QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES---BUGSY PROMOTION stalwart Joven "The Shark" Bustamante defeated Negros Billiard Stable (NBS) bet Godofredo "Boy Cotabato" Ducanes, 13-11, in their special 9-ball playoff Saturday night here at the Star Billiards Center in Joy. St, Grace Village, Quezon City.
Thus, the 28-year-old Joven, a distant relative of former world No.1 Francisco "Django" Bustamante, earned the right to play in the World Pool Championships this November, according to BSCP chairman and Raya Sports President Yen Makabenta.
Aside from Makabenta, other witnesses to the play-off game were BSCP president Ernie Fajardo, BSCP treasurer and Brunswick Philippines distributor Sebastian Chua, Perry and Verna Mariano of Bugsy Promotion, Negros Billiard Stable president Jonathan Sy, NBS coach/manager Christopher Palses and professional photographer Ferdinand Arquero, among others.
Filipino Dennis Orcollo who won the 2007 BCA Enjoypool.com in Las Vegas, Nevada gained for Orcollo the outright berth at the World Pool Championships on November 3 to 11 at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City. Because of this win, Orcollo, who was ranked 6th in the 2nd BSCP National Pool Championships, opened a slot at the WPC to be disputed between the 7th and 8th ranked players namely Joven and Godofredo, respectively, according to World 9-ball organizer Makabenta.
Joven, the 2007 Fujairah World 8-ball semi-finalist in United Arab Emirates needed two and half hours to defeat the 52-year-old Ducanes in their race-to-13, alternate break format.
"It is my dream to make it to the main draw of the WPC" said the 2004 Abu Dhabi 8-ball champion fondly called "The Shark" or "The Giant" in the pool world.
Joven surged to a 5-2 commanding lead after Ducanes scratched in the first rack, then followed an 8-4 comfortable lead before taking a close 13-11 match victory.
"Actually, I'm just lucky" added Joven, a member of the star-studded Bugsy Promotion, who is fresh from winning the 2007 4th Annual KIA Motors Korea International Championships in South, Korea recently.
In the Korean 9-ball Open, Joven beat fellow Bugsy ace Carlo "Cool" Biado (7-2) in the semis then subdued Japanese Go Takami (7-3) in the finals to pocket the top prize US$7,000.
According to Joven, a regimen in preparing for his local and international competitions is doing 50 racks a day in the Bugsy's Lair Billiard Hall in Sgt. Esguerra in Quezon City.
Aside from Joven and Django Bustamante, other seeded Filipino players in the main draw of prestigious World Pool Championships are reigning champ Ronato Alcano, 1999 Cardiff WPC ruler Efren "Bata" Reyes, 2004 Taiwan WPC winner Alex Pagulayan, Lee Vann Corteza, Marlon Manalo, Antonio Lining, Rodolfo Luat, Ramil Gallego and Jeffrey de Luna.
(Report from MARLON BERNARDINO)
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