DAVAO City cue artist Gandy Valle will defend his title when the 2nd Sun.Star Superbalita 9-Ball Mindanao Open Challenge unfurls on November 28 and 29 at the NCCC Mall Bowling, Billiards and Bar (B3) Center.

Valle, the reigning Sun.Star Superbalita 9-Ball Cebu champion, said he is excited to play on his hometown again.

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"I will have to defend my Sun.Star Superbalita 9-Ball crown in Cebu first before I will defend my Davao crown," Valle told this writer in text messages Wednesday.

He said the Cebu cuefest will start on November 13. But the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games gold medalist, however, expects a stiff contest as he defends his two Sun.Star Superbalita titles.

"There's a handful of veteran internationalists competing in Cebu and strong Mindanao players seeing action in Davao. I will do my best to keep my titles," Valle said.

The second edition of the Davao tournament, which is sponsored by NCCC Mall B3 Sports Bar, Victoriano's Place, SkyCable and G.Q.W.E.S.T., offers cash prizes to the top four winners and consolation prizes to remaining quarter-finalists.

Sun.Star Davao Superbalita 9-Ball over-all chairperson Tessie Paña said Wednesday that they are still looking into more partnerships and sponsorships for the event.

"Our preparations are right on schedule. The technical side is being taken cared of by the Davao Billiards Association Inc. (DBAI), prizes have been finalized, and other operation-related tasks have started. DBAI will soon send out invitations to all billiard halls in the region," Paña said.

Paña said the tournament aims to promote the sport of billiards among Mindanaoans and help develop regional talents to become world-class players just like former World No. 1 Dennis Orcollo of Surigao and former World Pool Championship runner-up Roberto Gomez of Zamboanga City along with Valle and bemedaled Southeast Asian (SEA) Games player Lee Vann Corteza of Davao City.

Registration fee is P300 for DBAI members and P600 for non-DBAI members. Participants who will present five Sun.Star and/or Superbalita mastheads can avail of 50 percent discount on registration fees.

Registration for Davao players is set on November 27 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. while out-of-town players' registration is on November 28 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at NCCC Mall B3 Center.

Valle, meanwhile, is also playing as team captain of the Davao Region in the National Villar Cup 9-Ball Tournament set this week.

He will be joined in the team by Meneleo Migellano, Roberto Bermejo, Christopher Alanunay and Manolo Tanasas.