Out-of-schooler Alcano ends cue artists? gold medal drought
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 15 Dec 2009
Filipino billiards and snooker artists finally barged into the medal column following Ronnie Alcano?s victory over compatriot Gandy Valle, 7-1, in all-Filipino finale of the men?s 8-Ball singles yesterday in the25th Southeast Asian at the Convention Hall of the Dpon Chan palace in Vientiane.
Alcano, an elementary school dropout and former 9-Ball and 8-Ball world champion, made short work of Valle, who despite the loss felt elated in making up for an earlier upset loss of the more illustrious duo of Efren ?bata? Reyes and Francisco ?Django? Bustamante in the doubles event of the 9-Ball discipline.
Alcano, who learned the game at his early age at Calamba City in Laguna for lack of means to pursue study and Valle, a gold medalist in the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games, made sure there won?t be a repeat of a similar disaster met by Reyes and Bustamante, dispatching their respective semifinal opponents late Sunday to arrange the all-RP showdown.
The 37-year-old Alcano turned back Dechawat Poomjaeng of Thailand, 7-3, while Valle routed Indonesian Ricky Yang, 7-1, in the round of four.
?Pareho kaming masaya. Kahit naman sino sa amin ang manalo OK lang, basta huwag lang makawala na itong gold sa Pilipinas,? Alcano said.
?Maganda talaga ?yung dalawang Pinoy na ang maglalaban sa final dahil wala tayong kakaba-kaba,? said coach Boyet Asonto later.
The 15-man billiards and snooker delegation is expecting to win more medals as reigning women?s world 10-ball titlist Rubilen Amit was still battling defending champion Angeline Ticoal of Indonesia in the 8-ball women?s final at presstime. Also expected to be in the running for gold medals are Dennis Orcollo and Ramil Gallego in the men?s 9-ball singles and Amit and Iris Ranola in the women?s 9-ball singles.
?Bata?, 52, flushing out his misfortunes as he lost to Moh Loon Hong of Malaysia, 3-1, in the preliminary of the English billiard singles, the same fate suffered by 1998 Asiad gold medalist Reynaldo Grandea against Ngyuen Trung Kien of Vietnam, 3-0.
Asonto lamented the twin losses of Reyes, considered as the greatest billiard player of all-time, especially in the 9-ball doubles.
?Medyo nailang sina Bata and Django kasi hindi scotch double (alternate break) ang gamit dito. Free game ang nangyari, kahit sino puwedeng tumira,? he said.
?At tsaka suwerte rin yung kalaban, lahat ng tira pumapasok,? he said, referring to the Thai duo of Nitiwat Kanjanasri and Surathep Phoochalam, who beat Bustamante and Reyes, 7-4, in the quarterfinals.
(Eddie Alinea?s articles also appear in the PHILIPPINE GAZETTE)
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