Friday, April 04, 2008 Alcano, Orcollo lead RP's bid to World 8-Ball
FORMER double world champion Ronnie Alcano and current world no.1 Dennis Orcollo will lead the pack of top cue artists in the country to vie for the 2008 World 8-Ball Championship on April 18 to 25 at the Amir Billiards Club in Fujairah City, United Arab Emirates.
Alcano will try to defend the only world crown left in his hands after losing his World 9-Ball diadem last November to Daryl Peach of England while Orcollo is aiming for a world title this year after finishing runner-up to Alcano last year.
The 35-year-old stalwart of Bugsy Promotions of Perry Mariano, Alcano became the only second cue artist to hold the World 8-Ball and World 9-ball at the same time last year after Taiwanese Wu Chia-Ching in 2005, and said that he will try his best to keep the title.
“I will try my best to keep this world 8-ball title. I know it’s going to be a very tough task, but I’ve been preparing hard for this,” Alcano said.
If Alcano wins, he will be the first player to successfully retain a world crown since American Earl Strickland won the first two editions of the World 9-Ball Championship in 1990 and 1991.
Challenge
Orcollo, on the other hand, who is fresh from his back-to-back victory in the Japan 9-Ball Open and the San Miguel Beer-Quezon City 9-Ball Championship last month, said he wants to finally a world title.
“I will do my best to win this world 8-ball so I could finally become a world champion,” said Orcollo.
Alcano and Orcollo will lead the country’s charge in this eight-day event that will gather 64 best cue artists of the world.
Fellow Bugsy boys and members of the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP), 2007 World Pool runner-up Roberto Gomez, former Asian Games gold medalist Gandy Valle and rising star Joven Bustamante will try to join Alcano and Orcollo in the main draw as they will compete in the qualifying tournaments from April 12 to 16.
On the line
On the other hand, pool legend Efren “Bata” Reyes, the inaugural edition champion in 2004, along with Francisco “Django” Bustamante, Alex Pagulayan, Lee Van Corteza, Warren Kiamco, Rodolfo Luat and Ramil Gallego, were also invited but have yet to confirm their participation.
Besides Alcano and Orcollo, the other world-renowned players seeded in the main draw are Wu, Peach, reigning world 10-Ball titlist Shane Van Boening of the United States, and former World Pool champions Ralf Souquet and Oliver Ortmann of Germany.
The field will also have a lone female entry in Jasmin Ouschan of Austria, and a touch of royalty with the participation of Brunei’s Crown Prince Muhtadee Billah. (NSM from/PR)
