TWO-TIME defending champion Francisco "Django" Bustamante is eyeing his third straight national crown when the 4th annual San Miguel Beer (SMB) RP 9-ball Open gets going on Friday, September 14-16.
The venue will be the Decagon Hall in Silvercity Mall, Julia Vargas Ave. Ortigas Center , beside Alchemy and behind SM Shoemart and Tiendesitas near C5.
The payout in this Solar Sports organized event in close cooperation with Puyat Sports will be a total pot prize of Php1.35 million, with the winner taking the top prize of Php500,000 while the runner-up gets Php250,000. The losing semi-finalist will each receive Php100,000.
"Marami nang magagaling ngayon, at sa 9-ball kailangan din ng suwerte. I will just have to play my very best" said back-to-back (2005 and 2006) champion Bustamante, in an exclusive interview with this writer recently at the One Side Pocket billiard hall in Manila. Django is one of the top players of Aristeo "Putch" Puyat, acknowledged God Father of Philippine Billiards.
Joining Bustamante in the main draw for the three-day event sponsored by San Miguel Beer are the other seeded player's namely: Leonardo Didal, Mike Takayama, Ronnie Alcano, Carlo Biado, Marlon Manalo, Lee Vann Corteza, Efren Reyes, Alex Pagulayan, Jose Parica, Dennis Orcollo and Antonio Gabica, the 2004 inauguration winner.
Other Filipino pool sharks who made it to the tournament are the five city-leg qualifiers--- Ricky Zerna, Russian Petiza, Panfilo Damuag and Jundel Mazon (Galleria leg), Gandy Valle, Glendford Autor, Danny Otacan and Jech Jech Limen (Davao leg), Jharome Pena, Roberto Gomez, Rene Cruz and Eduardo Villanueva (Bacolod leg), Joven Bustamante, Johann Chua, Jay Jay Millares and Jeffrey De Luna (Baguio leg) and Warren Kiamco, Michael Feliciano, Eduardo Saracho and Elmer Kalaquian (Ever Gotesco, Commonwealth leg).
Past winners of the SMB 9-Ball Tournament are:
2006: Francisco Bustamante
2005: Francisco Bustamante
2004: Antonio Gabica
(Report from MARLON BERNARDINO)
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