Tuesday, April 08, 2008 Timing is all for RP’s cue artists: Corteza
LEE Van Corteza and Gandy Valle said that Filipinos have big chances of winning the first Guinness 9-Ball Tour title after the Taiwanese dominated it for the past two years. All we need is timing.
The reigning national champion Corteza, and the former Asian Games gold medalist Valle, who were both here playing for the Magnificent 7 Invitational 9-Ball Qualifier the other day, said that Filipinos campaigning for the title will have it in due time.
Filipinos only settled for runnerup as best finish after it gained a name in the Guinness 9-Ball two years ago, from its original San Miguel 9-Ball tour where Filipinos dominated the events.
Corteza said “all we need is the right time to have it, but it also needs luck, may laban tayo at malaki ang chance natin against the Taiwanese, paswertehan din lang yan, kung ukol sayo, e para sayo.” (It’s a matter of luck, if it’s meant for you, it will be for you.)
It also needs more exposure. Experience, said Corteza, will make the player get used to pressure.
“Players need more exposure to win, but here you have to create a name first before you can have a sponsor so that you will have more exposure,” said Corteza.
Valle, on the other hand, said that pressure is one of the factors that prevented the Filipino players from vying for the title.
“Pressure is on them since they wanted to win for the first Guinness title, but they will have their time to have it, we have a big chance, just that the Guinness isn’t meant for us now, pana-panahon lang yan pero pag nanalo tayo suno-sunod na yon,” Valle said. He said billiards is seasonal and he thinks local players are still not at their peak to play in the game. (NSM)
