Dennis Orcollo will try to reinforce his standing as the No. 1 player in the world when he competes in the Bacolod leg of the 1st Senate President Manny Villar Cup which begins Wednesday at the Garden Royal Function Hall of Goldenfields Commercial Complex.
The 29-year-old Orcollo has already won four major tournaments this year, but fell short of winning a title in his last two events. Partnering veteran pool legend Francisco “Django” Bustamante in the World Cup of Pool, the Filipinos were beaten in the semi finals by the US pair of “The South Dakota Kid” Shane Van Boening and Rodney “The Rocket” Morris who went on to win the crown.
Orcollo also faltered in the semi finals of the Guinness 9-Ball Grand Finals last month in Jakarta .
Orcollo said he was hoping he “could resume my winning ways. I want to do it here in the Villar Cup.” Orcollo, who ruled the Quezon City 9-Ball Championship, the All-Japan Open, the Qatar International 9-Ball Open and the Guinness Tour Guangzhou has emerged as one of the most successful pool players in 2008. He is a superstar in the star-studded Bugsy Promotions roster of passionate pool supporter Perry Mariano.
Orcollo remarked “Actually, nothing changed in my shot making but I did get a good break in my past two tournaments. So I'm still confident that I can continue winning more tournaments.”
It certainly will not be easy for the World No.1 as he is expected to face stiff competition in the fifth edition of the island-hopping series presented by Villards: Tulong sa Pagsulong ng Philippine Sports.
Unlike the four previous stagings, Orcollo will not only take on his already tough countrymen, but also have to contend with top-class foreign contenders led by former World Cup of Pool winner Fu Jianbo of China .
Orcollo who was runner-up to Gandy Valle in the Cebu leg said “its much harder now but I am very confident and I really want to be champion in the Villar Cup because this is the most prestigious tournament now..”
Besides the foreign players Orcollo will have to contend with a formidable roster of his countrymen including former world champions Efren “Bata” Reyes, Alex Pagulayan and Ronnie Alcano, Francisco "Django" Bustamante, Lee Van Corteza, and previous Villar Cup leg winners Kiamco (Alabang), Gandy Valle ( Cebu ), Ramil Gallego (Bulacan) and Roberto Gomez ( Davao ).
There is also a group of rising stars led by Carlo Biado, Ricky Zerna, Mike Takayama and Michael Feliciano that Orcollo will have to contend with since they out to make a name for themselves and win the $15,000 top purse at stake in this four day meet organized by the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) in cooperation with the city government of Bacolod led by Mayor Evelio Leonardia and the Negros Billiards Stable (NBS) of businessman Jonathan Sy, and sponsored by Camella Communities.
The rest of the 32-man main draw is still being disputed by dozens of aspiring players through a series of qualifying tournaments being held at the Celebrity Billiards and Bar in Bacolod City.
Besides the international invitational division, there will also be the Executive Class and Amateur divisions for both men and women, where almost half-a-million pesos cash prize is at stake.
Moreover, the event will also have a series of side activities like street parties, concerts and exhibits as the event is also dubbed as “the Bacolod International VILLARDS Festival.”
