Alex Pagulayan Shoots for Second World Pool Title

A major pool championship event is taking place on May 8-10 at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada featuring defending world pool champion Alex Pagulayan

of the Philippines.

Filipino cue master Alex Pagulayan is set to defend his world pool title on May 8-10 at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Last year, Pagulayan won over Mika Imonen of Finland to capture the world pool championship title. He is the second Filipino to win the prestigious title after his friend Dyango Bustamante won the title in 1998.

‘It’s one of the tournaments I’m always looking forward to be part of. For me, winning this tournament is like is like winning the world championship’ said the 30 year old cue artist.

Another popular Filipino cue artist Dennis Orcollo will also compete in the event which offers a whopping $66,000 total cash prize including the champion’s purse of $20,000.00, according to a report by Manila Times.

The popular Filipino cue artist who is based in Canada is competing with the world’s top cue artists including Mika Imonen, Darren Appleton and Imran Majib of England, Tony Drago of Malta, Shane Van Boening and Johnny Archer of the United States. and Alain Martel of Canada.

Five-time champion Ralph Souquet of Germany is also seeing action along with Niles Feijen and Nick Van Den Berg of Netherlands, Ruslan Sukanov of Russia. Fu Jianbo of China, Raj Hundal of India and lone female bet Yu Ran Cha of Korea, the report added.

The Philippines is home to two other world-famous cue artists that include Efren Bata (The Magician) Reyes and Ronnie Alcano who were both once world champions.

Pagulayan eyes 2nd Master’s crown

Former world champion Alex Pagulayan will attempt to become the first back-to-back champion of the PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters when competition opens on May 8 at the historic Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“It’s one of the tournament I’m always looking forward to be part of,” said Pagulayan in a report posted on SportsNews.ph.

The 30-year-old Pagulayan is the only second Filipino to win the event organized by Matchroom Sport after Francisco “Django” Bustamante in 1998 and 2001.

“For me winning this tournament is like winning the world championship,” he said.

Joining him in representing the Philippines is former world no.1 Dennis Orcollo.

“It’s an honor to be chosen to play in that tournament, and I will do my best to win it and once again make our country proud,” said Orcollo.

The tournament, which will run up to May 10, has a total of $66,000 at stake including the champion’s purse of $20,000.

Besides Pagulayan and Orcollo, the other players seeing action are Immonen, World 10-Ball champion Darren Appleton and Imran Majid of England, Tony Drago of Malta, Shane Van Boening and Johnny Archer of the US, Alain Martel of Canada, five-time champion Ralf Souquet of Germany, Niels Feijen and Nick van den Berg of the Netherlands, Ruslan Chinakov of Russia, Fu Jianbo of China, Raj Hundal of India and lone female bet Yu Ran Cha of Korea.

Pagulayan, Orcollo banner 2009 World Pool Masters field

Former world 9-ball champion Alex “The Lion" Pagulayan

and former World No. 1 Dennis Orcollo will banner the field in the 2009 PartyPoker.net World Pool Masters on May 8-10 in Las Vegas.

According to the event’s promoter, Matchroom Sport, the prestigious event will be held at the historic Riviera Hotel and Casino with 16 of the world’s top cuemasters vying for the $20,000 champion’s purse.

Pagulayan will seek to defend the Masters title which he won last year over another ex-world titlist, Mika Immonen of Finland.

Orcollo will try to sustain the top form he has shown in 2008 - a year highlighted by at least six months atop the rankings 1 on wins in four international competitions and a spate of other strong finishes - in the single-elimination tournament.

The Filipino pool stars will contend with the likes of Immonen, five-time Masters champion Ralf Souquet, reigning World 10 Ball Champion Darren Appleton, Challenge of Champions winner and 2007 World Cup titlist Fu Jian-bo of China and 2005 World Pool Masters victor Raj Hundal, now representing India.

Also in the roster are multi-titled Niels Feijen of Holland, Tony Drago of Malta, Nick van den Berg of Holland, Imran Majid of England, Shane Van Boening and Johnny Archer of the US, Alain Martel of Canada, the rising star of the women’s game, 21-year-old Yu Ram Cha of Korea, and teenage sensation Ruslan Chinakhov of Russia.

Pagulayan focused on 2 Ps: perseverance and patience

Alex Pagulayan surely knows how to get on top, he’s been a world champion. And he knows that it takes more than luck to get there.

“Sipag at tiyaga,” quipped the jovial cue artist. “That’s the key.”

“I’ve never won a big tournament on my first try before I won the 2004 World Pool Championship I was the runner-up in 2003, before I won the 2005 US Open I was the runner-up in 2004,” he added.

“It’s never easy to get on top, but it’s not impossible to do if you have those traits perseverance and patience.”

Pagulayan hopes that these qualities would carry him to more victories and he hopes to start 2009 on a high note as he vies in the Sen. Manny Villar Cup Panagbenga leg from February 20 to 22 at the SM City Mall in Baguio City.

The 30-year-old pride of Cabagan, Isabela, competed in three of the five legs last year of this prestigious island-hopping series, presented by Sen. Villar’s Villards: Tulong sa Pagsulong ng Philippine Sports. He failed to win a title with his semifinals finish in the Cebu leg as his best showing.

“I’m preparing hard, as I want to win the Villar Cup and dedicate it to Senator Villar, whom we Filipino billiards players are very thankful to for supporting our sport. Wala kaming maisusukli sa kanya but to play our best every time.”

To win the Villar Cup, one has to play his best against the field studded with a mix of world-class veterans and a crop of promising upstarts.

Besides Pagulayan, other marquee players competing in the tournament, sponsored by Camella Communities, are Efren “Bata” Reyes, Ronnie Alcano, Francisco “Django” Bustamante, Dennis Orcollo, Lee Van Corteza, Antonio Lining, and last year’s leg winners Warren Kiamco (Alabang), Gandy Valle (Cebu), Ramil Gallego (Bulacan), Roberto Gomez (Davao) and Rodolfo Luat (Bacolod).

Also making it to the 32-man main draw are 10 players from the BMPAP rankings in Carlo Biado, Russian Petiza, William Millares, Benjie Guevarra, Michael Feliciano, Elmer Haya, Egie Geronimo, Ricky Zerna, Godofredo Ducanes and Rene Mar David, as well as 2008 Search for the New Billiards Idol grand winner Mike Takayama.

The BMPAP also awarded the two wild card slots to top Filipina player Rubilen Amit and Canadian Gerry Watson.

The remaining six slots will be filled through as qualifying tournament slated on February 17 and 18 at the Bowling Inn in Taft Avenue , Manila .

Billiards Events Set for Vegas

World Pool Masters and International 10-Ball Championships Set to Rock the Riviera

The BCA Pool League is proud to announce the return of two of the most prestigious professional events to the Riviera Hotel and Casino May 2009. The 17th Party Poker.net World Pool Masters and the 9th Annual Predator 10-Ball Championship will be in the Royale Pavilion once again along side the BCAPL National 8-Ball Championships.

The World Pool Masters, one of the most revered invitational events with a limited field of 16 players is produced by Matchroom Sport and will take center stage first at the Royale Pavilion May 8-10. A large supplier of sports programming worldwide, Matchroom Sport also produces other well regarded events such as the Mosconi Cup and the World Cup of Pool in addition to Darts, Fishing, Pokes, Snooker, Boxing, Tenpin and Bowls.

Equally exciting, the Predator 10-Ball Championship produced by Dragon Promotions will move into the pavilion May 11-16. The tournament boasts a roster of the top pool talent from across the globe. Last year’s winner Tony Drago of Malta, considered one of the fastest players in the world, will have an opportunity to defend his 2008 title. Once again he will have to face players such as Shane Van Boening, Mika Immonen, Johnny Archer, Francisco Bustamante, John Schmidt, Efren Reyes and the 2008 World Pool Masters winner Alex Pagulayan just to name a few of the illustrious names who will be in attendance.

Watch for links on the BCA Pool League web site at Playbca.com for more information and tickets to the professional events. For more information about Matchroom Sport and the World Pool Masters please visit Matchroomsport.com and for the Predator 10-Ball Championship visit Dragonpromotions.com.

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World Pool Masters and International 10-Ball Championships Set to Rock the Riviera

The BCA Pool League is proud to announce the return of two of the most prestigious professional events to the Riviera Hotel and Casino May 2009. The 17th Party Poker.net World Pool Masters and the 9th Annual Predator 10-Ball Championship will be in the Royale Pavilion once again along side the BCAPL National 8-Ball Championships.

The World Pool Masters, one of the most revered invitational events with a limited field of 16 players is produced by Matchroom Sport and will take center stage first at the Royale Pavilion May 8-10. A large supplier of sports programming worldwide, Matchroom Sport also produces other well regarded events such as the Mosconi Cup and the World Cup of Pool in addition to Darts, Fishing, Pokes, Snooker, Boxing, Tenpin and Bowls.

Equally exciting, the Predator 10-Ball Championship produced by Dragon Promotions will move into the pavilion May 11-16. The tournament boasts a roster of the top pool talent from across the globe. Last year’s winner Tony Drago of Malta, considered one of the fastest players in the world, will have an opportunity to defend his 2008 title. Once again he will have to face players such as Shane Van Boening, Mika Immonen, Johnny Archer, Francisco Bustamante, John Schmidt, Efren Reyes and the 2008 World Pool Masters winner Alex Pagulayan just to name a few of the illustrious names who will be in attendance.

Reyes, Pagulayan to lead RP team in Japan tourney

MANILA – Philippine billiard wizards led by former World Champions Efren "Bata" Reyes and Alex "The Lion" Pagulayan will head the Filipinos' campaign to the tough Japan Open 9-Ball Championship scheduled on March 21-22 in Tokyo, Japan.

Joining Reyes and Pagulayan is current Japan Champion Eduardo "Tisoy" Saracho, who has gained much confidence in his most recent victory in the land where he now considers home.

Hall of Famer Reyes of Pampanga, the former double world champion, is currently competing in the 2009 Derby City Classic in Louisville, Kentucky, according to a pool report from chess International Master Marlon Bernardino who accompanied the group to the US competition.

"I will do my very best for flag and country in the tough Japan Open, "said the Japan-based Saracho from Dumaguete City.

Other Filipinos competing are Warren Kiamco, Romy Vicente, Lee Vann Corteza, Danilo dela Cruz and Antonio "Nickoy" Lining.

 

PNA

Reyes, Pagulayan, Saracho Leads RP Contingent to Japan Open 9-Ball

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - Former World Champions Efren "Bata" Reyes, Alex "The Lion" Pagulayan and Japan Cup Champion Eduardo "Tisoy" Saracho leads a group of Filipino pool wizards to the tough Japan Open 9-ball slated on March 21 and 22 in Tokyo, Japan.

The hall of famer Reyes, the former double world champion is currently competing in the 2009 Derby City Classic in Louisville, Kentucky.

" I will do my very best for flag and country in the tough Japan Open, "said the Japan-based Saracho, who hails from Dumaguete City.

Other Filipinos competing are Warren Kiamco, Romy Vicente, Lee Vann Corteza, Danilo dela Cruz and Antonio "Nickoy" Lining.

‘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.

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.