JONAS WINS; ELIUD MAGPANTAY FALTERS IN RP JUNIOR OF POOL

2006 Sydney (Australia) edition for boys: Rene Mar David, quarterfinalist
2007 Willengen (Germany) edition for boys: Rene Mar David and Mark Mendoza failed to advance in the knockout stage
2008 Reno (USA) edition for boys: Silver Medallist Jerico Banares, runner-up ; Jonas Magpantay, quarterfinalist
2008 Reno (USA) edition for girls: Bronze Medallist Zemonette Oryan, semifinalists

JONAS Magpantay scored two consecutive racks to remain unbeaten, however elder brother Eliud Magpantay
already booted out in the 3rd Philippine Juniors Pool Championship gets underway at the famous Star Billiards Center No.46 Joy St., Grace Village in Quezon City on Sunday.

The 15-year-old Jonas, who honed his skill under the tutelage of top PNP player Alex Nobleza, defeated Edwin Gamas, 9-6, and Jeffrey Diaz, 9-3,respectively,  for his fourth straight wins in as many rounds.
” Sana muling pumabor sa akin ang bola, “said Magpantay, the 2008 Reno WPA JUnior’s 9-Ball quarterfinalist, who earlier beat Eriz Jusayan, 9-4, and Ricky Puro, 9-6, respectively.

The 17-year-old Eliud, a sophomore pupil of Baybayin National High School

in Rosario, Batangas, on the other hand bowed to John Carlo Cerna, 9-2, and Ricky Puro, 9-3, in order.
Jonas, a freshman pupil of Ponciano Bernardo High School will square off with Jestoni Magadia in the next round, who brought downed Zedric Schneider, 9-1,
Romniel Morta, 9-6,Jhon L.A. Garde, 9-6, and Diondel Raga, 9-4.

Zoren Bantayan and John Carlo Cerna hurdle their respective rivals to remain in the winning column. They will clash each other in the fifth round of winners brackets.Bantayan bested Louie Barrameda, 9-6, Rexper Garma, 9-3, Dan Neilo Zambrano, 9-5, and John Paul Serdan, 9-6, while Cerna outplayed Jonel Vacunawa, 9-1,Hushley Jusayan, 9-5, Eliud Magpantay, 9-2, and Mark Rodriguez,9-8.

Still alive in thew losers’ brackets were John Paul Serdan, Raymund Eborda, Ricky Puro and Ken Escano.
The three-day event (Friday to Sunday), organized by the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) headed by president Sebastian “Baste” Chua and chairman Florentino “Yen” Makabenta.

The champion here will get the lion share of P50,000 prize money, and earn the right to represent the country in this year’s WPA Junior’s World 9-Ball Championships on November 4 to 8 in Managua, Nicaragua plus a slot in the 2009 WPA World Ten Ball Championships on November 21 to 29 in Cebu City.

In the last year’s Reno WPA Junior’s World 9-Ball, Jonas beat Austin Murphy, the 2008 US Junior (19 years old) champion, 9-8, but bowed to compatriot Jerico Banares, 9-8, in the quarterfinal round. Banares, the 2008 RP Junior of Pool champion lost to Taiwanese Ko Pin-yi in the finals for the gold medal.

In the distaff side, 2008 RP Junior of Pool girls champion Zemonette Oryan yielded to Konischia Samia of Japan in the semifinal match. Britanny Bryant of Canada won the gold medal by edging Samia, 9-8, in the finals.

The Reno event attracted a total of 22 countries on account of 33 player boy’s and 18 player girl’s.

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO.