The Second Annual World 10-Ball Championship is underway at the World Trade Center in Manila, Philippines.
Things got underway on Tuesday with the press conference and players meeting. The press conference featured something that many pool fans across the Philippines and the World had been waiting to see; the coming together of Raya Sports Yen Makabenta and renowned Filipino players sponsor Perry Mariano. The first running of this event last year was hindered by the lack of participation by Mariano's players, but this year promises to be a different story altogether.
The 128 player field for this event is littered with top Filipino power including Ronnie Alcano, Dennis Orcullo, Marlon Manalo, Antonio Lining, Jeffrey DeLuna, Antonio Gabica, Warren Kiamco, Lee Van Cortezza, Roberto Gomez and Demosthenes Pulpul. The field this year was described as possibly "the strongest field for a World Championship ever" by German powerhouse Ralf Souquet.
When asked for a comment on the participation by his players this year, Mariano said that he had to "think of the players and the events" instead of the politics. "The players and the sport should be primary" he continued.
The Filipino players are joined in this field by the best players in the world including reigning US Open Champion Mika Immonen, Ralf Souquet, Defending World 10-Ball Champion Darren Appleton, Niels Feijen, Shane Van Boening, Johnny Archer, Marcus Chamat, Thorsten Hohmann, Oliver Ortmann, Ching Shun Yang, Fong Pang Chao and Pei Wei Chang.
The event is being broadcast on Star Sports and ABS-CBN in Asia, with the final four days featuring seven hours of live pool each day available to over 130 million television subscribers. For those fans outside of Asia, the event will be streamed online at www.clubcapo.tv.
The event will begin with sixteen groups of eight players competing in races to nine with each group being whittled down to four players after 3 days. Those remaining sixty four players will face off in a single elimination bracket to crown a winner of this prestigous event.
