RP POOL BETS POCKETS A SILVER AND BRONZE MEDAL IN THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

RENO, NEVADA – The eight showed its color on Jerico Banares on Wednesday.

Banares twice missed on the black eight during his 8-11 defeat at the hands of Taiwanese Ko Pin-yi in the finals of the World Junior Pool Championship at the Sands Regency Hotel here.

Breaks didn’t go his way – literally and figuratively.

After picking up a win off Ko’s break to level at 5-all, Banares came up empty in each of his next four breaks.

To make matters worse, Banares miscalculated a shot on the black eight for the second time in the match on the 16^th frame.

With Ko on the hill, Banares clustered two racks to pull within 8-10 and breaking. After yet another dry break, Banares got a chance to put more pressure on the defending champion as Ko failed to cover the blue two on his safety shot.

But Banares, again, couldn’t get past No. 8. He bungled a shot on the green six and Ko gamely cleaned up the mess to retain his crown.

“Bilog talaga ang bola,” said Banares. “Ayaw akong paboran sa break ngayon. Mabuti pa sa semis laging may pumapasok sa sargo ko.”

His fine breaking game against Norio Ogawa of Japan in the semifinals resulted to an easy 9-4 victory.

It also avenged the 5-7 loss of Zemonette Oryan to Japanese Konischi Samia in the semifinals of the girls’ division.

Oryan’s defeat was also a hard pill to swallow. She was undefeated heading into the semifinals and the heavy favorite to win it all.

But she fell behind early and her missed shot on the nine-ball sealed her doom on the 12^th. Samia, however, fell to Britanny Bryant of Canada, 8-9, in the finals.

Banares took home the silver medal while Oryan settled for the bronze.

Meanwhile, Jonas Magpantay ended his campaign with an 8-9 loss to Banares in the quarterfinals.

The country’s campaign in the Under-19 tournament is supported by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) headed by it’s chairman Butch Ramirez, Senator Mar Roxas, House Speaker Prospero Nograles, Raya Sports, Star Billiards Center, Philippine Billiards Foundation and the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP).

” The country and our people our proud of you,” said PSC chairman Butch Ramirez back home.

In the Wheelchairs World Championships, Aaron Aragon of the United States beat countryman Charlie Hans, 12-10, to pocket the gold medal.

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO