Friday, May 23, 2008 Pool players to gather for 'new billiard idol' search By Jill D. Beltran
DOZENS of aspiring cue artists will converge anew to vie for the coveted baton and a lot more when the "Search for the New Billiards Idol" resumes with its seventh leg this weekend at the AMF-Puyat Billiards Center in Cubao, Quezon City.
A press statement said the search will be the final stage of the first season of this twice-a-month series of tournaments organized by the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP). And as promised, the top performers from all the previous legs will be in for a bonus tournament.
The top 16 players who garnered the most ranking points will compete for six slots to the main draw of the First Senate President Manny Villar Cup Billiards Tournament Cebu leg slated from June 20 to 22 at SM City Cebu.
Egie Geronimo, who won the sixth leg earlier this month, will be back to defend the Billiards Idol baton.
He will be challenged by the likes of fellow Bugsy boys Jomar de Ocampo, Mike Takayama, Johann Chua, Patrick Gonzales and Richard Pornelosa; Negros Billiards Stables (NBS)'s Mark Mendoza and Panfilo Damuag; and FGR Stable's William Millares and Joey Pardales.
A total pot of P20,000, including the top prize of P10,000, will be up for grabs in this tournament supported by Bugsy Promotions of businessman Perry Mariano, NBS of Jonathan Sy and Puyat Sports of billiards godfather Aristeo "Putch" Puyat.
The runner-up will get P5,000, while the two losing semifinalist will receive P2,500 each.
"With the success of this first season, we at the BMPAP have decided to make the succeeding seasons of Billiards Idol a nationwide event as we will hold our next legs in the provinces," said BMPAP secretary general Gandy Valle, who is also the tournament director of this event sponsored by the Association of Club, Karaoke and Disco Operators (Ackdo).
Among the places the Billiards Idol will visit are Davao, Bacolod, Tuguegarao, Cebu, and General Santos City.
The tournament is open to all cue artists except those who are already in the so-called "Class O" or all-star level at a token entry fee of only P200.
The tournament will start at 12 noon, and for further details, contact Valle at 0916-9589897, Edwin Reyes at 0926-7249055 or Jojo Santos at 0915-700800.
