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.