Marlon Manalo – Billiards team begins campaign
Marlon Manalo – Led by former double world 9-ball champion Ronnie Alcano, the six-man Philippine team begins its campaign in the 1st World Team Pool Championship this Saturday at the Hannover Exhibition Grounds in Germany. Billiards Snookers Congress of the Philippines chair Yen Makabenta said the all-male team is now in Germany and is ready to compete for the distinction of being the first champion country in the tournament that stakes $400,000 (P19.2 million) total purse. They are already in Germany, Makabenta said Friday. The event uses a point-system patterned after the famous Davis Cup in tennis. Joining Alcano are two-time national pool titlist Lee Vann Corteza, former world no. 1 Dennis Orcollo, former Asian Snooker champion Marlon Manalo, veteran campaigner Warren Kiamco and former All-Japan champion Antonio Lining. I see our team being installed among the Top 10 favored teams in the tournament, BSCP vice president Edgar Acaba, who accompanied the team in Germany, said. The RP team left Manila Thursday via KLM Airlines. Billiards great Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco Bustamante, however, won’t see action as they are currently competing in the United States. The tournament will mark the first time that three disciplines the 8-Ball, the 9-Ball and 10-Ball will all be played at the same time in a single event that is sanctioned by the WPA. The 8-Ball will be played in a Double Scotch format and bears two points for every team. The 9-Ball and 10-Ball match win is equivalent to one point.