BILLIARDS and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) chairman and Raya Sports president Yen Makabenta said 10-ball billiards is the newest craze among local pool players in the country.

That’s the reason the BSCP opted not to exercise its option to host the World Pool Championship (WPC) this year.

“The consensus among the billiards players right now is that there’s no more challenge playing the 9-ball, and the 10-ball is more challenging,” said Makabenta as BSCP inked a five-year franchise of the World Pool Association (WPA) World 10-Ball Pool Championship starting this year.

“Ang laro ngayon ng mga pro billiards player ay 10-ball. As what we did in hosting the World Pool Championship, I think we can develop a world champion in 10-ball,” he added.

Makabenta, BSCP president Ernie Fajardo and WPA president Ian Anderson made an agreement on Friday as both parties signed the contract at the Pantalan Restaurant in Manila.

The contract is renewable for another three years, but the BSCP plans to make the World 10-balls a permanent fixture in the country.

The inaugural World 10-Ball Championship will be held from September 29 to October 5. The BSCP is eyeing the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila as the tournament venue.

If not, according to Makabenta, other possible venues are the World Trade Center in Manila or the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.

Anderson said the country’s successful hosting of the WPC 9-ball event in 2006 and 2007 was one of the reasons the WPA awarded the 10-ball hosting to the Philippines.

Makabenta clarified that pool players from rival Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines are welcome to join the qualifying tournaments here in the country. 

Expected to get slots in the World 10-ball event are BSCP-backed players Antonio Gabica, Marlon Manalo, Leonardo Andam and Jeff de Luna.

As hosts, the country will be given at least four more wild-card slots depending on the number of players who will qualify in different continental federations of the WPA.

For this year, the World 10-ball has a total prize of $400,000 with the winner pocketing $100,0000 (at least P4 million). The last 64 players will receive cash prizes. The event is also open to women pool players.

Super superfeatherweights

IF Manny Pacquiao wins his bout against Juan Manuel Marquez this weekend, March 16 will go down as the most memorable date in Philippine boxing history.

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The Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (Abap) remains steadfast in its target of having four Filipino boxers in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Last year in San Fernando, La Union, fans came in droves anticipating a slam-bang showdown between Kelly Williams and Niño Canaleta in the finals of PBA All-Star Slam-Dunk Contest.

THE Harbour Centre-backed Philippine men’s basketball team is ready to defend its crown in the coming Southeast Asian Basketball Association (Seaba) Club Championship starting April 3 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Michelle Bruzola, University of the East’s fencing queen, was named the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 70 Athlete of the Year seniors division during the league’s awards night Saturday at the Plaza Mayor inside the Santo Tomas U campus.

BILLIARDS and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) chairman and Raya Sports president Yen Makabenta said 10-ball billiards is the newest craze among local pool players in the country.

Iowa 1990-91

Some of us yearn for a simpler and more innocent time.  When things seemed to fit right into a Norman Rockwell painting. When comic books were still referred to as funniest and kids pulled them off the racks inside general merchandise stores with Lucky Strike signs in the background. When right was might and not the other way around.

San Francisco had Barry Bonds. LA has Kobe.

Everywhere else in the land, folks couldn’t understand why all those people in San Francisco were standing and cheering for Bonds.