“DJANGO” BUSTAMANTE WINS WORLD 9-BALL TITLE IN DOHA; POCKETS $36,000

MANILA, PHILIPPINES—FILIPINO FRANCISCO “DJANGO” BUSTAMANTE is continuing his climb toward greatness after beating Taiwanese “The Little” Monster” Kuo Po-cheng, 13-7, in the finals to rules the just-ended 2010 World Pool Championships (World 9-Ball) at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation hall in Doha, Qatar, early Tuesday morning (Manila time).
” Sa wakas nakumpleto na din ang pagiging bilyarista natin. Lahat kasi ito ang pangarap maging WPA World 9-ball champion,” said the Tarlac City native Bustamante, the pride of Puyat Sports.
“Salamat sa Diyos ito na lang ang missing sa career ni Django (Bustamante),” said Philippine Billiards God Father Aristeo “Putch” Puyat, long-time benefactor of Bustamante, former 8-ball and 9-ball champion 2010 Player of the Decade Efren “Bata” Reyes and 2009 World 10-ball women’s champion Rubilen “Bingkay” Amit.
On the roads to the finals, Bustamante defeated compatriot Antonio “Nickoy” Lining, 11-5, in the semi-final round to arrange a titular showdown with Kuo who brought downed Johnny Archer of the United States, 11-10.
With this feat, Bustamante went home the top prize of $36,000, Kuo settled for a runner-up prize of $18,000 while Lining and Archer didn’t go home empty-handed satisfied $10,000 each for reaching the final four.
This was Django’s fourth championships this after previously being a member of the
winning Team Asia that routed the Team Europe last January 17 in Brunei dubbed as Asia vs Europe Challenge Match.
Other members of Team Asia were Hall of Famer Efren “Bata” Reyes, Hui Chan Lu and Ko Pin-yi of Taiwan and Teo Che Soon of Brunei. Each of them received US$ 5,400 for their effort.
Last March 21, Bustamante defeated Puyat Sports stablemate Reyes for the crown of the 23rd Annual Japan Open — Open Division in Tokyo Japan for the top prize of US$ 16,000.
Bustamante won his third major title this year by winning the inaugural World Professional Billiard League (WPBL) championship in Winnipeg Canada last month.
The sporting event dubbed as Super Series of Billiards held at the Mc Phillips Station Casino saw Bustamante thrash Archer, 5-2 in the finals.
It shall be recalled that the year 2002 was probably the most unforgetable experience for Bustamante, especially considering his experience at the World Pool Championships. While the tournament was still going on in Cardiff, Wales, Bustamante was most shocked when he received a phone call from his wife informing him that his daughter, who was less than a year old, had died. Devastated by this, Bustamante strongly considered forfeiting his contention at the tournament to return to the Philippines . He considered this, but his wife somehow reached him and convinced him that their child would have wanted him to continue the fight.
And he did. In one of the bravest moments that our game has ever witnessed Bustamante took the stage while the crowd around him wept. Word had spread through the morning and the sight of this man continuing the battle after the hand that fate had dealt him was simply stunning. He lost to Strickland that day, but won the hearts of every pool fan in the world. And since that moment we have been waiting, with him, for this.

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO

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Top 16/ Final Ranking and tournament pay outs:
Francisco Bustamante (PHILIPPINES): $36,000
Kuo Po-cheng (Chinese-Taipei) $18,000
Antonio Lining (PHILIPPINES) $10,000
Johnny Archer (USA) $10,000
Ronato Alcano (PHILIPPINES) $6,000
Sandor Tot (Serbia) $6,000
Oliver Medenilla (PHILIPPINES) $6,000
Francisco Felicilda (PHILIPPINES) $6,000
Craig Osborne (Great Britain) $4,000
Christian Reimering (Germany) $4,000
Dimitri Jungo (Switzerland) $4,000
Yang Ching-shun (Chinese-Taipei) $4,000
Marlon Manalo (PHILIPPINES) $4,000
Jason Klatt (Canada) $4,000
Hayato Hijikata (Japan) $4,000
Raymond Faraon (PHILIPPINES) $4,000