TOP POOL STARS HOPES TO END VILLAR CUP DROUGHT

The country’s multi-titled cue artists hope to break the trend of upsets that prevailed in the Senator Manny Villar Cup last year and finally hold the prestigious title that eludes them when the island-hopping series begins its second season with the Panagbenga leg on February 20 to 22 in Baguio City.

Efren “Bata” Reyes, Ronnie Alcano, Alex Pagulayan, Dennis Orcollo and Francisco “Django” Bustamante have been on top of the world, as world champion or world no.1, but none of them was able to hoist the Villar Cup during its five-leg inaugural season.

“Parang world championship din kasi ito. Lahat ng kasali ay may kakayahang manalo,” said Reyes who made it to the finals of the Alabang leg but lost to Warren Kiamco. He was a semifinalist in the Bacolod stop of the event presented by Villards: Tulong sa Pagsulong ng Philippine Sports in partnership with the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines and sponsored by Camella Communities.

“Isa itong Villar Cup sa pinakamahirap na tournament na nasalihan ko, kaya nga pinaghahandaan kong mabuti itong darating na Baguio leg, at gagawin ko lahat para mag-champion dito,” added Orcollo, who was upended by Gandy Valle in titular match of the Cebu leg.

Reyes, Alcano, Pagulayan, Orcollo, Bustamante, Kiamco and Valle are seeded in all Villar Cup legs this year, along with former leg winners Roberto Gomez (Davao leg), Ramil Gallego (Bulacan) and Roberto Luat (Bacolod), as well as Lee Van Corteza, Antonio Lining, Joven Bustamante and 2008 Billards Idol grand champion Mike Takayama.

For this Baguio stop, they will be joined by 10 players from the BMPAP rankings in Carlo Biado, Russian Petiza, William Millares, Benjie Guevarra, Michael Feliciano, Elmer Haya. Egie Geronimo, Ricky Zerna, Godofredo Ducanes and Rene Mar David.

The BMPAP also awarded the two wild card slots to top Filipina player Rubilen Amit and Canadian Gerry Watson.

The remaining six slots will be filled through a qualifying tournament.

The Villar Cup Panagbenga leg will be held in SM City Baguio. It will be part of the city’s month-long flower festival, where over a million visitors are expected to witness.