Django continues to win pool tournaments in the United States

Filipino pool legend Francisco 'Django' Bustamante added another crown to his already huge collection after grabbing the title in the just ended 4th Annual Chet Itow Memorial last March 9 to 10 at the California Billiard Club Mountain View, California, USA.

The top player of sportsman/businessman Aristeo "Putch" Puyat of Puyat Sports bested Scotland's Jayson Shaw in the finals to finished undefeated in the 109 player's field. The 49-year-old Tarlac native started playing billiards seriously when he was 12 years old, went home the top prize of $US 2,500 while Shaw pocketed the runner-up purse of $US 1,600.

"Shaw opened the potential double-set finals with two quick racks; he and Bustamante both playing as though they were late for a bus. Bustamante got on the board, and Shaw took advantage of an unforced error to regain his two-rack lead. Bustamante used a carom shot to drop the 9-ball early in the fifth rack, and pull back within one, but he made another unforced error in the sixth rack to return the two-game lead to Shaw at 4-2.

Shaw didn't know it as the balls spread out in rack seven, but it was over. Bustamante put together a title-earning six-pack that included a 3-9 bank combination that finished it, in less than 45 minutes." according toAZBilliards.com report yesterday.

Santos "The Saint" Sambajon finished in tie for 7th to 8th place with American Bobby Alexander while Ronato "Volcano" Alcano and Deomark Alpajora was landed at 9th to 12th placer. Warren "Warrior" Kiamco and Ray Campana joined 13th to 16th placer.

Bustamante, Alcano and Kiamco are members of the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP).      -Marlon Bernardino-

BMPAP BET DENNIS ORCOLLO WINS AGAIN IN US POOL CIRCUIT

FILIPINO Dennis "Robocop" Orcollo cemented his status as one of the Philippines' elite sportsmen by topping Scotland's Jayson Shaw, 13-3, in the final to win the 17th Jay Swanson Memorial 9 Ball Tournament was held at Hard Times Billiards in Bellflower, Los Angeles, California on Friday (Thursday night in US Time). 

With his latest feat, Orcollo, top player of Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) received the champion's purse of $3,000 while Shaw pocketed the runner-up purse of $1,500. Rodney "The Rocket" Morris settled $1,000 for third place.

"Dennis (Orcollo) is now dedicated and dependable Pinoy cue artist. Without him we have already lost our dominance in the sports of billiards," said long-time benefactor sportsman/businessman Ceferino "Perry" Mariano, top honcho of Bugsy International Promotions.

Orcollo found his way to the hot seat match by beating Oscar Domniguez of Mexico and Morris.He bested Shaw in the hot seat match to advance in the final. Shaw arranged a rematch with Orcollo by crushing Morris for the last final berth.

"I want to show through my actions that athletic excellence can be achieved with dedication, hard work and support," said Orcollo, the 2011 PSA Athlete of the Year and a 2011 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist.

It is the third major title of the year for the Surigaonon, who in January 25 to February 2, won the 2013 Derby City Classic Bigfoot 10-Ball Challenge at the Horseshoe Casino and Hotel

Elizabeth, Indiana, when he beat Niels "The Terminator" Feijen of the Netherlands in the final for the top prize of $20,000 and the 2013 US Bar Table Championships Men's 10-Ball at the Grand Sierra Resort & Casino in Reno, Nevada last February 25 when he toppled American Corey Deuel for the 1st prize of $4,550. Orcollo will be representing the country in the 2013 World Games billiards competition scheduled on July 25 to August 4 in Cali , Colombia. -Marlon Bernardino-

'Django' Bustamante is billiards' top earner for February

Filipino pool maestro Francisco 'Django' Bustamante is billiards' top money winner for the month of Ferbruary 2013, according to www.azbilliards.com.

The 49-year-old Bustamante, the top player of businessman/ sportsman Aristeo 'Putch' Puyat took the top spot after his magnificent performance at the start of the year of the Snake.

The Tarlac native Bustamante has already accumulated $38,000 in earnings after winning the 2013 Derby City Classic Master of the Table (1st place, $20,000), 2013 Derby City Classic Banks Division (1st place, $10,000), 2013 Derby City Classic One Pocket Division (2nd place, $6,000) and 2013 Derby City Classic 9-Ball Division (6th place, $2,000) held last January 25 to February 2, 2013 at the Horseshoe Casino and Hotel

Elizabeth, Indiana, USA.

Dennis "Robocop" Orcollo, currently World No.2 in the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) ranking list, on the other hand came in 2nd with total earnings of $22,000 while Alex "The Lion" Pagulayan is at 3rd place with $21,250.

The Bislig, Surigao del Sur ace Orcollo, playing under the banner of Perry Mariano's Bugsy International Promotions, income got a major boost from his domination of the 2013 Derby City Classic Bigfoot 10-Ball Challenge where he earned a top purse of $20,000 while the Cabagan, Isabela pride Pagulayan, also playing under the baton of Puyat Sports won the top prize of $16,000 in the 2013 Derby City Classic 9-Ball Division.

Orcollo finished 6th in the 2013 Derby City Classic Banks Division for $800, 9th place in the 2013 Derby City Classic One Pocket Division for $850 and 34th place in the 2013 Derby City Classic 9-Ball Division for $350.

Pagulayan, meantime 3rd in the 2013 Derby City Classic Master of the Table for $2,000, 5th place in the 2013 Derby City Classic Bigfoot 10-Ball Challenge for $2,500, 17th in the 2013 Derby City Classic Banks Division for $400 and 22nd place in the 2013 Derby City Classic One Pocket Division for $350.

Rounding up the Top 10 are No.4 Shane Van Boening (16,350), No.5 Corey Deuel ($13,950), No.6 Niels Feijen ($12,550), No.7 Johnny Archer ($10,650), No.8 Justin Hall ($10,150), No.9 Ga-Young Kim ($10,000) and No.10 Shawn Putnam ($8,800). Ronato "Volcano" Alcano came at No.12 with $7,950 while Warren "Warrior" Kiamco at No.18 with $3,750.

Bustamante, Orcollo, Pagulayan, Alcano and Kiamco are members of the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP).-Marlon Bernardino-

Bustamante is Master of Table; Pagulayan, Orcollo Wins at the Derby City Classic

FILIPINOS have another reason to be proud when it comes to billiards.

Francisco "Django" Bustamante has bagged another crown to add to his collection as he won the Master of Table crown in the 15th Annual Derby City Classic yesterday at the Horseshoe Casino and Hotel in Elizabeth, Indiana, USA.

He won $20,000 for winning the All Around of The Master of the Table Crown, dominated the 9-Ball Banks and settling second in the One Pocket division topped by American Corey Deuel.

Alex 'The Lion' Pagulayan subdued American Shawn Putnam, 9-6, to topped the 9-Ball Division and went home the top prize of $16,000. Dennis 'Robocop' Orcollo completed the Filipino celebration with a win against Niels "Terminator" Feijen of the Netherlands, 11-9, in the "Big Foot" 10-Ball Challenge with $20,000 goes it for the winner.

The triumvirate United States campaign are supported by Puyat Sports, Bugsy International Promotions and Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP).

'DJANGO' BUSTAMANTE WINS DERBY CITY CLASSIC 9-BALL BANKS

Philippine billiards icon Francisco "Django" Bustamante once again scaled the zenith of world billiards after he emerged tournament champion last Sunday in the 15th Annual Derby City Classic 9-ball banks held at the Horseshoe Casino and Hotel in Elizabeth, Indiana, USA.

Bustamante, one of the top players of Puyat Sports, subdued American Justin Hall in the championship match, 5-3, to run away with the title.

Sportsman/businessman Aristeo "Putch" Puyat hailed the victory of Bustamante saying it is proof that Filipino players are at par if not the best in the world.

"Once again our flag has been raised in the foreign land after our kababayan (Francisco) Bustamante won the 15th Derby City Classic 9-ball banks in Indiana, USA," Puyat said.   -Marlon Bernardino-

RJ Bautista wins Tiger Cup 10-ball tour

RJ BAUTISTA cemented his status as one of the Philippines' elite young sportsmen by topping Ibrahim Moharram, 12-10, in the final to win the 2013 Tiger Cup 10-ball tournament at the Star Billiards Center in Grace Village, Quezon City last January 13.

In the semi-final Bautista bested Resty Labastida, 13-6, while Moharram edged Albert Agustin, 13-12, in the tournament hosted by long-time billiards patron Sebastian 'Baste' Chua.

A former top player of St. Mary's and now playing for University of Sto. Tomas, Bautista is now playing under PCSO Bugsy Training Program Academy. He is a product of National Collegiate Billiards League or B-League tournament, a grass roots development billiards tournament in the country.

' It's all hardwork that made RJ Bautista one of the youngest cue masters in the country," said sportsman/businessman Ceferino 'Perry' Mariano, top honcho of Bugsy International Promotions, also the handler of World Champion Dennis Orcollo and Carlo Biado.   -Marlon Bernardino

KIAMCO WINS HOUSTON POOL TITLE

MANILA, Philippines – TWO weeks after Dennis "Robocop" Orcollo ruled the 2012 China Open at the Shanghai Pudong Yuanshen Stadium in Shanghai, China, his bossom buddy Warren "Warrior" Kiamco made his own mark in the United States as he topped the Houston Open at the Legends Billiards League City, Texas last September 28 to 30.

In claiming his overall title in the event, the Pasil, Cebu native Kiamco defeated Danny Lee of the United States, 9-6, in the finals to collect $3,025.00 in prize money.Lee, on the other hand, received the runner-up purse of $2,015.00.

Kiamco and Lee traded racks to an early 2-2 tie, to which Kiamco added two for a slim 4-2 lead. Lee responded with three straight of his own, which gave him an even slimmer 5-4 lead. They traded racks back and forth to a 6-6 tie. Kiamco took the 13th rack, and at a critical juncture in the 14th, Lee attempted a long bank shot late in the game that failed. Kiamco cleaned up and was on the first-set-race-to-9 hill. Lee scratched on the subsequent break, and Kiamco closed it out to win the event title.-Marlon Bernardino-