FILIPINO POOL MAESTRO EFREN "BATA" REYES, defending champion Lee Vann "The Slayer" Corteza and Warren "Warrior" Kiamco lived up to expectations by hurdling their respective rivals at the start of the 40th All Japan Championships 2007 at the Hotel New Archaic Hall in Amagasaki-shi, Hyogo, Japan on Wednesday.
The 53-year-old Reyes playing under the banner of Puyat Sports, the 1999 Cardiff World Pool Champion winner clobbered D. Enami and Y. Morino of Japan, while the 28-year-old Corteza from Negros Billiard Stable (NBS) toppled T. Haraguchi of Japan and 2007 Guinness Asian 9-Ball tour over-all grand finale champion Chang Jung-lin of Taiwan, respectively.
The 38-year-old Kiamco, also from Negros Billiard Stable outplayed K. Suzuki and A. Shiraiwa of Japan to keep Filipino hopes flying high in the event which offers JPY2,000,000 to the champion in this double elimination format according to official website yesterday. The runner-up here gets JPY1,000,000 while 3rd-4th takes on JPY500,000, 5th-8th : JPY250,000 9th-16th : JPY125,000 and 17th-32nd : JPY60,000.
In the next round, Reyes goes up against K. Hirota of Japan, Corteza will test the mettle of 2005 Taiwan World Pool Champion runner-up Kuo Po-cheng of Taiwan, and Kiamco opposite two-time Asian Games 9-ball gold medalist Yang Ching-shun of Taiwan.
Hirota, on the other hand crushed compatriots M. Mizushita and Y. Mori, Kuo blasted Lee Chen-man of Hongkong and T. Yamamoto of Japan while Yang, who beat Dennis Orcollo in their one on one match dubbed as The Riches Game of Asia in Gateway Mall, walloped H. Kato of Japan and Toh Lian Han of Singapore, in order.
Not as fortunate were former World No.1 Francisco "Django" Bustamante and Ramil "Bebeng" Gallego who were relegated to the loser's bracket.
The 43-year-old Bustamante, from Puyat Sports nipped T. Noda of Japan but succumbed to Y. Hisada of Japan in the next round, while Gallego from Negros Billiard Stable beat Au Chi-wai of Hongkong but yielded to Hung Hsiang-wang of Taiwan.
Other cue masters who post back to back wins that includes 1996 WPC winner Ralf Souquet of Germany, 2001 WPC winner Mika Immonen of Finland, 2005 WPC winner Wu Chia-ching, Hui Chan-lu and Chih Hsiang-Chuang of Taiwan, Liu Haitao of China, 2006 Doha Asian games 8-ball gold medalist Satoshi Kawabata and ex-WPC champ Kunihiko Takahashi of Japan among others.
(Report from MARLON BERNARDINO)
MARK MENDOZA VYING IN WORLD JUNIOR POOL TILT
MANILA, PHILIPPINES---CURRENT National Junior champion Mark Aristotle "Big Mac" Mendoza takes on an elite field when he joins the 2007 WPA World Youth 9-Ball for juniors and girls on Nov. 27 to 30 at the Sauerland Stern Hotel in Willingen, Germany.
The 18-year-old Mendoza, member of the rising Negros Billiard Stable (NBS) will be see action against an array of notable cue artists in the 19-year-old and below boys and girls junior tournament where no less than the classy Wu Yu-lun of Taiwan is the three-time defending champion.
"Nakahanda ako. Sana palarin tayo [I'm ready. I hope luck is on my side]," said Mendoza whose stint here is being supported by billiard patron Jonathan Sy, president of the Negros Billiard Stable and Mandaluyong City mayor Benhur Abalos.
Mendoza had previously won exhibition games against top players of Bugsy Promotion last March.
He beat WPA 9-Ball Champion and WPA 8-Ball Champion Ronato "Volcano" Alcano, 15-8, for the top prize of P11,000 and 2007 Battle of Scandinavia 9-ball runner-up Jharome "Pendong" Peña, 13-12, for P5,000 purse in their 10-ball matches, both played in his billiard hall in Hulo, Mandaluyong City. He also beat Carlo "Cool" Biado and fellow teen-ager Mike Takayama also from Bugsy Promotion for P5,000 purse.
The Mandaluyong City shotmaker made waves in the pool world when he dominated the inaugural Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP)-Magnolia Health Tea Philippine Junior Pool Championship last month at the Rizal Memorial Billiards Center in Malate, Manila.
Fondly called "Big Mac" or "Makmak" in the local circuit needed one and half hours to beat Jordan Legaspi of Bocaue, Bulacan, 11-3, in the finals to capture the P50,000 top prize in the event sponsored by San Miguel Corporation.
"Mataas ang morale ko kasi todo suporta sa akin si Sir Jonathan Sy at Mayor Benhur Abalos [My morale is high because of the full support given to me by Mr. Jonathan Sy and Mayor Benhur Abalos]," added Mendoza, referring to the solid support of mayor Benhur and local billiards godfather Jonathan Sy, organizer in the recently concluded $61,400 Negros Oriental 9-Ball Championships in Dumaguete City which topped by Puyat Sports ace Alex "The Lion" Pagulayan.
Accompanying Mark in the tournament is father/coach Ferdinand Mendoza. The Mendoza's and another RP junior representative Renemar "Revo" David are scheduled to leave the country on Saturday at 2:55 pm aboard Qatar Airlines.
The 17-year-old David from Barangay Botocan, Quezon City is an outright seed in the main draw after making it to the quarter-final round in the last year's World Junior edition in Sydney, Australia.
Yen Makabenta, Raya Sports events president and Billiard and Snooker Congress of the Philippines Chairman will follow the RP team on Nov.26 according to elder Mendoza.
Other young cue artists joining the 22 nation boys meet are 2006 Sydney World Junior runner-up Ko Pin-yi and Kui Ming Lin of Taiwan, Ruslan Chinahov and Roman Pruchai of Russia, Yevgen Novosad of Ukraine, Stephen Lammens of Belgium, Marc Bucais and Everette Paul of Canada, Edward Sandjaja Ikhwan of Indonesia, Diego Gomez of Venezuela, Landon Shuffett, Joshua Newman, Christopher Futrell and Richard Barney of the United States, Albin Ouschan of Austria, Xianh Yao of China, Petri Makkonen of Finland, Mathew Lawrenson of Great Britain, Attila Bezdan of Hungrary, Michal Charnecki of Poland, Hao Xiang Han of Hongkong among others. The host country will parade Thomas Luttich, Nico Wehner, Dominic Jentsch, Ramazan Dincer and Fabian Breuer.
The winner of the WPA sanctioned event brings home the gold medal, with the runner-up getting the silver medal and the third placer receive bronze medal. Meanwhile, Filipino-American Mary Rakin will see in action in the distaff side. The Daly City, California based Rakin is the defending World Junior girl's champion.
(Report from MARLON BERNARDINO)
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