|
THE lucrative Philippine Pool Tour kicks off Tuesday
with the foreign-spiced, $30,000 Mandaluyong Mayor’s Cup 10-ball
championship presented by San Miguel not only dangling attractive
prize money but a slot in the World Championship as well.
German top gun Thorsten Hohmann
and American Johnny Archer, former world 9-ball champs, banner the
foreign charge with reigning Asian Games gold medal winner Antonio
Gabica and Marlon Manalo spearheading the local challenge.
Japanese No. 1 Satoshi Kabawata
is also in the mix like rising homegrown bet Jeffrey de Luna as they
chase the $10,000 (roughly P420,000) winner’s purse and a place in
the main draw of the World tilt set in September.
The Philippine Pool Tour will
have five total legs before the end of the year and it will be
highlighted by the World 10-Ball championship where the biggest
names in the world will be vying for purses bigger than that of the
past two WPC 9-ball tilts here.
Ten-Ball is the emerging sport in
the globe as it makes for more exciting action with the blue-striped
10 protected better to ensure that the power break is utilized more
often and racks are contested longer.
Gabica and De Luna are the
winners of the last two local championships, the San Miguel RP
9-Ball and Manny Pacquiao Invitational, respectively, while Manalo
is a literal hometown bet, being raised in Mandaluyong.
Tournament format calls for
double elimination, meaning, a player would have to lose twice
before getting the boot with second place still worth $4,000 as
prize money until the 32nd placer will be given out.
Action starts at 1:30 p.m. at the
Atrium and Kaban ng Hiyas Auditorium of the Mandaluyong City Hall
after the draw was finalized late Monday.
All eyes, though, are expected to
be on Manalo, the 2005 Reno Open champion and son of Mandaluyong who
is as good as a pool player as he is in snooker.
And of particular interest would
be a return match, if ever, with the mild-mannered Hohmann, who
humbled Manalo in the finals of the 2006 IPT North America 8-Ball
Championship.
After this stop in Mandaluyong,
the Tour will travel to Puerto Princesa in Palawan next month before
going to Cebu, Davao, Olongapo and then to Pasay for the final leg,
which would sandwich the world tilt in September.
|
