THE stakes are high for local cue artists as the "Dabawenyo Ko! muBAROG ko!" Open 10-Ball Tournament unfurls on March 10 at The Quinn Spot Sports Bar and Café Billiard Hall in Bo. Obrero, Davao City. With a P200,000 total cash prize up for grabs, excitement is building for this much-anticipated competition.
Exclusive to Davao City residents, the free-registration tournament promises intense matches as players vie for the P200,000 champion’s purse, while the runner-up secures P50,000.
The third and fourth placers will pocket P20,000 and P10,000, respectively. The fifth to eighth placers will receive P2,500 each, while the ninth to 16th placers will take home P1,250 apiece.
The elimination rounds will run for two days, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., before the top eight contenders advance to the finals on March 15, 2025, at Rizal Park, starting at 9 a.m. Players hoping to join the tournament must register before the March 7 deadline at 7 p.m. by contacting Menlee (0954-1625358) or Joy (0947-3625090).
Davao City has a rich history of producing world-class billiards players, including Lee Vann "Van-Van" Corteza and Gandy "Yang-Yang" Valle. Corteza, now based in Manila, is a former multiple Southeast Asian (SEA) Games gold medalist. He recently claimed the 40th Turning Stone Classic title at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York, in January 2025, following his Las Vegas Open championship win last year.
Valle, on the other hand, retired shortly after securing doubles gold in the Asian Games.
Meanwhile, dart enthusiasts are gearing up for the 88th Araw ng Dabaw Open Doubles Dart Tournament, set to take place on March 8, 2025, at Cup Sawi, Veloso St., Bo. Obrero.
Like the billiards event, the darts tournament is open only to Davao City residents and requires no registration fee.
Onsite registration runs from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, with matches kicking off at 1 p.m. Organizers remind participants to wear long pants, a collared t-shirt, and shoes as part of the official dress code.
For inquiries, interested players may contact Noel Anino (0933-8618740) or Jecle Rosales (0920-6325283).
Pulong Pulong ni Pulong is the presenter of the billiards and darts competitions. MLSA