Monday, May 26, 2008 Villar Cup ties up with Sun.Star pool tourney By Jill Beltran
TOP Filipino billiard masters will converge in Cebu as Senate President Manuel "Manny" Villar Jr.'s own pool tournament tied up with Sun.Star SuperBalita 9-ball Challenge, which will open next month.
Villar himself confirmed the collaboration as he was warmly welcomed by Sun.Star officials in a press conference at Bravio Sports Bar in Cebu on May 23.
Both parties decided that the 9-ball tournament of Sun.Star SuperBalita, tagged as the most prestigious billiard tournament in the South, will be the Cebu leg of the legislator's tournament dubbed "Manny Villar Cup Billiards Tournament".
Villar Cup recently had its successful take-off on May 6 to 10 at Starmall Sports Center in Alabang, Muntinlupa.
Akin to Villar Cup in Muntilupa, the Cebu leg will feature the countries top billiard players such of Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) legends Efren "Bata" Reyes and Francisco "Django" Bustamante, two-time world champion Ronnie Alcano, reining national champion Leevan Corteza, 2007 World Pool runner-up Robert Gomez, reigning World Pool Masters champion Alex Pagulayan, and Magnificent Seven champion Gandy Valle.
Registrations for the elementary, high school and Class B divisions are on June 14 to 19, while registration for open division up to finals will be on June 20 to 22.
Over P800,000 cash prizes await the winner of the tournament that will be staged at SM City Cebu.
Villar likewise ties up with the Davao's Sun.Star SuperBalita 9-ball Challenge Billiard Tournament during the province's celebration of Kadayawan Festival in August.
