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WORLD
No.1 Dennis Orcollo trounced No. 2 Niels Feijen of the
Netherlands, 13-5, in the finals to crown himself
champion of the 2008 Qatar International Open 9-Ball
Championship Saturday night at the Qatar Billiards and
Snooker Federation in Doha.
It was
Orcollo’s third title this year after the Quezon City
9-Ball Championship and the All-Japan Open in March,
fortifying his tag as the best and most fearsome cue
artist in the planet today.
“Masayang-masaya
ako sa pagkapanalo kong ito, at ang tagumpay kong ito ay
iniaalay ko sa lahat ng ating mga kababayang Pilipino,”
said Orcollo, a stalwart of the star-studded Bugsy
Promotions and one of the 12 Billiards Managers and
Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) members
who competed in the $150,000 (P6.75-million) tournament.
The
29-year-old Surigao del Sur native, whose campaign was
also supported by Senate President Manny Villar’s
Villards: Tulong sa Pagsulong ng Philippine Sports,
pocketed the $40,000 (P1.8-million) top purse at stake
in the weeklong event participated in by over a hundred
of the world’s top players.
“Nagpapasalamat
ako sa lahat ng sumuporta sa amin, lalo na kay
Senator Villar, na ang kanyang ginagawang
Villar Cup ay nagbibigay sa amin ng pagkakataon para
mahasa ang aming talento,” added Orcollo, who was
the runner-up in the recently concluded Villar Cup Cebu
Leg.
Villar,
who has become the biggest benefactor of the sport,
congratulated Orcollo for the feat.
“I
congratulate Dennis Orcollo for winning the Qatar 9-Ball
Championship. His victory showed to the whole world once
again the greatness of the Filipino talent,” said Villar.
“Only a
few days after the celebrated win of Manny Pacquiao as
the new lightweight champ, Filipinos continue to harvest
recognition in the international scene. This piece of
good news is a welcome break from the daily
pronouncements of rising food and fuel prices,” the
Senate President added.
Seeded
for being the world’s top-ranked player, Orcollo is one
of the 18 Filipinos in the 96-man main draw. He swept
his group-stage matches against Subah Habib of Bharain
(9-1) and Darren Appleton of England (9-6) to easily
barge into the knockout stage.
He
blasted former world champion Oliver Ortmann (11-6) in
the Last 32 and countrymen Warren Kiamco (11-6) in the
Last 16 and Ramil Gallego (11-9) in the quarterfinals
and reigning world 8-ball champion Ralf Souquet of
Germany (11-8) in the semifinals.
Against
Feijen, Orcollo romped off to a blazing start, quickly
building an 8-3 lead to set the tone for a rout, unusual
for a title match.
Pagulayan moved into the Last 8 by trouncing 2007 World
Pool runner-up Roberto Gomez, 11-6. His lost to Souquet
denied the Philippines from having a sure finalist.
The
other Filipinos who competed in the tournament were
BMPAP’s former world titlists Efren “Bata” Reyes, Alex
Pagulayan and Ronnie Alcano, former world No. 1
Francisco “Django” Bustamante, 2007 World Pool runner-up
Roberto Gomez, Villar Cup Cebu Leg winner Gandy Valle,
Joven Bustamante Lee Van Corteza and Benjie Guevarra, as
well as Marlon Manalo, Antonio Gabica, Jeff de Luna, and
Middle East-based Alan Cuartero, Joyme Vicente and Ruben
Cuna. |
