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RENO, NEVADA: Jerico Bañares and Ko Pin-yi didn’t waste time to
size each other up in the World Pool Billiard Association (WPA)
Junior World Pool Championship at the Sands Regency Hotel here.
Bañares, the reigning national junior champion,
and Ko, the defending world junior champion from Chinese Taipei,
sparred during practice on Monday and immediately showed why they
are tipped to go deep in the tournament.
Both players traded run outs in their turns at
the table to the delight of the spectators and people from the
organizing Billiards Congress of America.
But they may have to wait until the final day to
see Bañares and Ko play on the same table on tournament setting.
Bañares, who will face Roman Pruchai of Russia
in the opening round, and Ko, who will open his title-retention bid
against Marc Bucais of Canada, fall on the opposite sides of the
draw.
Unless one of them loses early in the
double-elimination tournament, they will end up meeting in the
finals.
“Mas maganda na rin ‘yung sa dulo na natin
makaharap ‘yung magaling,” said Bañares, who will next face the
winner between Aloysius Yapp of Singapore and Nick Para of New
Zealand.
Jonas Magpantay, the 14-year-old from Bansud,
Oriental Mindoro, will make his debut on the world stage opposite
local bet Austin Murphy on Tuesday.
In the distaff side, Zemonette Oryan will also
make her first international appearance on the opening day against
Michelle Yap of Singapore.
Oryan, the reigning national women’s champion,
is the first Filipina to play in the event for Under-19 players.
The country’s campaign in the tournament is
supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Billiards and
Snooker Congress of the Philippines.
-- Noli Cruz
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