RP’s best cue artists test mettle of The World team in QC Invasion

MANILA, Dec. 1 (PNA) – The country’s top cue artists led by Efren “Bata” Reyes will test the mettle of a strong pack of visiting international cue artists in the Q.C. Invasion: Quezon City-Philippines vs. the World Grand VILLARDS Showdown, which starts Tuesday at the Trinoma Mall in Quezon City.

With the Philippines’ reputation as the world’s billiards superpower on the line, the 54-year-old pool icon is expected to once again give his best and steer the home team to triumph in this much-anticipated event presented by Senator Manny Villar’s Villards: Tulong sa Pagsulong ng Philippine Sports, and the Quezon City government led by Mayor Sonny Belmonte and City Council Majority Floor Leader Ariel Inton.

”We have to play 100 percent because this a battle is for our country,” said Reyes who is also known as “The Magician”.

Aside from Reyes, former world champions Alex Pagulayan and Ronnie Alcano, reigning world no. 1 Dennis Orcollo, Francisco “Django” Bustamante, Roberto Gomez, Lee Van Corteza and Warren Kiamco comprise the QC-RP squad in the three-day event sponsored by Camella Communities and also supported by the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) with Solar Sports, RPN-9, the Philippine Star and BusinessMirror as media partners.

”Our opponents are strong but we have also formidable lineup and we are confident we can win this event,” added Reyes, who is coming off a quarterfinals finish in the All-Japan Open last week.

The star-studded Team Quezon City-Philippines will surely have its hands full against the Team World, which also has three former world titlists with the rest of the squad composed of multi-titled veteran internationalists.

Former world champions Mika Immonen of Finland, Thorsten Hohmann of Germany and Wu Chia-ching of Chinese-Taipei banner the visiting forces, which also has reigning World Cup of Pool titleholder Rodney Morris and Charlie Williams of the United States, newly-crowned Guinness 9-Ball Tour grand champion Yang Ching-shun of Chinese-Taipei, Raj Hundal of England and Fu Jianbo of China in the fold.

The two squads will figure in singles, doubles and team events similar to that of the famed Mosconi Cup with the winner receiving $ 40,000 cash prize.

Meanwhile, Inton, the chief proponent of the event, has announced that the Q.C. Invasion will have it second edition in November 2009 with an increased cash prizes.