ONCE again, Manny Pacquiao, the Filipinos’ modern-day hero, provided light to a nation torn apart by bickering in politics and devastated by calamities, pinching-economy and victim of a corrupt system.
The Filipino boxing warrior has once again proved his valor and rewarded the country of yet another worthy performance. Inside the ring, Pacquiao was a sight to behold, ripping punches and combinations that proved to be too much for his Puerto Rican rival to bear.
Pacquiao was in seventh heaven – as he has won his seventh title in seven different weight classes – so as the Filipinos needing a hero in time of distressed.
But what’s the next big thing after Pacquiao?
The entire nation need not to wait for another year to see the People’s Champion climbing the ring and basking in glory.
The World Ten Ball Championship, which the Philippines will be holding for the second straight year, comes in at the perfect place at a perfect time.
Filipinos are thirsting for more and wanting to see more athletes becoming new modern-day heroes and excelling in different fields.
The WTBC will have the biggest gathering of male players around the world, which include the defending champion, the world’s No.1 player, the current money leader, former world champions and champions of different regions.
“What we have right here is the biggest event in billiards,” said Yen Makabenta, president of the organizing Raya Sports and chairman of the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP).
Makabenta is speaking based on facts.
Europe already has a total of 52 players securing seats in the main draw of the WTBC, including defending World Ten Ball champion Darren Appleton of Great Britain, world’s No.1 player Ralf Souquet of Germany, world pool’s money leader Mika Immonen of Finland and former world champions Daryl Peach of Great Britain and Thorsten Hohmann of Germany.
Asia also has a formidable cast from pool powerhouse nations like Chinese-Taipei and the Philippines as well as neighboring countries from Japan, Korea, China, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Middle East.
A total of 12 Filipino players have already secured seats in the main draw of the WTBC led by Jeffrey de Luna, the highest-rated Pinoy player (No.7 in the world) and last year’s surprising semifinalists Demosthenes Pulpul. Other Filipinos entered in the main draw are former world No.1 Dennis Orcullo, double world champion Ronnie Alcano, Warren Kiamco, Marlon Manalo, Lee Van Corteza, Antonio Gabica, former junior champion Jericho Banares, Allan Cuartero, Carlo Biado and Ramil Gallego.
Chinese-Taipei will be led by former World 9-Ball champion Chao Fong Pang, Asian money-game king Yang Ching-Shun, two-time world junior champion Ko Pin Yi, Chnag Yu-Lung, Kuo Po-Cheng, Cheng Tsung-Hua, Lu Hui Chan, Fu Che-Wei and Wang Hung-Hsiang.
The United States will be led by former US Open champion Shane Van Boening, former world champion Johnny Archer, Oscar Dominguez, Shawn Putnam, Stevie Moore, Charlie Bryant, Shaun Wilkie, Corey Deuel and Charlie Williams.
The fact that the Filipinos have a fighting chance to go all the way makes the WTBC even more special for the country.
“All of our top guns are competing,” Makabenta said. “There’s a good chance that we’re going to have another Filipino world champion.”
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Conspicuously missing are several great players like Wu Chia-Ching and our very own Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco “Django” Bustamante.
For some reasons, these players were not able to participate. Wu, a double world champion and Chinese-Taipei’s No.1 player before he was disowned, was suspended by the Asian Pocket Billiards Union for turning his back on his country.
He was reportedly offered a mouth-watering offer by Singapore, but was barred from competing in all World Pool-Billiard Association-sanctioned events. Since he cannot compete, the young cue artist has then concentrated on coaching the Singapore billiards team that will play in the Southeast Asian Games pool tournament this year.
Reyes and Bustamante’s case is different.
Playing under the stable of Putch Puyat, Reyes and Bustamante didn’t express intentions to join the WTBC. They cannot be seeded in the tournament as they are not in the top 32 of the WPA rankings, so the two players’ only chance to make it to the only world pool championship for men this year is to join the qualifying stages.
There were two qualifying stages held in November. The first stage was held early this month where Lee Van Corteza and Carlo Biado won spots in the main draw of the WTBC. The event was significant because it’s the first time in a long players from the stable of Jonathan Sy and Perry Mariano’s Bugsy’s Promotions participated in the tournament. The second is still ongoing (Nov.19-23).
It will be remembered that the two managers had differences with the Billiards Snooker Congress of the Philippines headed by Sebastian Chua and Yen Makabenta, whose group is recognized by the WPA, the world’s governing body of pool.
The warring groups patched up their differences in time for the WTBC to strengthen the Filipinos chances of winning the prestigious crown.
Unfortunately, the Puyat stable didn’t join the bandwagon of making peace with Makabenta’s group and both the legendary cue artists – Reyes and Bustamante – chose not to participate in the major pool event for the second straight year.
As for Alex Pagulayan, well, it seems he has already given up the sport and reportedly found himself a new diversion – playing poker.
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