Source: Philippine Star
MANILA, Philippines - Rubilen Amit, who has gotten used to playing against the country’s top male players, yesterday said she’s all set and ready to defend her title in the 2010 Yalin Women’s World 10-Ball Championship.
“I’m ready,” said the 28-year-old winner of last year’s event.
This year, she’s back to defend the crown in the weeklong event that begins today at the Robinsons Galleria in Ortigas. But it’s not going to be easy because of the presence of the world’s best.
Amit won last year’s crown at the expense of two-time champion Liu Shin-Min of Taipei, and rode the momentum of that victory to win the International Mixed Doubles Classic with Efren “Bata” Reyes.
Amit said her chance to play, train and compete with her male counterparts, including the best the country could offer, has helped her cope with the pressure of playing against the best women players.
And this coming week she will once again have the chance to shine.
After this tournament, the double-gold winner in the 2008 Southeast Asian Games in Laos will get ready for the 16th Asian Games scheduled Nov. 12-27 in Guangzhou, China.
The world No. 3 female player will face the challenge of 47 others vying in the $75,000 event.
Already in town for the event are world No. 1 Allison Fisher of England, Jasmin Ouschan of Austria, Ga Young Kim of Korea, former world No.1 Karen Corr of Ireland, reigning Amway World open ruler Yu Ram Cha of Korea, reigning China open winner Tsai Pei Chen of Taiwan and all-Japan champion Han Yu of China.
“It’s going to be a wide-open race for the title and I think everybody has a chance,” said Amit.
The event, which offers $20,000 (roughly P860,000 to the winner), will be aired live over the ABS-CBN and ESPN Star Sports.
“It will be the biggest sporting event for women in the Philippines in 2010,” said Cindy Lee, CEO of the organizing Dragon Promotions.
The event, sponsored by BCN Balls, Leqi Cloth, Crown Plaza Galleria Ortigas, Magic 89.9, The Philippine STAR, Nuvo City, Robinsons Galleria in cooperation with Puyat Sports and Star Billiards Center, is sanctioned by the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA).
In winning last year’s title, Amit joined the elite group of Filipino world champions that include Efren “Bata” Reyes, Alex “The Lion” Pagulayan, Ronato “Volcano” Alcano, and Francisco “Django” Bustamante.
The qualifying round of this year’s event started last Oct. 23 at the Star Billiards in Manila.
Meanwhile, Warren Kiamco lost to Corey Deuel in a thrilling quarterfinal clash, 12-14 and bowed out in the US Open 9-ball Championship won by Darren Appleton in Virginia Saturday.
Appleton, who defeated two-time champion Mika Immonen, 11-9, for the hot seat, beat Deuel, 14-12, to complete a run of nine straight matches to capture the crown.
Source: Marlon Bernardino, ABS-CBN News
-- Former World No. 1 Francisco “Django” Bustamante ruled the inaugural event of the World Professional Billiard League (WPBL) called the Super Series of Billiards at the Mc Phillips Station Casino in Winnipeg, Canada over the weekend.
Bustamante beat Johnny “The Scorpion” Archer of the United States, 5-2, in the finals.
Other invited players in the round-robin format event were Nick Varner, Shane Van Boening, Corey Deuel, Charlie Williams, John Schmidt and Erik Hjorleifson.
The format of the league was set up so that each player of the WPBL played the same amount of games as the other players in the round robin event.
The Top 4 players played races after the round robin. After the super series was over, each player was awarded points that they would carry through the season. Bustamante tallied 60 points.
“Magandang balita ito sa Philippine Billiards. Ang pagkapanalo ni Lee Vann (Corteza) sa Los Angeles at pagkapanalo naman ni Django (Bustamante) sa Canada. Hope maganda ang magiging resulta ng ating top Filipino pool players sa Las Vegas events this weekend,” said RP billiards godfather Aristeo “Putch” Puyat.
Bustamante is one of Puyat’s top players.
The Super Series of Billiards title is Bustamante’s third major title this year.
In March, he beat countryman Efren “Bata” Reyes to win the 23rd Annual Japan Open - Open Division in Tokyo, Japan.
He also won the Asia vs Europe Challenge Match in Brunei last January as part of Team Asia.
Team Asia, which was also composed of Reyes, Hui Chan Lu, Ko Pin-yi of Taiwan and Teo Che Soon, edged Team Europe.
Source: Marlon Bernardino, ABS-CBN News
-- Francisco “Django” Bustamante defeated compatriot Efren “Bata” Reyes, bagging the top prize of the 23rd Japan 9-Ball Open in Tokyo on Sunday.
Bustamante edged Reyes, 9-7, in the all-Filipino final to capture his 2nd Japan 9-Ball Open title. He first won the Japan Open title in 2002.
He captured the top prize of 1.5 million yen (more than P750,000) after clinching his first major title this year.
En route to the final, Bustamante beat fellow Filipino Jeffrey “The Bull” de Luna in the semifinal round while Reyes subdued Japanese Toru Kuribayashi in the other Final 4 match.
“Once again, congratulations Django (Bustamante). You have made every Filipino proud of your triumph,” RP billiards godfather Putch Puyat said of the top player of Puyat Sports.
Other Filipinos who joined the Japan 9-Ball Open were Antonio “Nickoy” Lining, Ramil “Bebeng” Gallego, Frennie Reyes (son of Efren “Bata” Reyes), Warren “Warrior” Kiamco, Roel Esquillo, Renemar David , Cresencio Bariton, Dondon Razalan , Elmer Haya, Lauro Bongay, Valeriano Pajuay, Ronie Aying and Mark Aristotle Mendoza, the 2010 All Kansai 9-Ball Open champion.
More than 400 cue artists from all over the world competed in the annual event.
Aside from Bustamante, other Filipinos who ruled the Japan 9-ball Open are Gallego (2009), Dennis “Robocop” Orcollo (2008), Alex “The Lion” Pagulayan (2007), Lining (2006) and Reyes (2005).
Bustamante’s 2010 Japan Open win comes after his victory at the 2009 All Japan 9-Ball Championship last November.
He prevailed over Lining, 11-7, in Amagasaki-shi, Hyogo and took home 2 million yen (more than P1 million).
