Manalo et al eye slots in Qatar World Pool
By Marlon Bernardino
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 02 Sep 2013
Manalo.
Manila -- FILIPINO cue masters are ready to face their respective opponents in the qualifying event (Stage 1) of the World 9-Ball Championship which will start on Monday, September 2 at the at the Al Arabi Sports Club in Doha, Qatar.
Marlon Manalo, Roberto Gomez, Ramil Gallego, Johann Chua and Demosthenes Pulpul will try to knock and enter in the first of 12 qualifying rounds wherein only one player is allowed to get in per event.
After a long hiatus, the affable cue artist and chairman of Barangay Malamig in Mandaluyong City, Manalo will go up against Mohannad Al Qomaiz of Kingdom of Saudia Arabia.
?I still believe I can become a world champion,? said Manalo, a many-time winner in the US Pool Circuit and runner-up to Reyes in 2004 World 8-Ball Championship.
"If we're lucky enough in the World Pool Championship in United Arab Emirates and Kaoshiung, Taiwan, I'd win at least one title for us," added the Jose Rizal University (JRU) AB Economics graduate.
"I will pour all that I know in Qatar," said Manalo, who settled for a silver medal in the snooker event by placing second to Bjorn Haneveer of Belgium in the 2001 Akita, Japan World Games.
Fondly called "Marvelous Captain" Manalo captivated the billiard circuit by clustering victories against noted pool sharks Yang Ching-shun of Taiwan and countrymen Efren ?Bata? Reyes and Francisco ?Django? Bustamante in the knockout stage of the World Pool Championship in 2004. The following year, the 2000 Asian Snooker Champion and 2008 National Champion Manalo went all the way to the semifinals of the same event before bowing to eventual champion Wu Chia-ching (Wu Jia-qing).
In other matchups, Gomez will oppose Daren Taylor of Great Britain; Gallego will face Moein Khedr of Iran; Chua versus Mosa Morad of Kuwait and Pulpul against Fahad Jwaied also from Kuwait.
The other noted local cue artists casting their lots in the qualifying are Joven Alba, Joseph Reyes, Joyme Vicente, Mark Cloyd San Pedro, Oliver Medenilla , Raymund Faraon , Benjamin Butterrez, Arman, Mark Antoni, Marlon Villamor, Ricky Puro, Fransisco Diselva and Michael Ybanez.
Pool wizards already seeded in the main draw (stage 2) are Efren "Bata" Reyes, Francisco "Django" Bustamante, Dennis Orcollo, Lee Vann Corteza, Carlo Biado, Jeffrey de Luna, Israel Rota and Antonio Gabica, the national coach of Qatar.
Darren Appleton of Great Britain will make a return to defend his title from stage two onwards and so will the 2012 runner-up Li He-wen of China.
The 2013 World 9-Ball Championship sponsored by Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) and co-sponsors by Simonis (cloth), organized by Qatar Billiards & Snooker Federation (QBSF) and sanctioned by World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) and Asian Pocket Billiard Union (APBU). The 250,000 USD week-long event offers 36,000 USD to the champion with the runner-up place will bring home 18,000 USD. -Marlon Bernardino-
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