ORCULLO, MANALO GOT OFF TO A GREAT START IN ASIAD 8-BALL QUALIFYING EVENT

REIGNING International Predator 10-ball champion Dennis “Robocop” Orcullo and former snooker specialist Marlon “Marvelous” Manalo lived up to expectations by hurdling their respective rivals at the start of Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) 8-balls qualification tournament yesterday at the Rizal Memorial Billiards Center in Malate, Manila.

The Bislig, Surigao del Sur ace Orcullo defeated fellow Bugsy Promotions stablemate world champion Ronato “Volcano” Alcano, 9-3, while the pride of Mandaluyong City Manalo edged 2009 World Ten Ball finalist Lee Vann “The Slayer” Corteza, 9-8.

Other notable winners in the 8-ball qualification tournament for the 16th Asian Games set on November 12 to 27 in Guangzhou, China were power-breaker Jeffrey “The Bull” de Luna and giant-killer Mario “Aklan” Tolentino.

De Luna, a silver medalist in the 9-ball competition during the 2006 Doha Asian Games beat Francisco “Django” Bustamante, 9-7, while Tolentino, a habitué of the Star Billiards Center nipped Carlo “Cool” Biado, 9-8.

According to national billiards coach Boyet Asonto, who is tasked to supervise the said Asiad Qualifying event, Manalo goes up against Warren “Warrior” Kiamco in the next round while Tolentino will square off with Filipino billiards maestro Efren “Bata” Reyes.

The 8-balls qualifying event is applying a double-elimination format, race-to-9 using the winner’s break affair. The final round is race-to-11.

Two Bugsy Promotions stalwarts—Roberto “Pinoy Superman” Gomez and Dennis “Robocop” Orcullo already booked their seat in the main draw after topping separate qualifying round.

The 2007 World Pool Championship finalist Gomez defeated fellow Bugsy team mate Orcullo, 13-11, in the finals of 8-ball competition last Monday, while Orcullo, the reigning International Predator 10-ball champion on the other hand edged hall of famer and greatest player of all time Efren “Bata” Reyes in a thrilling 13-12 decision win in the finals of 9-ball competition on Wednesday.

Aside from Gomez and Orcullo, other cue artists in the main draw of 16th Asian Games were Efren “Bata” Reyes (English Billiards), Reynaldo Grandea (Carom), Rodolfo “Boy Samson” Luat (3 Cusion), 2009 World Ten-Ball Champion Rubilen “Bingkay” Amit (9-ball), former US Women’s Open 9-Ball Finalist Irish Ranola (8-ball) and Mary Ann Basas (6-red ball).

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO