Source: Marlon Bernardino, ABS-CBN News
-- Team Philippines is set to battle Norway for a quarter-final berth when the first-ever World Team Cup Championship resumes late Thursday (Manila time) at the Hall 13 Hannover Exhibition Grounds in Hannover, Germany.
The Nationals, led by former World no.1 Dennis Orcollo, WPA 9-ball and 8-ball ruler Ronato Alcano, 2-time National Pool champion Lee Vann Corteza, former snooker champ Marlon Manalo, Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Warren Kiamco, and Japan-based Antonio Lining, got a much needed rest on Wednesday after posting back-to-back victories in the first two rounds over Great Britain II (4-0) and Czech Republic (4-1).
Team Norway, composed of Malvin Bjelland, Vegar Kristiansen, Mats Schjetne and Tommy Wolff, is coming off a win over Iran, 4-1.
They lost their preliminary round match to Great Britain, 5-1, then bounced back to contention by eliminating Aruba, 4-2, in the loser’s brackets.
“If Nationals play correctly, I’m pretty confident they can beat Norway. Huwag lamang silang magiging over confident,” said Bugsy Promotions President Ceferino “Perry” Mariano.
The RP squad is backed up by the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP), Raya Sports, Bugsy Promotions and Negros Billiards Stable (NBS).
“Mahalaga makauna agad sila, cumulative kasi ang score sa tatlong disciplines (9-ball, 8-ball Scotch doubles and 10-ball),” said NBS.
“It’s now win or go home,” said BSCP chairman Florentino “Yen” Makabenta.
The Nationals are now assured of $10,000 (roughly P470,000) for making it to the “Sweet 16”.
The 48-nation tournament, the first of its kind and sanctioned by the World Pool Billiard Association (WPA), has a total purse of $400,000 (roughly P19.2 million) and uses a point-system scoring patterned after the famous Davis Cup of international tennis. The champion team will get $100,000 (roughly P4.7 million).
Thursday, February 4, 2010
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