MARLON MANALO SETS SIGHTS ON IPT CHALLENGE
TAIPEI---AFTER failing to advance in the knock-out stage of the kick off leg 2008 Guinness 9ball tour, 2005 WPA World Pool 3rd placer Marlon Manalo sets sights to redeemed his status as the country's brightest hope when he face American Rodney Morris in a One-on-One winner-take-all $5,000 3rd International Pool Tour (IPT) 8-Ball Challenge on March 4 in Los Angeles, California.
The 31-year-old Manalo, bowed to Aaron Koh of Singapore, 9-6, and 2007 WPA World Junior of Pool Champion Ko Pin-yi, 9-3, respectively in their three-man preliminaries group D stage match last Friday at the Taipei, Gymnasium here.
"Babawi na lamang ako sa US tour ko, talagang minalas tayo sa Guinness tour lalu 'yung laro ko kay Aaron (Koh) dapat 7 all na sana kaso nag mintis ako sa 14th racks," explained Manalo, referring his missed tough right pocket long shot that should possible gave him a 7-all deadlock in the race-to-9, alternate break matches format.
Johnny Archer defeated fellow American Earl Strickland in the 1st IPT match last December while Francisco "Django" Bustamante crushed another American ace Corey Deuel in the 2 nd IPT match last January.
WORLD CHAMP PAGULAYAN, JEFF, ACTRESS HALILI MOB IN AIRPORT
TAIPEI---FORMER World 9-Ball Champion Alex Pagulayan, 2006 Doha Asian Games 9-Ball Silver Medallist Jeffrey de Luna and movie actress Katrina Halili, celebrities and famous in their different profession was caught the attention of their crazy fans and mob at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport here on Sunday.
The Filipino fans take a souvenir photos to the triumvirate, as a remembrance to them.
Pagulayan, who just arrived on Manila late Sunday is coming from a Guinness 9ball tour stint which dominated by Chinese-Taipei ace Chang Jun-lin, who beat lone Filipino survivor Joven Bustamante in the finals of in this nation six tour stop held at the Taipei, Gymnasium.
"Nakatutuwa 'yung mga kababayan natin, grabe ang pagmamahal nila sa mga atleta natin lalu na sa pool," said Pagulayan, who is schedule to defend his Japan 9-Ball crown on March 22 in Tokyo, Japan.
De Luna, meanwhile, a quarter-finalist in the Guinness tour added, "Sikat na talaga ang bilyar sa bansa natin,"
Halili on the other hand, who played the role of Angela in the tough Philippine drama "Marimar"also thanks his fans.
"Salamat sa patuloy nilang pagsuporta sa showbiz career ko," said Halili, whose real name is Maria Katrina Irene Halili.
JOVEN BUSTAMANTE VYING 1ST QC OPEN AFTER GUINNESS SOUJURN
TAIPEI---JOVEN BUSTAMANTE, a former house pro in Kuwait take a 7 or 8 days needed rest to prepare his next fight when the P1 million total cash prizes First Quezon City Open 9-Ball tournament gets going on March 12 to 16 in various billiards halls in the country's entertainment capital.
"Stay muna ako dito sa Taipei sa friend ko na si Shipang then balik sa atin (Pilipinas) sa March 10 para sa QC Open 9-Ball," said Bustamante, long distant relative of Django Bustamante. Shipang, a former pool owner in billiard hall in Quezon Avenue hosted the stay of Bustamante in Taiwan.
The 29-year-old Quezon City resident made prominence in the pool world after make it to the semi-finals of 2007 Fujairah WPA World 8-Ball and a quarter-finalists in the 2007 Manila WPA World 9-Ball.
Last Sunday, Joven failed to win his first major tournament after losing his final match to eventual Guinness 9-ball tour champion Taiwanese Chang Jun-lin, 11-5, also the reigning tour's grand champion at the Taipei, Gymnasium.
Joven topped Group A preliminaries match by beating 2004 WPA World Pool runner-up Taiwanese Chang Pei-wei, 9-4, and Alan Tan of Malaysia, 9-6, last Friday.
He beat Ibrahim Bin Amir of Malaysia, 9-7, in the quarter-final round on Saturday and toppled 2007 WPA World Junior of Pool ruler Taiwanese Ko Pin-yi, 9-7, in the semi-final round on Sunday before losing to Chang, 11-5, in the finals to settled runner-up prize of $6,000.
articles contributed by MARLON BERNARDINO
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