" Reyes, current World No. 1 Dennis "Robocop" Orcollo, Alex "The Lion" Pagulayan, reigning World Pool runner-up Roberto Gomez, Davao City's Southeast Asian (SEA) Games back-to-back medallist and New York champion Lee Vann Corteza and former two-time world pool champion Ronato Alcano, among other big names.

"Only Francisco 'Django' Bustamante can't make it to the Davao leg because he has a campaign abroad on the same schedule as our tournament here. The leg champions in Alabang, Cebu and Bulacan will also come and put up a stiff challenge," said Valle, who won the Cebu leg of the prestigious cuefest.

Valle downplayed his chances to winning the Davao leg title citing the huge cast of veterans entered in the knockout, race-to-nine, alternate-break format meet. "I'll just focus on my game," he said.

Villar is the guest speaker in the opening rites on August 21 and he will also be on hand to award the prizes on August 23.

RP’s Pagulayan No.1 in AZ Billiards ranking

Former World Pool Championship (WPC) winner Alex “The Lion” Pagulayan of the Philippines, climbed to the top spot of the AZ Billiards Player Ranking list after beating compatriot Dennis Orcollo in the finals of the Guinness 9-ball tour Singapore leg last weekend.

According to AZ Billiards.com report yesterday, the 30-year-old Cabagan, Isabela Pagulayan rose to the No. 1 spot, pushing fellow World Pool Championship ruler Ralf “Kaiser” Souquet of Germany and reigning US Open 9-ball winner Shane “The South Dakota Kid” Van Boening of the United States to the No. 2 and No. 3 positions, respectively.

However, in the AZ Biliards Player Money list, Souquet remained on top with $117,486 prize money so far. He beat Filipino Ronato “The Volcano” Alcano in the finals of this year's World 8-Ball Championships in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates to pocket the champion’s purse worth $60,000 plus $10,000 for settling in third place in the inaugural Qatar World 9-ball Open which was topped by Orcollo.

Van Boening whose biggest paycheck this year was worth $18,000 after winning the Derby City Classic 10-ball ring game, remains at No. 2 in the money list with a total of prize money of $71,750. At third place is Pagulayan with $57,703 followed by No. 4 Orcollo with $57,000 and No.5 Niels “The Terminator” Fejien of the Netherlands with $48,437.

Pagulayan Wins Singapore Guinness Billiard Event

2004 World Pool champion Alex Pagulayan ended the Chinese Taipei stranglehold of the Guinness 9 Ball Tour 2008 as he defeated compatriot and current world number one Dennis Orcollo, 11 - 6, in the All-Filipino finals of the Singapore leg of the Guinness 9 Ball Tour 2008 at Velocity@Novena Square.

Pagulayan’s victory earned him the top prize of $15,000 top prize while Orcollo, who entered the tournament as a wild card bet, settled for $6,000. The Chinese Taipei players previously dominated the Tour as they swept all six legs last year and this year’s first three legs, which were all won by Chang Jung-Lin.

Pagulayan managed his victory with a cue brand new cue from his Mezz Cues, which is an Alex Pagulayan Limited Series with a Hybrid Pro 2 shaft. The cue is one of the first ever Limited Editon cues made by Mezz for a player and only 50 cues were made. Chang was booted out of the competition by Orcollo in the group stage last Friday.

The last time a Filipino won a title on the Tour organized by ESPN STAR Sports was in 2006 when Efren “Bata” Reyes beat Ricky Yang in Jakarta, Indonesia. This also marks the first time since Lee Van Corteza defeated Francisco “Django” Bustamante in Manila in 2004 that two Filipinos battled for the crown.

Not counting an exhibition match in Guangzhou match in 2006, Pagulayan’s victory gave the Philippines a 13 - 12 advantage over Chinese Taipei in the number of titles won since the Tour started in 2003. No other country has won on Tour.

Known for his comical antics, Pagulayan actually trailed Orcollo, 2 - 0, but seized control of the match as he won the next five consecutive racks. Orcollo managed to make the match interesting as he only trailed by two, 8 - 6, after capitalizing on a scratch by Pagulayan in the 14th rack.

However, the player known as the “Lion” had the final roar as he won the next three racks courtesy of another Orcollo dry break in the 15th rack and a scratch in the 17th to cap off his first victory on Tour.

“Everything went wrong for Dennis and all the rolls went my way. It’s about time that we (the Philippines) won because the Taiwanese kept on winning all the legs since last year. It feels good and extraordinary to beat the number one player in the world,” said an extremely giddy Pagulayan.

“Alex was really lucky and it seemed that he was motivated ever since the quarterfinals. I played my game, but sometimes it’s all about the breaks of the game,” revealed Orcollo.

The 30-year old Pagulayan earlier reached the Finals after a 9 - 6 triumph over 2005 World Pool champion Wu Chia Ching. Orcollo advanced following a scintillating 9 - 8 semi-final victory over Taiwanese Yang Ching-Shun. Pagulayan dictated his semi-final match from the start as he established a comfortable 7 - 2 advantage following two dry breaks and miss on the pink four ball by Wu.

However, Pagulayan suffered a dry break in the 11th rack and missed a corner pocket shot in the 13th, allowing Wu to win the next four racks and make it 7 - 6. Wu had the break in the 14th rack, but an exchange of misses on the blue two ball turned possession over to Pagulayan as he cleaned the rack to stand on the hill.

Pagulayan then had a clean break and clinched the victory with a run-out of the 15th rack. Orcollo had a more dramatic finish in the final four. Precariously ahead 7 - 5, the player dubbed as “Robocop” missed an attempt on the one ball blocked by the four ball, paving the way for Yang to claim three of the next four racks to make it hill-hill.

With the match and a place in the finals on the line, Orcollo displayed impressive composure as he had a clean break in the 17th rack, putting him in good position for a run-out. After pocketing the four-ball, the Surigao-native found himself in a very fortunate situation as the five-ball lined up right in front of the nine-ball, setting it up for a match-clinching combination. The Filipino ace then calmly hit the cue ball which struck the five-ball before bouncing against the nine-ball that fell into the corner pocket to the collective roar of the crowd.

Up for grabs in the Singapore leg was a total prize purse of US$50,000 as well as points to qualify for the Tour’s Grand Final in Jakarta, which will feature the Top Ten players in the overall Order of Merit.

The winners of each leg will get to earn US$15,000 while the Grand Final Champion will pocket US$36,000. In addition, the Tour’s Top 10 players will also automatically qualify for pool’s most prestigious event, the 2008 WPA World Pool Championships later his year. The Guinness 9-Ball Tour remains the only ranking tour in Asia for players to qualify for the WPA World Pool Championship.

Following stops in Chinese-Taipei, Penang, Genting Highlands and Singapore, the six-city Tour will have its penultimate leg in Guangzhou in September before heading to Jakarta for the Grand Finals in October.

Pagulayan win signals RP return to top of Asian pool

The amazing victory last Sunday of former World Pool champion Alex Pagulayan over world No. 1 Dennis Orcollo in an all-Filipino final in the Singapore leg of the 2008 Guinness 9-Ball Tour showed once more that the Philippines is set to regain billiards supremacy from rival Chinese Taipei.

Pagulayan’s triumph snapped Chinese Taipei’s string of successes in the Guinness Tour. Last year, Chinese Taipei players swept the six-leg tour and, this year, has won the first three (through Chang Jung-ling) before Pagulayan stopped the Taiwanese juggernaut.

In their one-on-one rivalry, the Philippines leads Chinese Taipei by the slimmest of margins, 13-12. No other Asian entry has ever won on the tour, which started in 2003.

In 2006, the Philippines, sparked by Hall of Famer Efren “Bata” Reyes, swept the Asian tour, then called the San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour. Reyes captured two legs while fellow veteran internationalists Ramil Gallego and Rodolfo Luat won one leg each.

Pagulayan ends Pinoy drought in Guinness

Alex Pagulayan solidified his status as the top Filipino pool artist with a masterful 11-6 victory over compatriot Dennis "Robocop" Orcollo in the finals of Guinness 9 Ball Tour at the Velocity@Novena Square in Singapore.

With the victory, Pagulayan became the first Filipino to be officially proclaimed as Guinness 9-ball pool champion since replacing former title sponsor, San Miguel Beer. The last time a Filipino won a title on the tour was in 2006 when Efren "Bata" Reyes beat Ricky Yang in Jakarta, Indonesia in the SMB tour.

He adds the title to a long list that includes the 2004 World Pool Championship, the 2005 US Open Championship, three gold medals in the 2005 Southeast Asian Games, 2006 BSCP National Pool Championship and the 2008 PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters. He also took home $15,000. Orcollo, who is fresh from winning the first Qatar World 9-Ball this month, settled for runner-up honors worth $6,000.

The Bislig, Surigao del Sur ace nipped Yang Ching Shun of Chinese Taipei, 9-8, in a scintillating semifinal match yesterday to set up an all-Filipino clash in the finals. Pagulayan, on the other hand, won over Wu Chia Ching of Chinese Taipei, 9-6, in the other semifinal pairing. This encounter marks the first time since Lee Van Corteza defeated Francisco "Django" Bustamante in Manila in 2004 that two Filipinos battled for the tour crown.

Up for grabs in the Singapore leg is a total prize purse of $50,000 as well as points to qualify for the tour's Grand Final in Jakarta, which will feature the Top Ten players in the overall Order of Merit. The winners of each leg will get to earn $15,000 while the Grand Final Champion will pocket $36,000.

In addition, the Tour's Top 10 players will also automatically qualify for pool's most prestigious event, the 2008 WPA World Pool Championships, later his year. The tour will have its penultimate leg in Guangzhou on September before heading to Jakarta for the Grand Finals on October.

Pagulayan Beats Orcollo, The Lion Roars in Guinness 9-Ball

Alex Pagulayan sealed his status as Number 1 player in Philippine pool with a masterful 11-6 victory over compatriot Dennis "Robocop" Orcollo in the finals of the Guinness 9 Ball Tour 2008 at the Velocity@Novena Square in Singapore.

With the victory, Pagulayan became the first to be officially proclaimed as Filipino Guinness 9-ball pool champion under the title sponsor of Guinness, an Irish stout beer that replaced former title sponsor San Miguel Beer. He adds the title to a long list that now includes the 2004 World Pool Championship, the 2005 US Open Championship, three gold medals in the December 2005 SEA Games, 2006 BSCP National Pool Championship and the 2008 PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters. He also took home a cool $15,000 (P675,000) in prize.

"At last" commented the 30-year-old Pagulayan, who hails from Cabagan, Isabela. Orcollo, who is fresh from winning the first Qatar World 9-Ball this month, settled for the runner-up prize of $6,000 (270,000). The Bislig, Surigao del Sur ace nipped Ching Shun Yang of Chinese Taipei, 9 – 8, in a scintillating semi-final match yesterday to set up an all-Filipino clash in the finals with Pagulayan, who had earlier defeated Chia Ching Wu of Chinese Taipei, 9 – 6.

The last time a Filipino won a title on the Tour was in 2006 when Efren "Bata" Reyes beat Ricky Yang in Jakarta, Indonesia. This also marks the first time since Lee Van Corteza defeated Francisco "Django" Bustamante in Manila in 2004 that two Filipinos will battle for the crown.  The Chinese Taipei players previously dominated the Tour as they swept all six legs last year and the first three legs this year.

Up for grabs in the Singapore leg was a total prize purse of US$50,000 as well as points to qualify for the Tour's Grand Final in Jakarta, which will feature the Top Ten players in the overall Order of Merit.

The winners of each leg earn US$15,000 while the Grand Final Champion will pocket US$36,000. In addition, the Tour's Top 10 players will also automatically qualify for pool's most prestigious event, the 2008 WPA World Pool Championships later his year. The Guinness 9-Ball Tour remains the only ranking tour in Asia for players to qualify for the WPA World Pool Championship.

Following stops in Chinese-Taipei, Penang, Genting Highlands and Singapore, the six-city Tour will have its penultimate leg in Guangzhou in September before heading to Jakarta for the Grand Finals in October.

Pagulayan Sues Makabenta, Fajardo

Former world champion Alex Pagulayan yesterday filed a libel case against billiards officials Yen Makabenta and Ernesto Fajardo and asked for more than six million pesos worth of damages.

The Fil-Canadian cue artist personally filed his complaint in Pasig Regional Trial Court before 2nd Assistant City Prosecutor Maria Anunciacion Hipol. He was accompanied by his lawyer Alexis Abastillas-Suarez of Malaya-Sanchez-Anover and-Anover law firm. Marquee players Efren Reyes, Francisco Bustamante, Roberto Gomez and Joven Bustamante and Bugsy Promotions owner Perry Mariano were also with him for morale support.

Pagulayan filed a case against the respondents a year after the Billiards and Snookers Congress of the Philippines officials accused him of ‘sharking’ (an act of disrupting ones opponent to win) in the Singapore leg Guinness 9-Ball Tour.

According to the 30-year-old Pagulayan’ sworn testimony, he was also called ‘disgraceful loser’ and a ‘liar’.

Pagulayan is asking for Php3Million for the supposed endorsement from Andoks Lechon before he was prevented by the BSCP from joining the next leg of the Tour and another Php3M for morale damages. He is also seeking Php500,000 for exemplary damages, Attorney’s fee of Php200,000, court trial fee of Php100,000 and additional Php50,000 for appearances etc.

On top of it, Pagulayan is asking for a maximum imprisonment of six years for both Makabenta and Fajardo. Meanwhile, Mariano, also an incorporator in the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines , bared there more lawsuits to follow.

“These cases being filed against abusive officials of the BSCP would vindicate everybody. There are more serious criminal cases to be filed soon so that the public and government would know the real issues,” Mariano said.

RP pool masters off to Qatar for 9-ball tournament

Manila, Philippines – Former World Pool champs Efren "Bata" Reyes, Alex Pagulayan, and Ronnie Alcano will lead the Philippine contestants going to Doha for the 2008 Qatar 9-Ball Championship, which starts on Friday, June 27, at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation Hall.

The other contestants are current world no.1 Dennis Orcollo, former world no.1 Francisco "Django" Bustamante, 2007 World Pool runner-up Roberto Gomez, defending national champion Lee Van Corteza, veterans Warren Kiamco and Ramil Gallego, upcoming stars Joven Bustamante and Benjie Guevarra, and recent Villar Cup Cebu leg champ Gandy Valle.

The tournament offers total prizes worth $150,000, according to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP).

"I hope I could carry a momentum from my Villar Cup triumph," Valle said.

Reyes, Francisco Bustamante, Orcollo, and Corteza are all seeded to the main draw. But Valle, Pagulayan, Alcano, Gomez, Kiamco, Gallego, Guevarra, and Bustamante still need to earn their spots in the 96-person main draw through the two-day qualifying tilt starting on Friday.

“The Lion” Alex Pagulayan is King of the Jungle, in Vegas

“The Lion” is King of the Jungle, in Vegas!!! Snaps off the Pool World Masters as well as wins the Action Challenge over Shane Van Boening! Former World Champion “The Lion” Alex Pagulayan earned $20K last Sunday night at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in snapping of the World Pool Masters. He also follows up with major win defeating 2007 US Open 9 Ball Champion Shane Van Boening.

In the final match, it was looking like it was all Mika Immonen as he was looking very dominant. “The Ice Man” has stepped up his game of late as he has been placing consistently in the top 5 in recent events. Alex was down 6-3 in the match, and was thinking to himself that it was a repeat of the World Pool Masters in 2006, but lost to Ralf Souquet.

But what proved to be the turning point of the match “The Ice Man” Mika Immonen, broke and made an illegal break as he only had 2 balls pass the headstring. “The Lion” Alex Pagulayan then showed Vegas who was the King of the Jungle as he wins the next 5 consecutive racks for the World Pool Masters Title.

“The Lion” Alex Pagulayan reprieved himself from his last “Action Challenge” match up vs 2007 US Open Champion Shane Van Boening. In a 3 day marathon race to 100 Challenge Match, Shane had Alex buried at one point by as much as 22 games down as it looked like Shane was going to easily cruise to the win.

Alex showed the fans who were watching it on TAR, as well as all of the people who were watching the match in person, what it is to have the heart of a Lion. After the first day the score was 30-24 Shane. On the second day, Shane incrementally increased his lead to 70-63.

On the third and final day of the race to 100, Alex at one point was down 22 games and was clearly on the ropes. In an impressive turn of events, Alex came out of his corner with a clever combination of tactical play, like a seasoned boxer looking to grind back points… and when saw opportunities to strike, started to combine racks like carefully placed punches.

Alex slowly grinded back to being 90-85 down, when Alex like an angry Lion in the jungle started to tear up his opponent in the field of battle. “The Lion” roared back to take the lead 99-92, and while Shane gave his fans some hope as he won the next two games 99-94, it just wasn’t enough to stop the momentum that Alex built up.

Alex Pagulayan proved to be the “Lion” in the Vegas jungle as he closed out the 2007 US Open 9 Ball Champ and last years former 10 Ball World Champion 100-94.

Pagulayan Wins PartyPoker Masters

Alex Pagulayan is the 2008 PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters Champion as he came from behind to beat Mika Immonen 8-6 in the front of a packed crowd at the Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas .

The Filipino was 6-3 down at one stage and looking in severe trouble but the match turned on an illegal break by Immonen whereby he pocketed a ball but failed to carry two other balls past the headstring.

From there Pagulayan cleared to table to gain the necessary momentum and he became stronger over the closing stages to take victory.

“This was like winning the World Championship for me. I’ve always wanted it but I’ve finally broken the ice, “ said a jubilant Pagulayan.

“This is 9 ball and I couldn’t get too upset because I didn’t get a chance. I thought if he runs the set, then he runs the set but I knew that if I got a chance I would need to focus and concentrate and do the best I can.

“I really didn’t think I’d won it until the last 9 ball dropped but there were lots of people who like me watching and that was good for me to have that support,” he added.

Pagulayan made two balls from the opening break of the final and although Immonen got to the table, the diminutive Filipino took the rack for the early lead.

In contrast to the earlier semi-finals, there was another break that produced three balls but Pagulayan could not capitalise as he missed the 2 ball. Immonen took advantage to run out and level it.

A golden break from Immonen, as the cue ball kicked the 9 ball home, saw Immonen take the lead and he almost did the same again in the fourth, as the 9 ball hung in the pocket. The Finn pocketed the 1 ball and then made an easy 2/9 combination to go 3-1 ahead.

The 1 ball rolled into the corner pocket off the next break but Immonen made a bad miss on the 3 ball as he seemed to hit it too hard.

Pagulayan over hit his shot as he ran out of position on the 4 ball but he redeemed the situation with an excellent cut, gaining good shape on the 5 ball. From there he ran out to take the score to 3-2 to Immonen.

The Filipino made a schoolboy error in the next as he hit the 4 ball prior to hitting the 2 and with ball in hand, Immonen ran out to restore his two rack lead at 4-2.

The Finn took the next rack to move to 5-2 and all the pressure was now on Pagulayan. He responded well as he ran the next rack to reduce arrears.

There was disappointment for Pagulayan though as he scratched off the break in the next. The balls were laid out nicely and Immonen completed an easy run out to take his lead to 6-3.

Immonen made an illegal break in the next as he pocketed a ball but did not bring the requisite two others past the headstring. The punishment of loss of visit allowed Pagulayan back to the table and he made a tidy run out to get within two of Immonen.

Now playing with renewed vigour, he delivered a good break that gave him a chance to get right back into it and he duly responded as a break and run took him to within a rack of Immonen. Now on a roll, Pagulayan broke and ran the 12^th rack to draw level at 6-6.

Breaking from the centre of the table, Pagulayan deposited the 1 ball into the centre pocket and played a fine long reverse cut to down the 2 ball. In the zone now, Pagulayan completed his fourth rack in a row to move to the hill at 7-6.

Just when he needed some luck, Immonen returned to the table as Pagulayan scratched on the break as he drew the cue ball into the pocket.

There was disaster for Immonen as he drew the cue ball all the way down table and into the corner pocket as he went from the 1 ball to the 2.

With ball in hand, Pagulayan worked his way through the table and as he planted the 9 ball, he let out a yell of joy as he became 2008 PartyPoker.net

“It was brutal, why did it have to happen there?” said a disappointed Immonen.

“I was able to get a good lead but the illegal break was the real turning point as it gave him the opportunity to get back in it.

“He had some nice layouts but he played well and probably deserved to win. But that’s the way it is sometimes. I’m getting more consistent and the No.1 spot will come sooner or later,” he added.

Pagulayan KO's the Rocket

Alex Pagulayan (Philippines) became the first semi-finalist at the PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters as he defeated Rodney Morris 8-6 at the Riviera Convention Centre, Las Vegas .

It was an entertaining encounter that was thoroughly enjoyed by the Vegas crowd and Pagulayan enjoyed just the right amount of skill coupled with good fortune to see him across the line.

“I enjoyed that absolutely,” said Pagulayan. “I was nervous and a bit shaky but I think I played well under the conditions and tried really hard to focus. “In the end I had a bit more luck than him. Out there, under the gun, the table played tough but race to eight, with the TV and crowd, everything is tough,” he added.

They shared the early racks but Morris broke and ran the seventh to move into a 4-3 lead but the match effectively became a race to four when Pagulayan took the next following a dry break from Morris.

‘Come on make some balls!’ shouted Pagulayan after his next break shot and his wish was granted as two balls dropped.

He played a tidy safety but Morris escaped. He could not escape the next snooker as he flashed at a table length kick and missed the blue 2 by a long way. With ball in hand Pagulayan cleared the table to go into a 5-4 lead.

The Filipino scratched on the break though and with ball in hand Morris levelled it at five racks each.

A dry break though left the 1 ball on for Pagulayan via a cross table bank and although he made it, the cue ball stopped too close to the 2 ball so he was forced to play safe.

Pagulayan fouled as he tried to pot a hanging 3 ball via a bank off the top rail but missed the object ball completely. With ball in hand, Morris ran out to go 6-5 ahead.

There was a ball on the break for Morris but he missed a bank on the 2 ball. Pagulayan overran the cue ball going from 3 to 5 but rescued the situation with a good pot and he cleared the table to level things at 6-6.

A good quality snooker from Pagulayan forced Morris to play a two rail kick but he missed the 1 ball entirely. Pagulayan spurned his ball in hand opportunity as he missed a pot on the pink 4 but Morris missed a 4/8 combo himself and Pagulayan ran out to reach the hill at 7-6.

Pagulayan pushed out in the next and the two players exchanged safeties before Morris jumped the 1 ball into the centre pocket. The 2 ball wasn’t available so he played a safe. Pagulayan went for the bank but fluked the 5 ball, landing perfectly on the blue 2.

From there he ran the remaining balls to book his semi-final spot.

2008 World Pool Masters Site Starts Today

Matchroom Sport is delighted to announce that www.worldpoolmasters.com , the Official Online Home of the PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters, is now live.

With the tournament being held for the first time ever in Las Vegas, the site will be your first port of call for news, player profiles, results, stories and pictures of what promises to be a hugely exciting event featuring some of the world’s top players.

Four World 9-ball Champions – Daryl Peach, Mika Immonen, Ralf Souquet, Alex Pagulayan – will be taking part in the event as well as some of the biggest names in the game, including Shane Van Boening, Francisco Bustamante, Niels Feijen and Corey Deuel.

All will be vying for the $20,000 top prize.

The World Pool Masters will be taking place at the Riviera Hotel and Casino from Thursday 9th to Sunday 11th May with afternoon and evening sessions daily, concluding with the final scheduled to commence around 9.15pm on Sunday evening.

www.worldpoolmasters.com will feature exclusive interviews with the stars who make up the field as well as comments and predictions from the big names of world pool.

Bookmark www.worldpoolmasters.com today for full details and information about the 16th annual running of one of pool’s most prestigious events.

Pagulayan Wins Magnificent 7 Title

Former world champion Alex Pagulayan out-steadied Joven Bustamante in their race to 100 finals showdown to rule the Magnificent 7 Winner-Take-All 9-Ball Invitational second qualifier Saturday night at the Bravio Sports and Resto Lounge in Mandaue City.

Pagulayan came back from a six-rack deficit at the start of the match to fashion out a 100-91 decision en route to pocketing the P300,000 top purse and booking a slot to the grand finals of this series organized by Hilton Professional Cues and Bravio Sports and Resto Lounge and supported by the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines with Fundador, Cebu Rajah Hotel, Sunstar, and Monster Radio BT105 as sponsors.

“It feels good to win this tournament, especially when you’re up against a field with world-class players and a couple of young stars,” said the 28-year-old World Pool Championship titlist in 2004, who also won the World Pool Masters last month.

“This victory also kind of boosted my confidence, which I need coming back here in the next couple of weeks for the Manny Villar Cup, which is my next target,” added Pagulayan.

Pagulayan and Bustamante made it to the finals after emerging as the top two players with the most number of racks won after the round-robin elimination. Bustamante, who won all his matches, came in with a 78-rack aggregate, while Pagulayan had 72, despite losing two matches.

But after Bustamante won the opening rack of the championship round, it was all Pagulayan show, as he took advantage of the former’s inconsistent break, while holding for his own to take away the fight and become the second winner of this one-of-a-kind event after former Asian Games gold medalist Gandy Valle.

The tournament is the second of a series of winner-take-all competitions leading up to the grand finals slated in December.

It also serves as the preview to the First Senate President Manny Villar Cup Cebu Leg, the biggest pool tournament to be held in the Queen City of the South, on June 20 to 22.

Besides Pagulayan, Bustamante and Valle, the others who competed in this three-day tournament were 2007 World Pool runner-up Roberto Gomez, Cebuano rising stars Marvin Gentapa and JJ Kid, and Mike Hilton.

Final Names added to 2008 World Pool Masters Line-up

The final names have been added to the players’ roster for the forthcoming 2008 PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters which takes place at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas from May 9 to May 11.

Filipino superstars Francisco Bustamante and Alex Pagulayan have confirmed their attendance as well as top-rated Europeans Ralf Souquet (Germany) and Niels Feijen of Holland.

With 16 players in the field competing for a $62,000 prize fund, event promoters Matchroom Sport believe they have assembled the strongest line-up yet in the 16 year history of the event.

“With four World 9 Ball Champions, six US Open Champions and a host of other title-holders in the field, I believe that this will be the toughest ever World Pool Masters,” said Matchroom Sport Chairman Barry Hearn.

“With winner breaks, race to eight matches on the toughest equipment it will take a series of fantastic performances over the three days to lift this prestigious trophy,” he added.

Other recent confirmations include 2001 US Open Champion Corey Deuel and a quartet of stars recently qualified from the Euro Tour.

They are the latest English 9 Ball sensation Mark Gray, Germany’s dangerous Christian Reimering, up-and-coming Italian player Bruno Muratore and 2006 Mosconi Cup player Imran Majid (England).

World Junior Champion, the 18 year-old Ko Pin-Yi of Taiwan cemented his credentials to a Masters spot at the weekend by coming from 14-4 down to beat Dennis Orcollo 15-14 and lift the Brunswick Thailand 9 Ball Open.

Elsewhere, 2003 Masters Champion Tony Drago won the Paris Open at the weekend, his first Euro Tour title, after three losing finals.

2008 World Pool Masters Field:

Daryl Peach (England)
Thomas Engert (Germany)
Mika Immonen (Finland)
Tony Drago (Malta)
Shane Van Boening (USA)
Rodney Morris (USA)
Francisco Bustamante (Philippines)
Alex Pagulayan (Philippines)
Ko Pin-ye (Chinese Taipei)
Niels Feijen (Netherlands)
Ralf Souquet (Germany)
Corey Deuel (USA)
Mark Gray (England)
Christian Reimering (Germany)
Bruno Moratore (Italy)
Imran Majid (England)

2008 Partypoker.net World Pool Masters Announced

The 2008 PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters will be heading to Las Vegas for the first time. A total of 16 of the finest players from around the world will be competing in the event, which will be staged at The Riviera Hotel and Casino from May 9 to May 11.

2007 champion Thomas Engert from Germany will be back to defend his title and will be joined by a host of big names from the sport. Other players confirmed include 2007 World Pool Champion Daryl Peach (England), 2001 World Champion Mika Immonen (Finland), 2007 Mosconi Cup players Tony Drago (Malta), Shane Van Boening and Rodney Morris (both USA) and 2007 World Junior Champion Ko Pin-yi (Chinese Taipei).

Francisco Bustamante and Alex Pagulayan (both Philippines) have also been invited while the leading four players on the Euro Tour rankings after the Paris Open later this month will also qualify with the other players to be announced shortly.

The PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters is now in its 16th year and has grown into one of the biggest and most prestigious Pool competitions in the sport's calendar. This year it will be hosted by the BCA National 8-Ball Championships with the opening matches on Friday, May 9 with the final on Sunday, May 11.

Matchroom Sport spokesman said: "It's fantastic that the event is coming to the USA for the first time. "I'm sure there will be big crowds, lots of excitement and drama and will be a great competition.

"The invite list is taking shape and, through our agreement with the WPA, we take the top four ranked players on the Euro Tour after their next event which finishes on the 24th of this month."

As always, the World Pool Masters will be televised throughout the world in 15 one-hour highlights programmes. There will be a $62,000 prize fund with the winner collecting $20,000.

Tickets will be made available in March on the Playbca.com website, and if any are left, at the Championships. The BCAPL, in conjunction with the Riviera, is working on a seating plan that will accommodate a few hundred spectators.

BCAPL's Mark Griffin added: "Our players love professional action. This is the first time the Masters has been held on U.S. soil and we are honored Matchroom has chosen us.

"It's been a tradition to entertain the thousands of BCA Pool League members who travel the globe to compete in our National 8-Ball Championships. This year will be no different."