Tuesday, November 27, 2007 Villones tops Celebrity Restaurant 9-ball billiards
ROMAR Villones emerged as champion of the monthly Celebrity Restaurant Grill Billiard & Bar 9-ball handicapping tournament held last November 22-27 at the Celebrity Restaurant Grill, Billiard & Bar located along Burgos Street near YMCA in Bacolod City.
The second to eighth place finishers were Erwin Catedrilla, Rolando Anayem, Rickenly Delgado, Mica Claveria, Jonathan Cuyno, Mark Nicavera and James Caro.
On hand to hand out the trophies and prizes during the awarding ceremonies last November 27 were tournament organizer-businessman and sports patron Jonathan Sy together with Games and Amusements Board (GAB) commissioner Juan Ramon 'Monju' Guanzon, newly-appointed GAB consultant Vic Tan and Boy Parroco of the GAB office in Bacolod City.
Sy, the man behind the success of the Negros Billiards Stable in Dumaguete City, said he intends to push for a sustained billiards development program in Bacolod City mainly through the monthly handicapping tournament at Celebrity Restaurant Grill Billiard & Bar.
The event is intended to discover more young and promising billiards talents in the city who need exposure to tournaments in preparation for big-time competition in the international level.
Guanzon lauded Sy for his vision of discovering billiards talents from the grassroots, saying "this is the kind of program that needs to be supported by everyone since it will lead to the discovery of more future Filipino international billiards champions in the tradition of Efren 'Bata' Reyes, Francisco 'Django' Bustamante, and Alex 'the Lion' Pagulayan among others."
Another Bacoleño, Ramil "Bebeng" Gallego, who plays under the Negros Billiards Stable of Sy, lost in the finals of the recent international 9-ball tournament in Dumaguete City to eventual champion Pagulayan who is a former World Pool and US Open champion.
"Billiards is surely an event where Bacoleños and Negrenses can excel and I urge all billiards enthusiasts in Bacolod to join the next Celebrity Grill handicapping tournament and other future promotions," Guanzon said.
The next handicapping event at Celebrity Restaurant, Grill, Billiard & Bar is scheduled on December 27-30. (HRV)
