Billiards: Filipinos finish second in World Team Pool Cup

By Lily O Ramos

MANILA, Feb. 9 (PNA) -- You can't win them all.

That's what happened to the RP billiards team headed by former World 9-ball and 8-ball champion Ronato Alcano, last year International Predator 10-ball ruler Dennis Orcullo, former snooker champion Marlon Manalo, two-time BSCP National Pool title-holder Lee Vann Corteza, Japan based Antonio Lining and Southeast Asian games 9-ball gold medalist Warren Kiamco.

The Filipinos had to settle for second place late Sunday against Great Britain with a runner-up purse of US$ 50,000 in the first-ever World Team Pool Cup Championship held at the Hall 13 Hannover Exhibition Grounds in Hannover, Germany

The British team of reigning World 9-ball champion Daryl Peach, 2008 World Ten-Ball Champion Darren Appleton, Karl Boyes, Mark Gray and Imram Majid received the top prize of US$ 100,000 by using steel nerves for a smashing 4-1 win against the Philippines.

Other losing-semifinalists Greece and Russia, on the other hand, received US$ 30,000 each in the 48-nation tournament, the first of its kind and sanctioned by the World Pool Billiard Association (WPA), with a total purse of US$ 400,000 (roughly P19.2 million) using a point-system scoring patterned after the famous Davis Cup in international tennis.

The Filipinos, with the backing of Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) headed by its president Sebastian "Baste" Chua and its chairman Florentino "Yen" Makabenta, Raya Sports, Bugsy Promotions and Negros Billiards Stable, had a great start with a 6-1 thrashing victory over the Britons in the first game of 8-ball Scotch doubles event.

But the Britons bounced back to win the second game of 8-ball Scotch doubles event, 6-1, to level the count at 1-all in the race-to-4 affair.

Then Gray, Boyes and Appleton, made it 4-1 for Team Great Britain to snatch the over-all championships’ trophy.

Gray downed Lining, 8-2, in the 1st 9-ball game, Boyes edged Corteza, 8-7, in the 2nd 9-ball game and Appleton toppled Orcollo, 7-1, in the 2nd 10-ball game.

Actually, Alcano was already leading 2-1 against Peach in the first 10-ball game but it was halted after Appleton won in the 2nd 10-ball game.

“The RP team did their best but fell short in the finals. Britain just played much better. However, we're proud of our competitors for doing well in the tournament," said Bugsy Promotions president Ceferino “Perry” Mariano, who is also the founder of Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP).

"The RP pool team gives the whole nation something to cheer about and I personally congratulate them for their feat," said Negros Billiards Stable (NBS) president Jonathan “Bacolod” Sy. (PNA)
LDV/LOR