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.

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).

World Cup of Pool 2006

Sport is announcing the first ever PartyPoker.com World Cup of Pool, which will be held at the Newport Centre, Newport, Wales, from Tuesday, August 22 to Sunday, August 27.

The event features 32 two-man teams from around the world and includes some of the sport's greatest players.

Former 9-ball World Champions and longtime rivals Earl Strickland (USA) and Efren Reyes (Philippines) are in the fold. While snooker stars Steve Davis, Tony Drago and Ronnie O'Sullivan will also be joining.

Reyes on QC-RP faces The World

Billiards superstars Efren Reyes and Francisco Bustamante will banner the Philippines’ charge against a selection of top foreign cue artists in the 9-Ball Grand Billiards Showdown Quezon City will host from Dec. 2 to 4 at the Trinoma Mall.

Reyes and Bustamante will lead an eight-man squad against eight equally-talented foreign pool masters in a team tournament where the winning group gets the ,000 (R1,800,000) cash prize.

Reyes and Bustamante will be joined by Alex Pagulayan and Ronnie Alcano, reigning world no.1 Dennis Orcollo, 2007 World Pool runner-up Roberto Gomez, Lee Van Corteza and Warren Kiamco in the dream billiards match dubbed as Quezon City-Philippines vs the World.

"This event will not only showcase the talents our players but promote Quezon City as sports hub of the Philippines," said event organizer and QC Councilor Ariel Inton during yesterday’s formal launching of the tournament at the Mario’s Restaurant in Tomas Morato.

The three-day event, which is a joint project of Inton, Quezon City Sports Tourism Council led by Raffy Chico and Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) headed by Perry Mariano, is aimed at promoting the Quezon City as the billiards destination of the world.

Except for Bustamante, all members of Team Philippines were on hand to display their solid ground against their equally competitive opponents who will be coming to town in the next few months.

The foreign invasion will be spearheaded by Finish Mika Immonem, German Thorsten Hohmann and former European No. 1 Russian Konstantin Stepanov.

Also joining the foreign squad are Americans Charlie Williams and Rodney Morris, Taiwanese Yung Ching Shunand Wu Chia Ching and 2006 Asian Games gold medalist Japanese Sotoshi Kawabata.

Quezon City Mayor Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte and Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista were also in attendance to add glitter to the star-studded gathering which saw the formal unveiling of the logo of the tournament.

"I’m honored to meet our world champions and some of them pa nga ay legendary na tulad in Efren," said Belmonte, who also signed a Memorandum of Agreement that formally accepted the city’s hosting of the event.

"Dito sa Quezon City, tanggap na tanggap ang billiards dahil dito mismo nakatira ang mga billiard players natin," said Belmonte, boasting that reigning World No. 1 Orcullo was a recipient of last year’s Outstanding QC Citizen award.

"Unstoppable ang Quezon City at ang billiards. Hindi na mapi-pigilan ang pag-unlad. We hope to make our city the sports capital," Belmonte said.

For his part, Bautista cited the honor and pride the billiards players bring to the country and even thanked Reyes for his exploits in the past that made the country known to the world of billiards.

BMPAP co-founder Jonathan Sy, BMPAP president Atty. Vic Rodriguez, Solar Sports Vice president for Marketing Jude Torcuato, Quezon City Councilors Toto Medalla and Vincent Belmonte, members of the Quezon City Chamber of Commerce, heads of the Quezon City-Red Cross Chapter were also present.