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.

They will compete for the $40,000 winner purse.

Alcano Leads All-Pinoy Semis in UAE

Top seed Ronnie Alcano racked up two more victories to banner an all-Filipino semifinals in the Knightshot Champions 9-Ball Challenge being held at the exclusive Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

The 35-year-old two-time world champion blasted UAE’s Ismael Yaqoob, 10-5, in the Last 16 before overwhelming another local bet Rotchild, 11-3, in the quarterfinals to move within two wins of winning this weeklong tournament and pocket the $10,000 top purse at stake.

Alcano, who rose to prominence after winning the 2006 World Pool Championship in Manila, is eyeing his first title since ruling the 2007 World 8-Ball tilt in Fujairah.
“I really want to get out of this slump, and I hope that I could do it here,” said the stalwart of Perry Mariano’s star-studded Bugsy Promotions, whose campaign is also supported by the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) and Senate President Manny Villar’s Villards: Tulong sa pagsulong ng Philippine Sports.

Alcano will next face Middle East-based compatriot Alan Cuartero, who made it to the semis after defeating Mohammad Al Hosani, 11-6, in the Last 8.

The other Final Four match pits Negros Billiards Stable’s Ricky Zerna and Jarry Pelayo. Zerna scored one of the tournament’s upsets as he pulled the rug from under former Asian Games gold medalist Gandy Valle with a 11-6 win in their quarterfinals encounter, while Pelayo subdued Mustafa Hasaan, 11-5, to advance and stay in the hunt for the crown.

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).

Alcano seeks title drought end in UAE

Former double world champion Ronnie Alcano returns to the site of his last triumph as he joins Roberto Gomez and Gandy Valle in the hunt for the $10,000 top purse at the start of the Ramadan 9-Ball Invitational Championship starting Wednesday in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.

Alcano has not won a tournament since topping the 2007 World 8-Ball Championship in Fujairah.

“It was there in Fujairah where I last won a title,” said Alcano in Filipino. “So I hope it will also be there where I will start winning again.”

On the other hand, Gomez and Valle hope to capitalize on their recent wins in the Manny Villar Cup.

After a string of runner-up finishes, Gomez won the Villar Cup’s Davao leg last month while Valle ruled the Cebu leg in June.

“I hope to continue the momentum I’ve got from my Villar Cup victory,” said the 29-year-old Gomez, who rose to prominence after his runner-up finish in the 2007 World Pool Championship.

The three Filipinos, whose campaign is supported by the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) and Villards: Tulong sa Pagsulong ng Philippine Sports, were personally invited by the organizers of the five-day event.

“I hope I could win more tournaments before 2008 ends,” said Valle, also the runner-up to Gomez in the Davao Leg.

Gomez, Alcano, Valle launch campaign at Ramadan 9-Ball Challenge

Filipino cue artists Roberto Gomez, Ronnie Alcano and Gandy Valle opens their campaign Tuesday for the Ramadan 9-Ball Invitational Championship in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.

A report on AzBilliards.com said Gomez is hoping to ride on his momentum following his successful stint at the Davao leg of the First Senate President Manny Villar Cup.

“I hope to continue the momentum I’ve got from my Villar Cup victory,” said the 29-year-old Gomez, who rose to prominence with his runner-up finish in the 2007 World Pool Championship.

Like Gomez, Valle is also looking to sustain his good performance this year, which started after ruling the Villar Cup Cebu Leg in June.

“I want this 2008 to become a bounce back year for me, and I hope I could win more tournaments before it ends,” said Valle, who was the runner-up to Gomez in the Villar Cup Davao Leg.

Alcano, on the other hand, will break into the tournament looking to end a long title drought.

The former double world champion has not won a title since reigning in the 2007 World 8-Ball Championship held in Fujairah.

“It was there in Fujairah where I last won a title. So I hope it will also be there where I will start winning again,” said Alcano.

Alcano vs Souquet for the WPC Crown

Ronato Alcano is the 2006 World Pool Champion following a runaway 17-11 victory over Germany ’s Ralf Souquet at the Philippine International in Manila on Sunday night.

The 34-year-old from Calamba, Laguna went into the final as an underdog against the 1996 champion but never looked in trouble as he led throughout the alternate break race-to-17 final.

He now becomes the third Filipino following Efren Reyes in 1999 and Alex Pagulayan in 2004 to hold pool’s most coveted title.

Alcano takes the trophy, the title and with it the $100,000 top prize which will surely change his life forever.

There were scenes of bedlam at the PICC when Alcano completed a 1/9 combination for glory and several thousand people in the arena and watching on the balcony erupted in a show of national pride as one of their own became champion.

For Souquet it was a bitter disappointment as he lost his second WPC final in six years. The game German was magnanimous in defeat as he praised his opponent’s all-round superior play on the day.

Alcano used a precision soft break throughout and it paid dividends time and again as he bagged the wing ball and gained shape to pot the 1 ball into the centre pocket. He consistently ran out the table in an awesome display of the Filipino brand of pool.

Souquet’s luck betrayed him constantly but at times he seemed a little too conservative to gain any momentum.

The Filipino opened up a huge 8-2 lead and from there it was always going to be an uphill struggle for Souquet.

Alcano maintained his lead and the closest the German got was at 14-9 as he won three racks on the spin.

When he needed it, Alcano always had something in reserve – either a stunning pot or a tight safety – and he started to move away from his opponent.

His sole hiccup came in the 25th rack when he buckled on a 9 ball to hand the rack to Souquet. With games in hand though, Alcano took his time and his moment arrived in the 28th rack.

He locked Souquet in a snooker and when Souquet hit the 9 ball first on route to the 1 the scene was set. The balls fell perfectly for Alcano and with ball in hand he executed perfectly the combination shot on the 9 ball for the most illustrious victory of his career.

Alcano very nearly didn’t make it into the knock-out stages of the competition as he got off to the worst possible start in the group stages. Two consecutive defeats left him teetering on the brink but a late win over Holland ’s Marcel Martens saw him scrape through as one of only two players to qualify with a single win.

Unfancied at that stage, Alcano experienced a transformation that saw his play in the single elimination knockout stages go into overdrive.

First he bust up fellow Pinoy Roberto Gomez 10-1 and then came his make-or-break moment as he drew national hero Efren Reyes in the round of 32.

‘Calamba’ rose to the occasion superbly as he quieted the crowd with an excellent 10-7 win. Next up was 2005 runner-up Kuo Po-cheng of Taiwan who fell by the wayside 11-5.

Gunning his way through the top half of the draw was defending champion Wu Chia-ching and Alcano was a big underdog for their main arena quarter-final match. He delivered the goods, however, as he brushed Wu aside by 11-6.

Standing between Alcano and the championship match was unknown Chinese player Li He-wen who had impressed throughout.  It was a tense affair as Alcano prevailed 11-8 to set up the final against Souquet.