Wednesday, April 30, 2008 Villar Cup Billiards Tournament to open May 6
SENATE President Manuel Villar Jr. on Tuesday announced the holding of the Manny Villar Cup Billiards Tournament (Villar Cup) from May 6 to 10 at the Sportscenter of Starmall Alabang.
Seeing more Filipinos getting international fame in billiards, support for this sport should be encouraged and enhanced, Villar said, referring to the likes of world renowned pool players Efren "Bata" Reyes, Ronnie Alcano, Django Bustamante, Alex Pagulayan, Dennis Orcollo, Lee Van Corteza, Warren Kiamco, Roberto Gomez and Rodolfo Luat, among others.
Villar Cup promises to present a fresh approach to billiards tournament in the country, where the Philippines of first Ring Game champion will emerge, the senator said during Tuesday's press conference.
The press conference was also attended by RP billiard patron Aristeo Puyat, a board director of the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP).
"Billiards now matches the popularity of basketball among Filipinos, especially the youth. Villar Cup is our own little way of encouraging our youth to engage in sports, and move them away from illegal drugs," Villar said.
Villar Cup also features the Search for the New Billiards Idols Sipag at Tiyaga Edition. Working in partnership with BMPAP, hundreds of aspiring cue artists from Cebu, Davao, Tuguegarao, Pangasinan, Bacolod, Quezon, and others are expected to join the search.
The search is an open tournament with a 9-Ball format, double-elimination to Last 32, single elimination from then on. Race to 7 wins. Prize at stake is more than P1.2 million.
Villar said among the most awaited parts of the tournament is the Elite Professional Group, which will be played by the country's best pool players and a chance to play with the professionals. (Press release)
